Concepts · Stage 6 of 11
Commitment
A Commitment represents an authoritative undertaking by a Principal to contribute, reserve, perform, provide, refrain from, or accept something under defined conditions.
Specification-sourced: quoted from the governing specification, pending the applicable specification-owner approvals. The specification controls.
In plain words
Commitment marks the point where the ecology changes state: a mill reserving throughput or a lender conditionally committing capital takes on accountable obligation. A Commitment does not exist merely because a recommendation predicted the participant would probably agree.
What it is not
Commitment ≠ Intent
A Commitment converts a possible contribution into accountable obligation; an Intent only expresses a desired future condition and binds no one to contribute to it. Intent · Canonical Model & Protocol (source: 04 §9.1)
Commitment ≠ Recommendation
A Commitment is an authoritative act by a participant taking responsibility; a Recommendation is machine reasoning about what might be done and cannot stand in for that act. Commitment Creates a Different State · Concept Paper (source: 01 §6.5)
Commitment ≠ Formation
A Commitment establishes one participant's accountable obligation; a Formation establishes the coordinated structure that can emerge once sufficient Commitments, governance and authority are in place. The Governing Principle · Canonical Model & Protocol (source: 04 §30.3)