The Coordination Stack™
Developed and authored by Brandon Hatton. Exclusively licensed to and formalized by the Work Management Institute.
Official Framework Overview
A Foundational Framework for How Work Is Coordinated
The Coordination Stack™ is a system-level work management framework developed by the Work Management Institute (WMI). It defines the five essential questions that must be answered for people, teams, or AI agents to reliably coordinate work.
Rather than prescribing tools, processes, or methodologies, the Coordination Stack provides a universal coordination model that applies across roles, organizations, industries, and technologies.
At its core, coordination fails when one or more of these questions is unanswered:
Why is the work being done?
What needs to be done?
Who is responsible?
When does it happen?
How is the work carried out and aligned?
The Coordination Stack organizes these questions into five reinforcing layers.
The Five Layers of the Coordination Stack™
1. Why — Purpose & Intent
Why does this work exist?
What outcome is it meant to achieve?
The Why layer establishes intent. It defines the purpose of the work and the outcome it is designed to produce. Without clarity at this layer, teams may execute efficiently while optimizing for the wrong goal.
Examples:
-
Desired outcomes
-
Success criteria
-
Strategic intent
-
Problem statements
When Why is unclear, work drifts and value erodes.
2. What — Work Definition & Scope
What exactly needs to be done?
What does “done” mean?
The What layer defines the work itself. It translates intent into concrete, actionable scope so that everyone shares the same understanding of what is being delivered.
Examples:
-
Tasks and deliverables
-
Scope boundaries
-
Acceptance criteria
-
Definitions of done
When What is unclear, rework, duplication, and misalignment increase.
3. Who — Ownership & Responsibility
Who owns the work?
Who contributes, and who decides?
The Who layer establishes accountability. It ensures responsibility is explicit rather than assumed, preventing work from stalling or falling through the cracks.
Examples:
-
Owners and assignees
-
Decision makers
-
Contributors and reviewers
-
Accountability models
When Who is unclear, coordination slows and responsibility diffuses.
4. When — Timing & Dependencies
By when does the work need to happen?
In what order?
The When layer governs flow. It defines timing, sequencing, and dependencies so work progresses predictably rather than reactively.
Examples:
-
Deadlines and milestones
-
Dependencies
-
Sequencing and prioritization
-
Cadence and timelines
When When is unclear, teams experience delays, thrash, and missed commitments.
5. How — Execution & Alignment
How is the work carried out?
How do people stay aligned as work progresses?
The How layer defines the execution environment. It covers the mechanisms through which work is coordinated day-to-day, including communication, tools, and operating norms.
Examples:
-
Communication practices
-
Collaboration tools
-
Update and decision norms
-
Execution workflows
When How is unclear, even well-defined work becomes chaotic.
How the Coordination Stack™ Is Used
The Coordination Stack is not a maturity model or a methodology.
It is a diagnostic and design framework.
It is used to:
-
Identify where coordination is breaking down
-
Design more reliable work systems
-
Evaluate tools, processes, and operating models
-
Support human, AI, and hybrid work environments
A breakdown at a higher layer often traces back to an unresolved lower layer.
Coordination as Infrastructure
The Coordination Stack reframes coordination as infrastructure, not behavior.
Tools, processes, and governance mechanisms exist to support the five layers — but they are not the layers themselves. Effective work systems ensure that all five coordination questions are continuously answered as work flows.
Relationship to Other WMI Frameworks
-
The Coordination Stack™ defines whether work can be coordinated
-
The C4 Flywheel™ explains how coordinated work builds momentum
-
The Work Value Pyramid™ explains what kind of value the work produces
Together, these frameworks form the foundation of the Work Management Body of Knowledge (WMBOK™).
Framework Governance
The Coordination Stack™ is governed, maintained, and evolved by the Work Management Institute. WMI ensures:
-
Alignment with WMBOK™
-
Framework integrity and version control
-
Educational and certification standardization
-
Protection against dilution or misuse
Canonical Definition
The Coordination Stack™ is a foundational work management framework that defines the five essential coordination questions—why, what, who, when, and how—that must be answered for people, teams, or AI agents to reliably coordinate work across its lifecycle.
Usage and Citation
The Coordination Stack™ may be referenced for educational and explanatory purposes with attribution.
Preferred citation:
Coordination Stack™ — Developed by Brandon Hatton; formalized and stewarded by the Work Management Institute.
Commercial usage or derivative frameworks require WMI authorization.
© Work Management Institute. All rights reserved.