Operational state
Operational state organizes work without asserting independent facts about the world.
Specification-sourced: quoted from the governing specification, pending the applicable specification-owner approvals. The specification controls.
In plain words
An Outcome Context, coordination workspace, investigation context or session is operational. It can reference canonical and derived objects while the work proceeds, without itself stating what is true about the world.
What it is not
Operational state ≠ Canonical state
Operational state supports the conduct of work and may persist for long periods, but durability and application dependence never give it canonical authority. Operational State · Canonical Model & Protocol (source: 04 §3.4)