Collaboration cycle
Collaboration cycle
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Architecture Intent

Last Updated: September 9, 2026

Waiver available: Yes, in rare cases

Recommended timing: Schedule before you start building — once you're ready to discuss your technical approach.

How this touchpoint helps you, VA, and Veterans

Architecture Intent helps you build a technical solution that meets VA.gov Engineering and Security Guidelines before you start building your product. This lowers the risk of launch-blocking issues at Staging Review.

This meeting is a collaborative discussion, not a formal presentation. It gives the VA.gov Core Team (Gov Leads) and Platform an early look at what you're building, and gives you direct access to engineering and security stakeholders who can help you land on the right technical solution.

This touchpoint is required for every product launching on VA.gov.

No GitHub ticket yet? Start with a Collab Cycle kickoff first.

What you need to bring

Add a link to your checklist in your Architecture Intent GitHub ticket at least 2 business days before your meeting.

Required artifacts

  • Engineering and Security Checklist: start with the Engineering and Security checklist template, which includes:

    • Architecture diagram: Show in-scope components, internal dependencies, external dependencies, and security approach rationale

    • Data flow diagram: Document your data collection points, storage locations and encryption, transfer methods and encryption, access permissions (read/read-write), audit trail

    • Sequence diagram: Include all authentication steps for authenticated experiences

    • API documentation: Swagger/OpenAPI spec with new endpoints explicitly identified

    • Release plan: "Planning" sections of the Release Plan completed for Phase I, Phase II, and Go Live

You’re ready for this touchpoint when

  • You’re at a point where you’re ready to discuss your technical approach - the earlier, the better. This’ll minimize wasted development effort and help us ensure teams follow all VA.gov standards.

How to schedule your review

  1. Create a ticket
    Use "Initiate an Architecture Intent" in the Architecture Intent section of your Collab Cycle ticket. We'll confirm via Slack within 1 working day.

  2. Book a time
    Use the Calendly Architecture Intent calendar linked in your ticket.

  3. Add your artifacts
    Link them in your ticket at least 2 working days before your meeting.

No specific role is required to schedule Architecture Intent. The person who schedules it is responsible for inviting the rest of the team.

How to prepare for your review

Deadline: At least 2 working days before your meeting. Gov Leads and Platform Engineering and Security need this time to review your materials — without it, we may need to reschedule.

How to deliver: Link all artifacts in your Architecture Intent GitHub ticket.

What happens during the meeting

Format: 30-minute Microsoft Teams meeting, hosted by VA.gov Core Team and Platform Engineering and Security, and recorded.

Who should attend: Your technical leadership and product manager, at minimum. We also encourage you to invite engineers and any VA stakeholders working on or advising the product.

Who else will be there: Relevant Platform Engineering and Security staff and Gov Leads, invited by the Governance Team.

Agenda:

  • Welcome from Gov Leads and Platform Engineering and Security

  • Your team introduces the initiative (about 10 minutes) — cover the problem you're solving, any constraints, and walk us through your technical direction

  • Gov Leads and Platform Engineering and Security ask questions and share feedback

This is a discussion — ask questions any time.

Expected outcomes: You'll hear initial feedback live during the meeting. Gov Leads and Platform Engineering and Security stakeholders also document their feedback as a comment on your GitHub ticket by the end of the next business day.

What happens after the meeting

  • You review the written feedback on your Architecture Intent GitHub ticket.

  • You update your technical plan to meet the relevant Engineering and Security standards.

Waiver process

In rare cases, your team may not need an Architecture Intent. To request a waiver:

  1. Confirm that none of the following situations apply to your team.

  • You haven't previously completed an Engineering and Security Checklist for this application

  • You're launching a new service or major new feature

  • You're using an architectural pattern not currently used on the VA.gov Platform

  • You want to introduce a new technology, library, or dependency not previously used on VA.gov

  • You're integrating with a new system or API, inside or outside VA

  • Your change introduces a new coordination point between teams

  • You're gathering new PII/PHI, or saving PII/PHI in a new place

  • Your change has cost, performance, or security implications

  • Your update materially changes traffic to system components — particularly RDS/PostgreSQL, Elasticache/Redis, or a back-end service API

  • You're adding a component or service that requires ongoing licensing fees or periodic rotation, like a new API key or mTLS certificate

  • You have questions about an item on the Engineering and Security Checklist

  • You're having trouble getting technical information from other stakeholders or system owners

  • You want guidance or validation on an architectural approach

If none of these apply to your team, you may be able to skip this touchpoint — see the waiver process below.

  1. Complete the Engineering and Security Checklist.

  2. Comment on your Architecture Intent GitHub ticket with:

    • A brief explanation of why your team should be exempt

    • A link to your completed Engineering and Security Checklist

    • Tag Jennifer Kramer and Steve Albers (@Jennifer-Kramer2 @Steve-Albers) as primary and secondary contacts, respectively

Jennifer or Steve will respond on your ticket to confirm the waiver or ask for more detail. A waiver applies to the touchpoint itself — both the meeting and its required deliverables.

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