The following table shows all possible associations between method content elements that can be impacted by variability. Outgoing associations are shown with a right-arrow →. Incoming associations are shown with a left-arrow ←.
Unless noted in the table, all associations are "many to many." For example, there can be many associations from a Guidance element to another Guidance element.
The few exceptions are noted with a "1" next to the arrow indicating that only one association is allowed in that direction. For example, there can be only one incoming association from a Task primary performer to a Role. Similarly, there can be only one outgoing association from a Task to a Role primary performer.
| Element | Association direction | Associated element |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance | → | Guidance |
| → | Section | |
| ← | Any method content element | |
| ← | Any standard category | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Guidance | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| ← | Tool | |
| ← | Tool Mentor | |
| Guidance - Checklist | → | Check Item |
| Guidance - Practice | → | Any category |
| → | Any method content element | |
| Role | → | Guidance |
| → | Section | |
| → | Work product: responsible for | |
| ← | Custom Category | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| ← | Role Set | |
| ← | Task: additional performer | |
| ← | Task: primary performer | |
| Task | → | Guidance |
| → | Role: additional performer | |
| → | Role: primary performer | |
| → | Section | |
| → | Step | |
| → | Work Product: mandatory input | |
| → | Work Product: optional input | |
| → | Work Product: output | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Discipline | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| Tool Mentor | → | Guidance |
| ← | Tool | |
| Work Product | → | Guidance |
| → | Section | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← 1 | Domain | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| ← | Role | |
| ← | Task: mandatory input | |
| ← | Task: optional input | |
| ← | Task: output | |
| ← | Work Product - deliverable | |
| ← | Work Product kind | |
| Work Product - Artifact | → | Work Product - Artifact |
| ← | Work Product - Artifact | |
| Work Product - Deliverable | → | Work Product |
| Activity | → | Activity |
| ← | Activity | |
| Custom Category | → | Any method content element |
| → | Any standard category | |
| → | Custom category | |
| → | Discipline Grouping | |
| → | Role set grouping | |
| → | Tool | |
| ← | Custom Category | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| Discipline | → | Discipline |
| → | Guidance | |
| → | Reference Workflow | |
| → | Task | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Discipline | |
| ← | Discipline grouping | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| Discipline Grouping | → | Discipline |
| ← | Custom category | |
| Domain | → | Domain |
| → | Guidance | |
| 1 → | Work product | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Domain | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| Role Set | → | Guidance |
| → | Role | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| Role Set Grouping | → | Role Set |
| ← | Custom Category | |
| Tool | → | Guidance |
| → | Tool mentor | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Tools | |
| → | Tools | |
| Work Product Kind | → | Guidance |
| → | Work Product | |
| → | Work Product Kind | |
| ← | Custom category | |
| ← | Guidance - Practice | |
| ← | Work Product kind |