The RAMTSE Framework
A Practical Model for Evaluating Agent Systems
The RAMTSE framework defines seven structural dimensions that determine whether an AI agent is engineered for sustained, reliable operation.
Many discussions focus on what a model can do in isolation. Agent systems are different.
Agent Systems Are Different
Unlike isolated model calls, agent systems:
RAMTSE evaluates how well those systems are structured.
Three Layers
The model is organized into three layers. Maturity comes from balance across all three.
Layer I
Cognitive Structure
How the agent thinks and coordinates decisions
Layer II
Execution & Adaptation
How the agent interacts with the world and handles change
Layer III
System Integrity
How the agent remains safe and maintainable
Layer I
Cognitive Structure
These dimensions describe how the agent thinks and coordinates decisions.
Reasoning
How the agent thinks through a problem
Reasoning looks at whether the agent performs structured, multi-step thinking instead of reacting in a single step.
Structural Signals
Without structured reasoning, agents may produce fluent answers but struggle with complex tasks.
Planning
How the agent breaks goals into steps
Planning evaluates whether the agent can decompose a goal, sequence tasks, and track progress across steps.
Structural Signals
Reasoning is about thinking. Planning is about sequencing actions over time. Without planning, agents often act opportunistically rather than strategically.
Autonomy
How independently the agent operates
Autonomy evaluates whether the agent maintains internal state, moves between defined states, and executes tasks without constant external control.
Structural Signals
Autonomy must be bounded. Uncontrolled autonomy leads to loops, drift, or unpredictable behavior.
Layer II
Execution & Adaptation
These dimensions describe how the agent interacts with the world and handles change.
Tool Use
How the agent interacts with external systems
Modern agents call APIs, databases, and services. Tool Use evaluates the structure and reliability of these interactions.
Structural Signals
Poorly structured tool usage increases failure risk.
Memory
How the agent maintains context
Memory evaluates whether the agent persists relevant context, retrieves information in a structured way, and separates short-term and long-term state.
Structural Signals
More memory is not better. Structured memory is better. Without structure, memory causes drift and inconsistency.
Error Recovery
How the agent handles failure
Failure is normal in distributed systems. Error Recovery evaluates how predictably the system responds to failures.
Structural Signals
Mature systems do not avoid failure. They recover predictably.
Layer III
System Integrity
These dimensions ensure the agent remains safe and maintainable.
Safety
How the agent stays within boundaries
Safety evaluates the presence and effectiveness of constraints that keep the agent operating within acceptable bounds.
Structural Signals
Autonomy without constraints creates risk.
Interdependencies
These dimensions work together. High maturity requires balance.
Scope
RAMTSE evaluates structural signals in system design.
It does not measure:
The current implementation focuses on static code analysis. The model will evolve as agent systems mature.
Agent systems are more than model wrappers.
They are engineered systems operating across time.
RAMTSE provides a structured way to evaluate how well they are built.
Evaluate Your System
Use the AgentIQ Meter to assess your agentic system against the RAMTSE framework.