Specification sheet
The full MEC-04 sheet with the definition, the violation, and the spec at /mechanisms/mec-04-hard-clock.
MEC-04 The Hard Clock
Give every system state a declared maximum duration so nothing sits in pending forever without escalation, expiry, or an exit.
Specification overview
What the mechanism includes and where it sits.
The scope, assets, and linked validators, before the steps.
Spec essentials
What this mechanism includes
- 3 steps with checklist-ready owners.
- 3 reusable assets for briefs and runbooks.
- 4 reuse-ready snippet blocks.
- 3 glossary anchors for shared terms.
Filters & validators
Where this spec sits in the system
Tagged in 2 filters with 1 linked validators.
Glossary anchors
Link back to the definitions.
Jump to the glossary terms that frame this mechanism.
3 steps with checklist-ready owners, plus linked assets for handoffs.
0 of 3 steps complete
Assets
Assets this mechanism produces.
Copy these into design docs, runbooks, and briefs, with the mechanism permalink.
Facilitation script (PDF)
Workshop script for setting durations with delivery and support teams, at /assets/mec-04-hard-clock-facilitation-script.pdf.
Timeout log
Record of expiries, resolutions, and escalations for the monthly steward review.
Reuse-ready snippets
Copy policy, audit, and incident language.
Use these snippets in requirements, audits, and postmortems with the mechanism permalink.
Policy requirement
Policy requirement (MEC-04 The Hard Clock) - Every automated process declares a maximum duration and a human escalation path when it is exceeded. - Expired processes fail safe and preserve user state for re-entry. Reference: https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/hard-clock
Product requirement
Product requirement (MEC-04) - The declared maximum duration is visible before a person commits to the process. - Timeout events emit a receipt with the state, elapsed time, and escalation owner.
Audit evidence checklist
Audit evidence checklist (MEC-04) [ ] Each system state has a documented maximum duration. [ ] Timeout logs record expiry, resolution, and escalation owner. [ ] Monthly reviews are completed by the named steward.
Postmortem trigger
Postmortem trigger (MEC-04) Trigger review when a state exceeds its declared duration without failing safe or escalating.
How it plays out
A payments team caps identity review at 72 hours, shows the cap at submission, and routes anything still pending at expiry to a named reviewer who must release or refuse the hold.
Anti-patterns
Common failure cases and counterfactuals
Each case passes on paper and fails in operation. The counterfactual shows what would have worked.
Pending with no ceiling
A state has a target but no maximum, so slow cases accumulate with no escalation.
Counterfactual: Every state declares a maximum duration and a resolution at expiry.
False-positive warning: Targets and maximums can differ; publish both rather than replacing one with the other.
Clock without a resolution
The timer expires and emits an alert, but the request stays in the same state.
Counterfactual: Expiry moves the request to a fail-safe outcome or a named human.
False-positive warning: Escalation counts as a resolution only when the escalation owner can change the state.
Validator
Maintenance Simulator
A tabletop run through an outage, a maintenance window, or a handoff that scores coverage and lists each missing owner, halt lane, and template.
Copy citation (APA/BibTeX)
Cite this page Formats: APA, MLA, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS
APA
Ethotechnics Institute Research Team. (2026). MEC-04 The Hard Clock. Ethotechnics Institute. https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/hard-clock
MLA
Ethotechnics Institute Research Team. "MEC-04 The Hard Clock." Ethotechnics Institute, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/hard-clock.
Chicago
Ethotechnics Institute Research Team. "MEC-04 The Hard Clock." Ethotechnics Institute. Jan 9, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/hard-clock.
BibTeX
@misc{mechanism_hard-clock,
title={MEC-04 The Hard Clock},
author={Ethotechnics Institute Research Team},
year={2026},
howpublished={Ethotechnics Institute},
url={https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/hard-clock},
version={v1.1.0}
}
RIS
TY - WEB TI - MEC-04 The Hard Clock AU - Ethotechnics Institute Research Team PY - 2026 UR - https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/hard-clock ER -