What is the BORRAT Framework?

The BORRAT Framework aims to provide comprehensive information to all individuals involved in a task, ensuring that even if they revisit the task weeks later, they will have the necessary background knowledge to recall its purpose and significance. Additionally, the framework encourages everyone to grasp the task’s rationale and potentially offer insights that could enhance its outcome. Essentially, BORRAT serves as an information organizational system for tasks.

BACKGROUND

The Background section of the BORRAT Framework entails providing information that led to the creation of the task. This information should enable anyone who is new to the task to understand why it is happening.

While not all tasks require a background, it becomes particularly useful when a task extends over a period of time and involves several smaller tasks. Ultimately, it’s up to your discretion to determine whether including background information would be beneficial to the team.

OBJECTIVE

The Objective section of the BORRAT Framework is concerned with identifying the specific goal that the task is intended to achieve. It represents the actual thing that we want to accomplish through the task. It is important to have a clear and concise objective that all team members can understand and work towards.

If you find yourself creating multiple objectives for the same task, it may be an indication that the task needs to be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will help ensure that each task has a well-defined objective that can be accomplished effectively.

Your Objective may also include a list of specific deliverables.

REQUIREMENTS

The Requirements section of the BORRAT Framework outlines the necessary conditions or actions that must be met in order to achieve the task objective. These requirements can include specific methods or approaches that must be taken or resources that must be utilized.

Additionally, some requirements may be non-negotiable and must be followed for various reasons. For instance, a requirement could be that the Product ID must be used as the SKU data.

To make requirements more easily understood, it can be helpful to present them in a list format that is easy to digest.

RESOURCES

The Resources section of the BORRAT Framework is focused on identifying the tools, materials, or other resources that are pertinent to achieving the task objective. These resources can include mockups, links to external websites, competitor information, or other relevant data sources. By listing all relevant resources in this section, team members can quickly and easily access the information they need without having to search through lengthy comment threads or other communication channels.

APPROACH

The Approach section may not be required for every task, but can be included when a particular approach to completing the task is known to be effective. This section allows team members to communicate and share approaches that are likely to be successful with others.

For example, in a task involving migrating products from Pinnacle Cart to WooCommerce, an effective approach might be to use a service like Cart2Cart to migrate the products.

Alternatively, team members could log into the database, download the necessary data, format it appropriately, and then upload it to WooCommerce.

By sharing these approaches, team members can save time and work more efficiently towards accomplishing the task objective.

TIME

The TIME section of the BORRAT Framework is focused on outlining the amount of time that has been allotted to complete the task, as well as an estimate of how many hours it will take to complete. This section is not concerned with the task’s due date, but rather the amount of time that has been allocated for the task to be completed.

For example, if a task is part of a 3-point project, the Timeline section might look like this:

• Matt — 3 Points Keyword Research
• Mike — 2 Points Copywriting
• Maria — 1 Point Layout

Optionally, rough estimates of hours can be added:

• Matt — 6 hours Keyword Research
• Mike — 4 Hours Copywriting
• Maria — 2 Hours Layout

By including these rough time estimates, the person assigned to the task will have a better understanding of how long the task is expected to take.

This helps to prevent any misunderstandings or delays that might occur if a task is mistakenly believed to be a 2-hour task when it actually takes 12 hours to complete.

SAMPLE BORRAT: Planning a Halloween BirthdayParty

Background

This birthday party is important because it celebrates a personal milestone in a fun and memorable way, encourages social connection, and creates a festive Halloween experience for family and friends. It is relevant now because the date (October 30th) is approaching, and planning is needed to stay within budget, secure supplies, and ensure a smooth event. It fits into the bigger picture of building lasting memories through well-hosted family traditions.

Hypothesis:
If the party is planned with engaging games, costumed guests, good food, and a fun atmosphere, then it will create a successful, memorable experience for the birthday guest and attendees.

• Expected Impact: A fun, well-attended party with positive memories for all guests

• Effort Needed: Low to moderate — prep, setup, hosting

• Metrics: Attendance, guest feedback, engagement in games/activities, budget compliance

• Done Definition: Party held on October 30th, guests attend in costume, activities run smoothly, birthday person is celebrated

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Objectives

A successful birthday party will bring friends and family together in a lively, themed environment. It will create joy for the birthday guest and allow attendees to relax, socialize, and celebrate in a Halloween-inspired setting.

Deliverables:

• Halloween-themed invitation sent out to 16 guests

• List of 3–5 games and group activities prepared

• Full menu planned and ingredients/items purchased

• Decorations set up for an outdoor/indoor party

• Costume participation confirmed or encouraged

• $400 budget tracked and maintained

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Requirements

Essentials:

• Creativity in game/activity planning for mixed-age adult group

• Ability to shop for and prepare food on a budget

• Decorations suitable for Halloween and outdoor use

• Equipment (tables, seating, outdoor lighting, speakers)

Teams Involved:

• You (Host): Leads planning, budgeting, food, and setup

• Son (Birthday Guest): Can provide input on preferences

• Family/Friends (Support): Help with setup, bringing food/drinks, or game prep (if needed)

Access, Tools, Platforms:

• Access to house and backyard

• Grocery store or party supply store

• Weather forecast and backup indoor space

• Music playlist and speaker

• Serving dishes, disposable utensils, cooler (if outside)

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Resources

• Halloween party game ideas (adult-appropriate)

• Free design tool for invites (e.g., Canva or Evite)

• Budget tracker template (Google Sheets or paper-based)

• Pinterest or blogs for Halloween menu and decor ideas

• Weather apps for checking forecast

• Local discount stores for decorations and supplies

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Approach

• Confirm guest list and send Halloween-themed invitations

• Plan menu (finger foods, drinks, snacks, cake or dessert)

• Shop for decorations and supplies within budget

• Choose 3–5 party games (examples below)

• Set up costume contest with small prizes

• Organize outdoor space (lights, music, seating); prep indoor area as backup

• Prepare food and drinks the day before or morning of party

• Run games and keep things moving during party

• After party: clean up and review what went well

Sample Game/Activity Ideas:

• Costume contest with categories: Funniest, Scariest, Most Original

• Pumpkin bowling (use small gourds and “ghost” pins)

• “Murder Mystery” short game or team challenge

• Halloween trivia (teams or individuals)

• Photo booth with props and themed backdrop

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Time

Estimated Duration: 4 points (about 2–3 full days of prep and 1 day of execution)

Point Breakdown:

• Invitations and guest coordination: 0.5 point

• Menu planning and shopping: 1 point

• Decorations and setup: 1 point

• Game and activity prep: 0.5 point

• Hosting the party: 1 point

SUMMARY

BORRAT is a simple and efficient framework for organizing task information. It is not necessary to use all of its sections for every task, as some may require only specific components. When creating a task, it is important to consider the target audience and plan accordingly. For smaller tasks and subtasks, a brief objective and reference to a task with a more detailed BORRAT layout may suffice.