A FRAM function in the Unified Foundational Ontology

As the Patriarca paper1 suggests, the integration of the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) with the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO) could be a significant step forward in formalizing the conceptual underpinnings of the FRAM for safety modeling in complex socio-technical systems. FRAM has long been recognized for its ability to analyze systemic behaviour through a focus on functional interactions and variability. However, its flexibility and reliance on analyst interpretation often led to inconsistencies and subjectivity in its application. This note supports an ontological foundation for FRAM, using UFO to address these challenges and advance FRAM’s utility.

At its core, FRAM is a method designed to represent how systems perform under varying conditions. It emphasizes emergent properties and variability, acknowledging that system behaviours arise from the dynamic interplay of functions rather than linear cause-and-effect chains. Central to FRAM is the concept of functions—activities or processes—and their interdependencies, which are depicted through inputs, outputs, preconditions, and controls. These functions serve as the building blocks of FRAM models, which aim to identify and understand potential resonances—unexpected amplifications of variability—that may disrupt system performance.

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