Something a participant knows how to do—observe execution, format a representation, persist a model, or send a message.
A published contract through which an ability is requested and its observable obligations are expressed.
What a participant promises to accomplish or preserve while exercising abilities.
A named position in a collaboration: a composition of abilities, responsibilities, and required authority.
The context-dependent permission to exercise an ability. Understanding a protocol does not automatically grant the right to use it.
A live assembly of roles, models, and views organized around a person’s purpose—not a sealed application owning its data.
Example: a debugger collaboration
| Role | Ability | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Execution observer | Observe messages and state | Do not alter execution |
| Execution controller | Suspend, step, resume | Preserve coherent state |
| State editor | Modify live objects | Record change and provenance |
| Diagnostic reporter | Explain failures | Separate observation from inference |