RDPM — Resource Disturbance & Propagation Module

Architecture:

RSGA™ — Resource Sustainability Governance Architecture

Parent Standard:

RIRS — Resource Interdependency & Resilience Standard

Category:

Governance & Enforcement

Subcategory:

Resource Governance

Type:

Core Module

Governed Space:

Resource Disturbance & Propagation Governance

Module ID:

RSGA-RIRS-RDPM-02

Origin ID:

OOF-RSGA-RIRS-RDPM

Version:

1.0

Status:

Canonical Open

Effective Date:

9 October 2026

Compatibility:

Methodology OS — Modular Compatibility

GIE-Compatible:

Yes

AI-Readable:

Yes

Authority:

OOF® — OriginOpen® Foundation

Protection:

Protected Methodological Work

Canonical Language:

English

1. Canonical Definition

RDPM — Resource Disturbance & Propagation Module is the Core Module within RIRS that governs how disturbances affecting Resources, Resource capacities, supporting infrastructure, and operational functions are identified, bounded, evidenced, classified, and traced through Resource interdependency networks to establish their potential or observed propagation pathways, cascading effects, common-cause exposure, and resulting changes in the operational state of affected Resource System components.

RDPM establishes the methodological conditions under which an initial Resource disturbance may be distinguished from its downstream consequences.

It governs the relationship between disturbance origin, affected Resource dependencies, propagation conditions, and the resulting distribution of operational disruption across an interconnected Resource System.

RDPM does not assume that every disturbance propagates, that every propagation pathway produces failure, or that every observed disruption originates from a single identifiable cause.

It also distinguishes a disturbance scenario from an actual operational event.

Disturbance Identified ≠ Propagation Demonstrated.

Potential Propagation Path ≠ Observed Propagation.

Shared Resource Dependency ≠ Common-Cause Failure Established.

Propagation Observed ≠ System Resilience Determined.

2. Operational Role

RDPM governs the identification and traceability of Resource disturbances and their propagation through interconnected Resource Systems.

Its operational role is to establish:

Disturbance identity.

Disturbance origin. Disturbance type. Affected Resource identity. Affected infrastructure. Disturbance magnitude. Disturbance duration. Disturbance timing. Disturbance location. Relevant operational conditions. Initial affected nodes. Direct propagation pathways. Indirect propagation pathways. Conditional propagation pathways. Cascading disturbance sequences. Shared disturbance exposure. Common-cause disturbance relationships. Propagation constraints. Propagation interruption. Propagation uncertainty. Observed operational consequences. Potential downstream consequences. Evidence sufficiency. Disturbance classification. Propagation classification. Monitoring. Reassessment. Downstream vulnerability and resilience handoff.

RDPM does not independently determine Resource criticality, resilience capacity, response authorization, recovery capability, or long-term Sustainability.

3. Core Question

How should Resource disturbances be identified, evidenced, and traced through interconnected Resource dependencies so that their origins, direct and indirect propagation pathways, cascading consequences, common-cause exposure, and affected operational functions remain distinguishable from assumed failures, unsupported causal claims, hypothetical scenarios, or conclusions about the overall resilience of the Resource System?

4. Position in Architecture Governance Flow

RSGA™ Governance Flow

Resource Characterization → Availability & Capacity → Demand → Dependency & Criticality → Access → Prioritization & Allocation → Consumption & Utilization → Scarcity & Constraint → Recovery & Circularity → Substitution & Flexibility → Interdependency & Resilience → Continuity & Sustainability

RIRS Core Module Flow

1. RIDM — Resource Interdependency Mapping Module 2. RDPM — Resource Disturbance & Propagation Module 3. Resource Vulnerability & Resilience Capacity Governance 4. Resource Response & Recovery Governance 5. Resource Resilience Validation & Monitoring Governance

The subsequent three positions describe governed functions; their canonical module names and identifiers are established through their respective final modules.

RDPM occupies the second governance position within RIRS.

It receives the Resource Interdependency Network Profile established through RIDM.

It identifies disturbances and traces their potential or observed effects through that network.

Its outputs support subsequent evaluation of Resource System vulnerability, resilience capacity, response readiness, and recovery capability.

Resource Interdependency Network → Disturbance Identification → Propagation Assessment → Cascading & Common-Cause Assessment → Disturbance Propagation Profile → Vulnerability & Resilience Governance Handoff

5. Governed Space

Resource Disturbance & Propagation Governance

This governed space concerns disturbances affecting interconnected Resource Systems and the pathways through which those disturbances may produce consequences beyond their original Resource or operational location.

It includes:

Disturbance origin. Disturbance characteristics. Affected Resource nodes. Dependency-mediated propagation. Propagation direction. Propagation conditions. Cascading sequences. Common-cause exposure. Propagation boundaries. Observed effects. Potential effects. Evidence and uncertainty. Disturbance monitoring. Propagation reassessment.

It does not independently govern Resource dependency mapping, criticality classification, vulnerability severity, resilience sufficiency, operational response, or recovery execution.

6. Governed Object

The primary Governed Object is:

A Resource Disturbance & Propagation Configuration connecting an identifiable Resource disturbance with its originating Resource or operational condition, affected Resource Interdependency Network, propagation pathways, affected nodes, operational consequences, and supporting evidence within a defined assessment boundary.

A configuration may represent:

An Observed Resource Disturbance

A Defined Disturbance Scenario

A Potential Propagation Pathway

An Observed Propagation Sequence

A Cascading Disruption

A Shared Disturbance Exposure

A Common-Cause Disturbance

An Unresolved Disturbance Relationship

The configuration must preserve the distinction between potential, simulated, inferred, and observed propagation.

7. Scope

RDPM governs:

Disturbance identification. Disturbance source. Disturbance characteristics. Initial affected Resource nodes. Initial affected operational functions. Disturbance boundaries. Direct propagation. Indirect propagation. Conditional propagation. Temporal propagation. Spatial propagation. Cascading disturbance sequences. Shared disturbance exposure. Common-cause disturbance relationships. Propagation amplification. Propagation attenuation. Propagation interruption. Propagation uncertainty. Affected operational functions. Observed operational effects. Potential operational effects. Evidence sufficiency. Causal attribution limitations. Propagation classification. Monitoring. Reassessment. Downstream governance handoffs.

RDPM does not independently determine Resource allocation, operational intervention, resilience sufficiency, recovery success, Harm, Liability, or Sustainability.

8. Foundational Governance Principles

8.1 Disturbance Identity Principle

Resource Disturbance Identified ≠ Resource System Failure Established.

8.2 Propagation Evidence Principle

Potential Propagation ≠ Observed Propagation.

8.3 Causal Traceability Principle

Temporal Sequence ≠ Demonstrated Causation.

8.4 Dependency Boundary Principle

Dependency Path Exists ≠ Disturbance Necessarily Propagates.

8.5 Cascading Integrity Principle

Multiple Disruptions ≠ Cascading Failure Without a Supported Propagation Relationship.

8.6 Common-Cause Integrity Principle

Simultaneous Failures ≠ Common-Cause Failure Automatically Established.

8.7 Operational Reality Principle

Simulated Propagation ≠ Observed Operational Propagation.

8.8 Resilience Separation Principle

Disturbance Propagation Assessed ≠ Resource Resilience Determined.

9. Disturbance Identity

Every RDPM assessment must identify the disturbance or scenario under examination.

Minimum elements include:

Disturbance ID

Disturbance Type

Disturbance Origin

Affected Resource

Affected Infrastructure

Relevant Operational Function

Time

Location

Magnitude Where Applicable

Duration

Operating Conditions

Evidence Basis

The disturbance identity must remain distinguishable from the identity of its consequences.

10. Disturbance Origin

The disturbance origin concerns the Resource, infrastructure, operational condition, or external event from which the assessed disturbance arises.

Origin may be:

Known

Conditionally Established

Inferred

Disputed

Unknown

RDPM must not invent an origin where evidence is insufficient.

11. Origin Integrity

First Observed Failure ≠ Original Disturbance Source.

A downstream failure may be detected before the initiating disturbance is identified.

12. Disturbance Types

Relevant disturbance types may include:

Resource Unavailability

Resource Capacity Reduction

Resource Quality Degradation

Supply Interruption

Infrastructure Failure

Demand Surge

Operational Configuration Failure

Environmental Constraint

Transport Disruption

Control System Failure

Supporting Resource Failure

Combined Resource Disturbance

Each disturbance must remain connected to its operational context.

13. Disturbance Magnitude

Disturbance magnitude concerns the degree of Resource or operational change.

Relevant dimensions may include:

Capacity Reduction

Supply Reduction

Quality Degradation

Duration of Unavailability

Demand Increase

Infrastructure Impairment

Operational Performance Loss

Magnitude must use appropriate Resource-specific units where measurable.

RDPM does not establish a universal disturbance magnitude index.

14. Magnitude Principle

Large Resource Disturbance ≠ Large System Consequence by Default.

System consequences depend on actual dependencies and propagation conditions.

15. Disturbance Duration

RDPM must preserve disturbance duration where material.

Relevant distinctions include:

Instantaneous Disturbance

Short-Duration Disturbance

Extended Disturbance

Intermittent Disturbance

Recurring Disturbance

Persistent Disturbance

Duration classifications must be defined relative to the Resource System and operational function.

16. Duration Principle

Short Disturbance ≠ Negligible Operational Consequence.

A brief interruption may trigger a prolonged downstream disruption.

17. Disturbance Timing

Disturbance timing may affect propagation.

Relevant elements include:

Occurrence Time

Detection Time

Operational State at Occurrence

Demand Conditions

Capacity Conditions

Supporting Resource Conditions

Propagation Delay

Consequence Observation Time

18. Timing Principle

Same Disturbance at Different Times ≠ Same Operational Consequence.

19. Disturbance Location

Location may influence the affected Resource network and propagation pathways.

Relevant dimensions include:

Physical Location

Infrastructure Location

Network Location

Resource Supply Location

Operational Function Location

External Dependency Location

20. Disturbance Boundary

RDPM must define the assessment boundary.

The boundary should identify:

Initial Disturbance

Affected Resource System

Included Dependency Network

Relevant Operational Functions

Temporal Scope

Spatial Scope

Known Exclusions

Evidence Limitations

21. Boundary Principle

Propagation Not Observed Within Boundary ≠ Propagation Absent Outside Boundary.

22. Initial Affected Nodes

The initial affected nodes are the Resource or operational components directly affected by the disturbance.

They may include:

Resource Nodes

Capacity Nodes

Infrastructure Nodes

Operational Function Nodes

Supporting Resource Nodes

RIDM provides the relevant network structure.

23. Initial Impact Integrity

Initial Affected Node ≠ Sole Affected Node.

24. Dependency-Mediated Propagation

Dependency-mediated propagation occurs when a disturbance affects another node through a relevant dependency relationship.

RDPM must establish:

Originating Node

Affected Dependency

Supporting Relationship

Propagation Condition

Downstream Node

Observed or Potential Effect

Evidence Basis

25. Propagation Direction

Propagation direction concerns the sequence in which disturbance effects travel through the Resource network.

It must be evaluated against dependency semantics rather than graphical arrows alone.

Dependency Direction ≠ Propagation Direction Without Context.

26. Direct Propagation

Direct propagation occurs when a disturbance affects an immediately dependent node.

Example:

Electricity Supply Failure → Cooling Equipment Interruption

The propagation relationship must be supported by the relevant operational conditions.

27. Indirect Propagation

Indirect propagation occurs when a disturbance reaches another node through intermediate dependencies.

Example:

Electricity Supply Failure → Cooling Equipment Interruption → Thermal Control Loss → Computing Capacity Reduction

Intermediate nodes must remain identifiable.

28. Indirect Propagation Principle

No Direct Resource Relationship ≠ No Disturbance Propagation Pathway.

29. Conditional Propagation

Conditional propagation occurs only when specified operational conditions are present.

Examples include:

Backup Capacity Unavailable

Demand Above Available Capacity

Alternative Pathway Not Activated

Cooling Requirement Above Threshold

Supporting Infrastructure Impaired

Conditions must remain explicit.

30. Conditional Propagation Principle

Propagation Possible Under Condition A ≠ Propagation Inevitable Under Condition B.

31. Temporal Propagation

Temporal propagation concerns disturbance effects that occur after a delay.

Examples include:

Storage Depletion

Thermal Accumulation

Delayed Material Shortage

Progressive Capacity Reduction

Recovery Resource Exhaustion

RDPM must preserve material delays where evidenced.

32. Temporal Propagation Principle

No Immediate Consequence ≠ No Delayed Consequence.

33. Spatial Propagation

Spatial propagation concerns disturbances affecting Resource systems across locations.

Examples include:

Regional Electricity Supply Interruption

Water Distribution Disruption

Transport Network Failure

Distributed Computing Infrastructure Dependency

Location and network relationships must remain traceable.

34. Spatial Propagation Principle

Geographic Separation ≠ Propagation Independence.

35. Propagation Pathway Identification

Every material propagation pathway should preserve:

Propagation Pathway ID

Originating Disturbance

Initial Affected Node

Intermediate Nodes

Downstream Nodes

Dependency Relationships

Propagation Conditions

Time Sequence

Evidence Basis

Propagation State

36. Propagation Pathway State

A pathway may be classified as:

Potential

Conditionally Supported

Simulated

Inferred

Observed

Partially Observed

Interrupted

Not Supported by Available Evidence

Conflicted

Unknown

Classification must remain evidence-relative.

37. Propagation Pathway Integrity

Pathway Structurally Possible ≠ Pathway Operationally Active.

38. Cascading Disturbance

A cascading disturbance occurs when an initial disturbance produces subsequent disruptions through dependency- mediated relationships.

A cascade may involve:

Sequential Resource Failures

Capacity Reduction

Infrastructure Overload

Demand Redistribution

Supporting Resource Exhaustion

Operational Function Interruption

Secondary Resource Shortage

RDPM must preserve the propagation sequence.

39. Cascade Identity

Every assessed cascade should preserve:

Cascade ID

Initiating Disturbance

Initial Affected Node

Propagation Sequence

Intermediate Disturbances

Affected Operational Functions

Time Sequence

Evidence Basis

Cascade State

40. Cascade Integrity

Multiple Failures in One System ≠ Demonstrated Cascading Failure.

A cascade requires a supported propagation relationship.

41. Cascade Amplification

Cascade amplification occurs where downstream consequences increase the operational significance or extent of the initial disturbance.

Examples include:

Local Capacity Loss Producing Wider Production Interruption

Infrastructure Failure Increasing Demand on Remaining Infrastructure

Cooling Failure Reducing Computing Capacity Across Multiple Systems

Amplification must be evaluated through evidence.

42. Amplification Principle

Disturbance Amplification ≠ Original Disturbance Magnitude Increased.

The disturbance itself may remain unchanged while its consequences expand.

43. Cascade Attenuation

Cascade attenuation occurs where the propagation effect decreases across a dependency pathway.

Relevant conditions may include:

Available Storage

Operational Buffers

Independent Supporting Resources

Reduced Demand

Alternative Resource Arrangements

RDPM records the propagation effect.

It does not independently validate overall resilience capacity.

44. Attenuation Principle

Propagation Attenuated ≠ Resource System Resilience Demonstrated.

45. Propagation Interruption

Propagation interruption occurs where a disturbance pathway ceases to transmit material effects under defined conditions.

Relevant evidence may include:

Operational Isolation

Independent Resource Supply

Available Buffer Capacity

Effective Load Reduction

Alternative Pathway Activation

RDPM must distinguish observed interruption from planned interruption.

46. Interruption Principle

Propagation Interruption Planned ≠ Propagation Interruption Achieved.

47. Shared Disturbance Exposure

Shared disturbance exposure exists where multiple Resource nodes may be affected by the same disturbance source or condition.

Examples include:

Shared Electricity Supply

Shared Water Treatment Infrastructure

Shared Transport Corridor

Shared Cooling Infrastructure

Shared Control Infrastructure

Exposure must remain distinguishable from actual failure.

48. Shared Exposure Principle

Shared Exposure ≠ Simultaneous Failure Established.

49. Common-Cause Disturbance

A common-cause disturbance occurs where a shared originating condition affects multiple Resource arrangements.

Examples include:

One Electrical Infrastructure Failure Affecting Multiple Backup Systems

One Water Treatment Failure Affecting Multiple Water Supply Pathways

One Transport Disruption Affecting Multiple Material Suppliers

RDPM must preserve the common originating condition where evidenced.

50. Common-Cause Integrity

Multiple Failures Occurring Together ≠ Common-Cause Relationship Proven.

51. Common-Cause vs Cascading Disturbance

Common-cause disturbance and cascading disturbance must remain distinct.

Common-Cause Disturbance: Multiple effects arise from a shared originating condition.

Cascading Disturbance: One disturbance produces subsequent effects through dependency-mediated propagation.

A single event may involve both mechanisms.

Common-Cause Failure ≠ Cascading Failure.

52. Multiple Disturbance Origins

A Resource System may experience multiple disturbances with different origins.

RDPM must preserve separate disturbance identities unless evidence supports a common source.

Multiple Disturbances ≠ Single Disturbance Event.

53. Concurrent Disturbances

Concurrent disturbances may affect overlapping Resource pathways.

Relevant elements include:

Disturbance Identity

Occurrence Time

Affected Nodes

Shared Dependencies

Interaction Conditions

Combined Operational Effects

RDPM must not assume causal interaction merely because disturbances overlap in time.

54. Concurrent Disturbance Principle

Concurrent Disturbances ≠ Causally Connected Disturbances.

55. Disturbance Interaction

Disturbances may interact through:

Shared Resource Capacity

Dependency Overlap

Infrastructure Constraints

Demand Redistribution

Operational State Changes

Resource Depletion

Response Resource Competition

Interaction must be supported by evidence or explicitly bounded as a scenario assumption.

56. Disturbance Interaction Principle

Combined Disturbance Consequence ≠ Sum of Independent Disturbance Consequences by Default.

Interactions may amplify, reduce, or alter effects.

57. Affected Operational Functions

RDPM must identify operational functions affected by propagation.

Relevant elements include:

Function Identity

Supporting Resource Dependencies

Disturbance Pathway

Observed Functional Change

Potential Functional Change

Time

Evidence

RDPM does not independently determine final functional criticality.

58. Operational Consequence Recognition

Operational consequences may include:

Function Interruption

Capacity Reduction

Quality Degradation

Delayed Operation

Supporting Resource Exhaustion

Infrastructure Impairment

Operational Configuration Change

Consequences must remain attributable to the relevant disturbance evidence.

59. Consequence Integrity

Operational Consequence Observed ≠ Disturbance Cause Established.

60. Potential vs Observed Consequences

RDPM must distinguish:

Potential Consequence

Scenario-Based Consequence

Simulated Consequence

Inferred Consequence

Observed Consequence

Unverified Consequence

Conflicted Consequence

Unknown Consequence

61. Evidence Provenance

Disturbance and propagation evidence should preserve:

Evidence ID

Evidence Source

Origin

Collection Method

Time

Location

Affected Resource

Affected Node

Relevant Pathway

Observed Condition

Evidence Limitations

Version:

62. Causal Evidence

Causal evidence may include:

Operational Logs

Measured Resource Flows

Infrastructure Events

Time-Synchronized Observations

System State Changes

Technical Investigations

Validated Operational Models

Other Relevant Evidence

Causal conclusions must remain proportional to evidence.

63. Causal Integrity

Correlation ≠ Causation.

Temporal Sequence ≠ Causal Proof.

Shared Disturbance Timing ≠ Shared Disturbance Origin.

64. Simulation Evidence

Simulation may support the evaluation of potential disturbance propagation.

Relevant elements include:

Simulation Model

Scenario Assumptions

Resource Network Representation

Disturbance Input

Propagation Logic

Output

Validation Status

Uncertainty

Simulation governance remains within its applicable architecture.

65. Simulation Boundary

Simulated Propagation ≠ Observed Propagation.

Simulation results must not be represented as operational observations.

66. Unknown Propagation Relationships

RDPM must support explicit unknown states.

Examples include:

Unknown Disturbance Origin

Unknown Propagation Pathway

Unknown Intermediate Node

Unknown Propagation Condition

Unknown Consequence

Unknown Causal Relationship

Unknown relationships must not be silently converted into absence.

67. Unknown Propagation Principle

Propagation Not Established ≠ Propagation Impossible.

68. Evidence Conflict

Disturbance evidence may conflict.

Examples include:

Different Sources Identify Different Origins

Observed Timing Conflicts with Proposed Propagation

Infrastructure Logs Conflict with Operational Reports

Simulation Conflicts with Observed Behavior

Multiple Causal Explanations Remain Plausible

Conflicts must remain traceable.

69. Evidence Conflict Principle

Conflicting Evidence ≠ Validated Propagation Conclusion.

70. Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile

The principal governed output is the:

Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile

It establishes the evidence-based relationship between a Resource disturbance, the affected Resource Interdependency Network, potential or observed propagation pathways, cascading effects, common-cause relationships, operational consequences, uncertainty, and reassessment conditions.

The profile provides the disturbance foundation for subsequent vulnerability and resilience governance.

71. Minimum Profile Fields

At minimum:

Disturbance Propagation Profile ID

Resource System ID

Resource Interdependency Network Reference

Disturbance ID

Disturbance Type

Disturbance Origin

Origin State

Initial Affected Resource

Initial Affected Node

Disturbance Magnitude

Disturbance Duration

Disturbance Timing

Disturbance Location

Assessment Boundary

Operating Conditions

Affected Dependency Relationships

Direct Propagation Pathways

Indirect Propagation Pathways

Conditional Propagation Pathways

Temporal Propagation References

Spatial Propagation References

Propagation Sequence

Propagation State

Cascading Disturbance References

Cascade Amplification References

Cascade Attenuation References

Propagation Interruption References

Shared Disturbance Exposure

Common-Cause Disturbance References

Multiple Origin References

Concurrent Disturbance References

Disturbance Interaction References

Affected Operational Functions

Potential Operational Consequences

Observed Operational Consequences

Evidence Provenance

Causal Evidence State

Evidence Sufficiency

Missing Evidence

Evidence Uncertainty

Evidence Conflict

Reassessment Trigger

Effective Time

Version:

72. Minimum Implementation Framework

A minimum operational RDPM implementation should contain ten governed layers.

Layer 1 — Disturbance Identity

Establish the disturbance or scenario identity, type, origin, affected Resource, timing, location, and relevant operating conditions.

Layer 2 — Network Reference

Connect the disturbance to the applicable Resource Interdependency Network Profile established through RIDM.

Layer 3 — Initial Impact Identification

Identify the initial affected nodes, Resource capacities, infrastructure, and operational functions.

Layer 4 — Propagation Pathway Assessment

Identify direct, indirect, conditional, temporal, and spatial propagation pathways.

Layer 5 — Cascading Disturbance Assessment

Evaluate sequential disturbance relationships, propagation amplification, attenuation, and interruption.

Layer 6 — Shared & Common-Cause Assessment

Identify shared disturbance exposure, common-cause relationships, and multiple disturbance origins.

Layer 7 — Operational Consequence Assessment

Preserve affected operational functions and distinguish potential, inferred, simulated, and observed consequences.

Layer 8 — Evidence & Causal Validation

Evaluate evidence provenance, causal sufficiency, unknown relationships, conflicting evidence, and uncertainty.

Layer 9 — Propagation Classification

Establish evidence-based propagation states without determining overall Resource resilience.

Layer 10 — Governed Output & Handoff

Produce the Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile and preserve downstream vulnerability and resilience governance references.

73. Minimum Decision States

At minimum:

Disturbance Not Identified

Disturbance Identified

Origin Pending

Origin Identified

Origin Inferred

Origin Disputed

Origin Unknown

Network Reference Pending

Initial Affected Nodes Identified

Propagation Assessment Pending

Potential Propagation Identified

Conditional Propagation Identified

Simulated Propagation

Inferred Propagation

Observed Propagation

Partially Observed Propagation

Propagation Interrupted

Cascade Potential Identified

Cascade Observed

Common-Cause Exposure Identified

Common-Cause Relationship Supported

Operational Consequences Identified

Evidence-Limited

Conflicted

Unknown

Reassessment Required

74. Minimum Evidence Path

Where disturbance propagation cannot be established:

Disturbance Identity → Resource Interdependency Network Reference → Initial Affected Nodes → Candidate Propagation Pathways → Operational Evidence → Evidence-Limited / Conflicted / Unknown State → Missing Evidence Identification → Evidence Acquisition → Causal & Propagation Reassessment → Propagation Classification → Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile → Vulnerability & Resilience Governance Handoff

Missing evidence must not be replaced by assumed causal relationships.

75. Minimum Reassessment Framework

Current Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile → New Disturbance / Operational / Network / Causal Evidence → Materiality Assessment → Origin Review → Initial Impact Review → Propagation Pathway Review → Cascade Review → Common-Cause Review → Consequence Review → Evidence State Update → Propagation Classification Update → Profile Update → Version Update

Reassessment may be triggered by:

New disturbance evidence. Changed disturbance origin. Changed Resource network. Newly identified dependency pathways. New shared dependencies. New operational consequences. Newly observed cascading effects. New common-cause evidence. Changed Resource capacity. Changed operating conditions. Changed disturbance duration. Conflicting causal evidence. Newly identified delayed effects. New simulation or operational test evidence. Previously unknown propagation pathways.

76. Governance Requirements

A conforming RDPM implementation must satisfy the following requirements.

Disturbance Identity

1. Identify the disturbance or scenario. 2. Preserve disturbance type. 3. Preserve disturbance origin where established. 4. Support inferred origin states. 5. Support disputed origin states. 6. Support unknown origin states. 7. Preserve disturbance timing. 8. Preserve disturbance location. 9. Preserve magnitude where applicable. 10. Preserve duration. 11. Preserve operating conditions. 12. Prevent first observed failure from automatically establishing disturbance origin.

Network & Initial Impact

13. Preserve the Resource Interdependency Network reference. 14. Identify initial affected nodes. 15. Preserve affected Resource identities.

16. Preserve affected infrastructure. 17. Preserve relevant operational functions. 18. Define the assessment boundary. 19. Preserve known exclusions. 20. Prevent bounded observations from establishing universal absence of propagation.

Propagation Governance

21. Identify direct propagation pathways. 22. Identify indirect propagation pathways. 23. Identify conditional propagation pathways. 24. Identify temporal propagation pathways. 25. Identify spatial propagation pathways. 26. Preserve propagation direction. 27. Preserve intermediate nodes. 28. Preserve propagation conditions. 29. Preserve propagation timing. 30. Distinguish potential from observed propagation. 31. Distinguish simulated from observed propagation. 32. Prevent network connectivity from automatically establishing propagation.

Cascading Disturbance Governance

33. Identify potential cascading sequences. 34. Preserve observed cascading sequences. 35. Preserve intermediate disturbance relationships. 36. Identify amplification conditions. 37. Identify attenuation conditions. 38. Identify propagation interruption. 39. Preserve relevant evidence. 40. Prevent multiple failures from automatically establishing a cascade. 41. Prevent planned interruption from establishing achieved interruption.

Common-Cause & Multiple Disturbance Governance

42. Identify shared disturbance exposure. 43. Identify potential common-cause conditions. 44. Preserve supported common-cause relationships. 45. Preserve multiple disturbance origins. 46. Identify concurrent disturbances. 47. Preserve disturbance interaction conditions. 48. Distinguish common-cause from cascading disturbance. 49. Prevent simultaneous failures from automatically establishing common causation. 50. Prevent concurrent disturbances from automatically establishing causal interaction.

Operational Consequence Governance

51. Identify affected operational functions. 52. Preserve potential consequences. 53. Preserve simulated consequences. 54. Preserve inferred consequences. 55. Preserve observed consequences. 56. Preserve consequence timing. 57. Preserve consequence evidence. 58. Prevent observed consequences from automatically establishing disturbance cause.

Evidence Governance

59. Preserve evidence provenance. 60. Preserve evidence collection methods. 61. Evaluate causal evidence sufficiency. 62. Preserve missing evidence. 63. Support Evidence-Limited states. 64. Support Conflicted states.

65. Support Unknown states. 66. Preserve material uncertainty. 67. Distinguish correlation from causation. 68. Distinguish temporal sequence from causal proof. 69. Preserve simulation assumptions. 70. Prevent simulation results from being represented as operational observations.

Lifecycle Governance

71. Support disturbance monitoring. 72. Preserve material propagation changes. 73. Preserve new causal evidence. 74. Preserve changed network references. 75. Support reassessment. 76. Preserve reassessment triggers. 77. Preserve effective time. 78. Preserve material version history. 79. Prevent historical propagation findings from automatically establishing current conditions.

Architecture: Boundaries

80. Maintain RIDM network mapping boundaries. 81. Maintain RDCS dependency and criticality boundaries. 82. Maintain RACS availability and capacity boundaries. 83. Maintain RDGS demand governance boundaries. 84. Maintain RSCS scarcity and constraint boundaries. 85. Maintain RSFS substitution and flexibility boundaries. 86. Preserve downstream vulnerability governance handoffs. 87. Preserve downstream resilience capacity governance handoffs. 88. Preserve downstream response and recovery governance handoffs. 89. Prevent disturbance propagation assessment from creating operational authority. 90. Prevent propagation assessment from establishing resilience sufficiency. 91. Prevent propagation assessment from determining Harm or Liability. 92. Prevent propagation assessment from establishing Sustainability. 93. Produce a Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile.

77. Governance Logic

Canonical RDPM logic:

Resource Disturbance Identity → Resource Interdependency Network Reference → Initial Affected Nodes → Disturbance Characteristics & Conditions → Direct / Indirect / Conditional Propagation → Temporal & Spatial Propagation → Cascading Disturbance Assessment → Amplification / Attenuation / Interruption → Shared Disturbance Exposure → Common-Cause & Multiple Origin Assessment → Operational Consequence Recognition → Causal Evidence Evaluation → Propagation Classification → Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile → Monitoring & Reassessment → Vulnerability & Resilience Governance Handoff

78. Governance Outputs

RDPM may produce:

Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile

Disturbance Identity Record

Disturbance Origin Record

Disturbance Type Record

Disturbance Magnitude Record

Disturbance Duration Record

Disturbance Timing Record

Disturbance Location Record

Disturbance Boundary Record

Initial Affected Node Register

Affected Resource Register

Affected Infrastructure Register

Direct Propagation Pathway Map

Indirect Propagation Pathway Map

Conditional Propagation Record

Temporal Propagation Record

Spatial Propagation Record

Propagation Sequence Record

Propagation State

Cascading Disturbance Assessment

Cascade Amplification Record

Cascade Attenuation Record

Propagation Interruption Record

Shared Disturbance Exposure Record

Common-Cause Disturbance Assessment

Multiple Disturbance Origin Record

Concurrent Disturbance Record

Disturbance Interaction Record

Affected Operational Function Register

Potential Consequence Record

Observed Consequence Record

Causal Evidence Record

Evidence Sufficiency State

Missing Evidence Record

Evidence Uncertainty

Evidence Conflict

Reassessment Trigger

Downstream Governance Handoff

Version:

79. Practical Applications

AI Data Centers

Tracing how electricity, cooling, water, and computing infrastructure disturbances may propagate across dependent operational functions.

Energy Infrastructure

Evaluating how generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and supporting infrastructure disturbances may affect interconnected Resource systems.

Water Systems

Tracing disturbances affecting water sources, pumping, treatment, electricity supply, storage, and distribution.

Industrial Manufacturing

Evaluating how material shortages, electricity failures, transport disruptions, and equipment-related Resource disturbances may propagate through production dependencies.

Critical Infrastructure

Identifying potential and observed cascading disturbances, common-cause exposure, and affected essential operational functions.

80. Use Case 1 — AI Data Center Electricity Disturbance

An AI data center experiences a primary electricity supply interruption.

The facility depends on electricity for computational processing and cooling infrastructure.

RDPM establishes:

Disturbance: Primary electricity supply interruption.

Origin: Electrical supply infrastructure, subject to evidence.

Initial Affected Node: Primary electricity supply.

Resource Interdependency Network: Electricity, computing infrastructure, cooling infrastructure, water systems, backup energy, and supporting equipment.

Direct Propagation: Electricity interruption may affect computing equipment and cooling systems.

Indirect Propagation: Cooling interruption may produce thermal constraints and subsequent computing capacity reduction.

Conditional Propagation: The downstream effect depends on backup capacity, activation conditions, cooling configuration, and operating load.

Potential Cascade: Electricity interruption → Cooling capacity reduction → Thermal constraint → Computing capacity reduction.

Shared Disturbance Exposure: Computing and cooling may depend on common electrical infrastructure.

Common-Cause Condition: Shared electrical infrastructure failure may affect multiple Resource arrangements.

Evidence Requirement: Distinguish observed interruptions from simulated or inferred consequences.

Output: Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile.

RDPM traces the disturbance and its consequences.

It does not independently conclude that the data center is resilient or non-resilient.

Electricity Failure Observed ≠ Every Downstream Failure Automatically Proven.

81. Use Case 2 — Industrial Water Supply Disturbance

An industrial facility depends on water for production and electricity for pumping and treatment.

The facility experiences a disruption affecting electrical infrastructure.

RDPM establishes:

Disturbance: Electricity supply interruption.

Initial Affected Node: Electrical distribution infrastructure.

Direct Propagation: Pumping and treatment equipment may lose operational capacity.

Indirect Propagation: Water availability may decline, affecting production functions.

Temporal Propagation: Water storage may delay operational consequences.

Conditional Propagation: Production interruption depends on storage capacity, demand, alternative supply, and operational requirements.

Potential Cascade: Electricity interruption → Pumping failure → Water supply reduction → Production capacity reduction.

Shared Exposure: Primary and alternative water pathways may rely on the same electricity infrastructure.

Evidence Requirement: Preserve the actual observed sequence and distinguish it from a hypothetical scenario.

Output: Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile.

A Resource disturbance may propagate through several intermediate dependencies before affecting the final operational function.

Initial Resource Failure ≠ Final Operational Consequence Without a Supported Propagation Pathway.

82. Critical Distinctions

Disturbance Identified ≠ Propagation Demonstrated.

Potential Propagation Path ≠ Observed Propagation.

Shared Resource Dependency ≠ Common-Cause Failure Established.

Propagation Observed ≠ System Resilience Determined.

Resource Disturbance Identified ≠ Resource System Failure Established.

Temporal Sequence ≠ Demonstrated Causation.

Dependency Path Exists ≠ Disturbance Necessarily Propagates.

Multiple Disruptions ≠ Cascading Failure Without a Supported Propagation Relationship.

Simultaneous Failures ≠ Common-Cause Failure Automatically Established.

Simulated Propagation ≠ Observed Operational Propagation.

First Observed Failure ≠ Original Disturbance Source.

Large Resource Disturbance ≠ Large System Consequence by Default.

Short Disturbance ≠ Negligible Operational Consequence.

Same Disturbance at Different Times ≠ Same Operational Consequence.

Propagation Not Observed Within Boundary ≠ Propagation Absent Outside Boundary.

Initial Affected Node ≠ Sole Affected Node.

Dependency Direction ≠ Propagation Direction Without Context.

No Direct Resource Relationship ≠ No Disturbance Propagation Pathway.

Propagation Possible Under Condition A ≠ Propagation Inevitable Under Condition B.

No Immediate Consequence ≠ No Delayed Consequence.

Geographic Separation ≠ Propagation Independence.

Pathway Structurally Possible ≠ Pathway Operationally Active.

Multiple Failures in One System ≠ Demonstrated Cascading Failure.

Disturbance Amplification ≠ Original Disturbance Magnitude Increased.

Propagation Attenuated ≠ Resource System Resilience Demonstrated.

Propagation Interruption Planned ≠ Propagation Interruption Achieved.

Shared Exposure ≠ Simultaneous Failure Established.

Multiple Failures Occurring Together ≠ Common-Cause Relationship Proven.

Common-Cause Failure ≠ Cascading Failure.

Multiple Disturbances ≠ Single Disturbance Event.

Concurrent Disturbances ≠ Causally Connected Disturbances.

Combined Disturbance Consequence ≠ Sum of Independent Disturbance Consequences by Default.

Operational Consequence Observed ≠ Disturbance Cause Established.

Correlation ≠ Causation.

Temporal Sequence ≠ Causal Proof.

Shared Disturbance Timing ≠ Shared Disturbance Origin.

Propagation Not Established ≠ Propagation Impossible.

Conflicting Evidence ≠ Validated Propagation Conclusion.

83. Cross-Architecture Boundary

RDPM may consume evidence from:

RIDM — Resource Interdependency Mapping Module

RCHS — Resource Characterization Standard

RACS — Resource Availability & Capacity Standard

RDGS — Resource Demand Governance Standard

RDCS — Resource Dependency & Criticality Standard

RAGS — Resource Access Governance Standard

RPAS — Resource Prioritization & Allocation Standard

RCUS — Resource Consumption & Utilization Standard

RSCS — Resource Scarcity & Constraint Standard

RRCS — Resource Recovery & Circularity Standard

RSFS — Resource Substitution & Flexibility Standard

Its outputs support subsequent RIRS governance of:

Resource Vulnerability & Resilience Capacity

Resource Response & Recovery

Resource Resilience Validation & Monitoring

Its downstream architecture relationship includes:

RCSS — Resource Continuity & Sustainability Standard

Relevant external architecture relationships may include:

ORA™ — Operational Reality Architecture

PGA™ — Prediction Governance Architecture

SIMULOS® — Simulation Governance

HAGA™ — Harm Governance Architecture

LIGA™ — Liability Governance Architecture

RDPM governs Resource disturbance and propagation.

It does not absorb Resource dependency mapping, Resource criticality, operational authorization, resilience sufficiency, recovery execution, Harm, Liability, or Sustainability governance.

84. Cross-Architecture Mechanism Principle

An operational mechanism may produce inputs for multiple governance architectures, but it belongs only to the architecture whose governed domain includes that mechanism itself. Other architectures govern only its domain- specific relevance or consequences.

RDPM may use Resource network, operational observation, capacity, scarcity, and disturbance evidence.

It governs the relevance of those inputs to Resource disturbance identity, propagation pathways, cascading effects, and common-cause exposure.

It does not redefine the independent mechanisms that produced them.

85. Canonical Boundary

RDPM governs how disturbances affecting Resources, Resource capacities, supporting infrastructure, and operational functions are identified, bounded, evidenced, classified, and traced through Resource interdependency networks to establish their potential or observed propagation pathways, cascading effects, common-cause exposure, and resulting changes in the operational state of affected Resource System components.

It does not independently determine Resource criticality, vulnerability severity, resilience capacity, operational response authority, recovery success, Harm, Liability, or Sustainability.

Its principal governed output is the Resource Disturbance & Propagation Profile .

86. Canonical Closing Statement

A Resource disturbance cannot be understood solely through its point of origin. Its operational significance emerges through the dependency pathways, shared infrastructure, timing conditions, and Resource relationships that determine whether the disturbance remains contained or produces consequences across the wider Resource System.

RDPM establishes the governance conditions under which those consequences become traceable and evidentially distinguishable — ensuring that potential propagation is not presented as observed failure, simultaneous disruptions are not automatically treated as common-cause events, and cascading effects are not asserted without a supported causal pathway.