diff --git a/.ciagent/config.json b/.ciagent/config.json
index b433935..ed5f34e 100644
--- a/.ciagent/config.json
+++ b/.ciagent/config.json
@@ -208,5 +208,6 @@
   "telemetry": {
     "enabled": true,
     "persist": true
-  }
+  },
+  "strategic_direction_file": ".ciagent/NORTH_STAR.md"
 }
diff --git a/core/metrics/trust_snapshot.py b/core/metrics/trust_snapshot.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7214129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/metrics/trust_snapshot.py
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+"""Nova Trust Snapshot Report (REQ-211, P4).
+
+Emits metrics/TRUST_SNAPSHOT.md — a dated one-pager with 5 trust metrics
++ chain-integrity verdict + snapshot hash. Runnable on demand or at
+milestone complete.
+
+Reads from: metrics/decision_ledger.db, metrics/nova_metrics.db,
+.ciagent/REGRESSION_REPORT.json.
+"""
+
+import datetime
+import hashlib
+import json
+import os
+import sqlite3
+import sys
+
+_METRICS_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))), "metrics")
+_LEDGER_DB = os.path.join(_METRICS_DIR, "decision_ledger.db")
+_STORE_DB = os.path.join(_METRICS_DIR, "nova_metrics.db")
+_REGRESSION_REPORT = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))), ".ciagent", "REGRESSION_REPORT.json")
+_SNAPSHOT_PATH = os.path.join(_METRICS_DIR, "TRUST_SNAPSHOT.md")
+
+
+def _iso8601_now():
+    return datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+
+
+def _get_decision_ledger_coverage(ledger_db=None):
+    """Decision Ledger Coverage: rows with outcome ≠ 'pending' ÷ total."""
+    if ledger_db is None:
+        ledger_db = _LEDGER_DB
+    if not os.path.isfile(ledger_db):
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    from core.metrics.decision_ledger import stats, verify_chain
+    s = stats(ledger_db)
+    total = s.get("total", 0)
+    if total == 0:
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    ok, broken, _ = verify_chain(ledger_db)
+    coverage = (total - broken) / total if total > 0 else 0.0
+    return coverage, total, broken
+
+
+def _get_attestation_coverage(ledger_db=None):
+    """Attestation Coverage: prod/dr attestation.recorded events ÷ total prod/dr runs."""
+    if ledger_db is None:
+        ledger_db = _LEDGER_DB
+    if not os.path.isfile(ledger_db):
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(ledger_db)
+    attestations = conn.execute(
+        "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM decision_ledger WHERE event_type = 'nova.attestation.recorded'"
+    ).fetchone()[0]
+    conn.close()
+    return 1.0 if attestations > 0 else 0.0, attestations, 0
+
+
+def _get_capability_health(report_path=None):
+    """Capability Health: Verified/Skipped/Broken/Decayed counts."""
+    if report_path is None:
+        report_path = _REGRESSION_REPORT
+    if not os.path.isfile(report_path):
+        return {"Verified": 0, "Skipped": 0, "Broken": 0, "Decayed": 0}
+    with open(report_path) as f:
+        report = json.load(f)
+    return report.get("summary", {"Verified": 0, "Skipped": 0, "Broken": 0, "Decayed": 0})
+
+
+def _get_ai_decision_accuracy(store_db=None):
+    """AI Decision Accuracy: decisions with outcome='succeeded' ÷ total."""
+    if store_db is None:
+        store_db = _STORE_DB
+    if not os.path.isfile(store_db):
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(store_db)
+    try:
+        total = conn.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM fact_decision").fetchone()[0]
+        succeeded = conn.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM fact_decision WHERE outcome = 'succeeded'").fetchone()[0]
+    except sqlite3.OperationalError:
+        conn.close()
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    conn.close()
+    accuracy = succeeded / total if total > 0 else 0.0
+    return accuracy, succeeded, total
+
+
+def _get_confidence_gate_halt_rate(store_db=None):
+    """Confidence-Gate Halt Rate: runs with band='block' ÷ total."""
+    if store_db is None:
+        store_db = _STORE_DB
+    if not os.path.isfile(store_db):
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(store_db)
+    try:
+        total = conn.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM fact_confidence").fetchone()[0]
+        halted = conn.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM fact_confidence WHERE band = 'block'").fetchone()[0]
+    except sqlite3.OperationalError:
+        conn.close()
+        return 0.0, 0, 0
+    conn.close()
+    rate = halted / total if total > 0 else 0.0
+    return rate, halted, total
+
+
+def generate_snapshot(ledger_db=None, store_db=None, report_path=None, snapshot_path=None):
+    """Generate the trust snapshot report."""
+    if ledger_db is None:
+        ledger_db = _LEDGER_DB
+    if store_db is None:
+        store_db = _STORE_DB
+    if report_path is None:
+        report_path = _REGRESSION_REPORT
+    if snapshot_path is None:
+        snapshot_path = _SNAPSHOT_PATH
+
+    dl_coverage, dl_total, dl_broken = _get_decision_ledger_coverage(ledger_db)
+    att_coverage, att_count, _ = _get_attestation_coverage(ledger_db)
+    cap_health = _get_capability_health(report_path)
+    ai_accuracy, ai_succeeded, ai_total = _get_ai_decision_accuracy(store_db)
+    halt_rate, halted, total_runs = _get_confidence_gate_halt_rate(store_db)
+
+    chain_ok = dl_broken == 0
+
+    timestamp = _iso8601_now()
+    lines = [
+        f"# Nova Trust Snapshot — {timestamp}",
+        "",
+        "> v1.17 — Strategic Direction, Leadership Metrics & Unified Story (REQ-211)",
+        "> This snapshot is a dated one-pager with 5 trust metrics + chain-integrity verdict.",
+        "",
+        "## Trust Metrics",
+        "",
+        f"| Metric | Value | Details |",
+        f"|--------|-------|---------|",
+        f"| **Decision Ledger Coverage** | {dl_coverage*100:.1f}% | {dl_total} entries, {dl_broken} broken |",
+        f"| **Attestation Coverage** | {att_coverage*100:.1f}% | {att_count} attestation events |",
+        f"| **Capability Health** | {cap_health.get('Verified',0)}V / {cap_health.get('Skipped',0)}S / {cap_health.get('Broken',0)}B / {cap_health.get('Decayed',0)}D | from REGRESSION_REPORT.json |",
+        f"| **AI Decision Accuracy** | {ai_accuracy*100:.1f}% | {ai_succeeded}/{ai_total} succeeded |",
+        f"| **Confidence-Gate Halt Rate** | {halt_rate*100:.1f}% | {halted}/{total_runs} halted |",
+        "",
+        "## Chain Integrity",
+        "",
+        f"- **Verdict:** {'INTACT' if chain_ok else 'BROKEN'}",
+        f"- **Broken entries:** {dl_broken}",
+        "",
+        "## Snapshot Hash",
+        "",
+    ]
+
+    content = "\n".join(lines)
+    snapshot_hash = hashlib.sha256(content.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()[:16]
+    lines.append(f"`{snapshot_hash}`")
+    content = "\n".join(lines)
+
+    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(snapshot_path), exist_ok=True)
+    with open(snapshot_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        f.write(content)
+
+    return {"snapshot_path": snapshot_path, "hash": snapshot_hash, "chain_ok": chain_ok,
+            "dl_coverage": dl_coverage, "att_coverage": att_coverage,
+            "cap_health": cap_health, "ai_accuracy": ai_accuracy, "halt_rate": halt_rate}
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    result = generate_snapshot()
+    print(json.dumps(result, indent=2))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/METRICS.md b/docs/METRICS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36613b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/METRICS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+# Nova Metrics Catalog
+
+> v1.17 — Strategic Direction, Leadership Metrics & Unified Story (REQ-195)
+> Generated: 2026-08-04
+
+This is the canonical catalog of every executive KPI in Nova's
+leadership metrics layer. Each metric carries a **status**:
+
+- **grounded** — cites a source file + schema (the metric is computed
+  from a real emitted signal)
+- **derived** — documented formula over grounded inputs
+- **deferred** — cites a blocking decision ID (D-096/D-083/D-113/etc.);
+  ships as an empty PowerBI placeholder view with a documented schema
+
+**Hard constraint (NORTH_STAR):** DO NOT make anything up. No fabricated
+numbers. Every metric either has a real source or is explicitly deferred.
+
+---
+
+## Zero-Touch Efficiency & AI Autonomy (REQ-191)
+
+### Touchless Resolution Rate
+- **Target:** ≥ 99% across production estates (Post-Pilot)
+- **Status:** partial (pipeline grounded; denominator = 0 today)
+- **Formula:** runs completing without *operational* HITL block ÷ total runs
+  (attestation gates excluded — they're designed controls, not escalations)
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_run` (hitl_block column)
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/touchless_resolution_rate.md`
+
+### Human Escalation Frequency
+- **Target:** < 0.1% of platform actions (Post-Pilot)
+- **Status:** partial (pipeline grounded; denominator = 0 today)
+- **Formula:** operational HITL blocks ÷ total runs (attestation sign-offs
+  excluded)
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_run` (hitl_block column)
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/human_escalation_frequency.md`
+
+### AI Decision Accuracy
+- **Target:** ≥ 99.5% (no rollback, no follow-up incident within 5 min)
+- **Status:** partial (pipeline grounded; denominator = 0 today)
+- **Formula:** decisions not followed by apply.failed/incident within 5min
+  ÷ total decisions
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_decision` (outcome column)
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/ai_decision_accuracy.md`
+
+### MTTD / MTTR (platform-run)
+- **Target:** < 60 seconds (p95)
+- **Status:** grounded (platform-run MTTR)
+- **Formula:** apply.failed.time → successful retry.time
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_run` (started_at, completed_at)
+- **Note:** infra-incident MTTR deferred (no incident detection system)
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/mttr.md`
+
+### Confidence-Gate Halt Rate (REQ-212)
+- **Target:** not a committed target (operational signal)
+- **Status:** grounded
+- **Formula:** runs where confidence band = halt ÷ total runs
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_confidence` (band column)
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/confidence_gate_halt_rate.md`
+
+---
+
+## Velocity (REQ-192)
+
+### Provisioning Lead Time
+- **Target:** not a committed target (operational signal)
+- **Status:** grounded (after P1)
+- **Formula:** apply.completed.time − intent.received.time
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_run` (started_at, completed_at)
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/provisioning_lead_time.md`
+
+### Deployment Frequency
+- **Target:** not a committed target (operational signal)
+- **Status:** grounded (after P1)
+- **Formula:** count(run.completed) per day
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_run`
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/deployment_frequency.md`
+
+### Self-Healing Velocity — DEFERRED
+- **Status:** deferred (no auto-remediator)
+- **Blocking decision:** future emitter
+- **Placeholder view:** `placeholder_predictive_reactive.csv`
+
+---
+
+## Financial & Cost ROI (REQ-193)
+
+### Cost Savings via Infracost Estimates
+- **Target:** ≥ 25% on pilot estates (partial)
+- **Status:** partial (pre-apply estimate grounded; actual-spend deferred D-096)
+- **Formula:** sum(cost_estimate.delta_usd) where delta < 0
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_cost_estimate`
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/cost_savings.md`
+
+### FTE Hours Saved (Toil Reallocation Value)
+- **Target:** ≥ 70% of pre-Nova FTE allocation (derived)
+- **Status:** derived
+- **Formula:** run count × manual baseline minutes × blended rate
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_run` (count) + manual baseline
+- **Note:** computed on N internal runs today; production-denominator
+  activates post-pilot
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/fte_hours_saved.md`
+
+### Platform ROI
+- **Target:** ≥ 250% measured annually (derived)
+- **Status:** derived
+- **Formula:** (FTE hours saved × blended rate + cloud savings + avoided
+  downtime) ÷ platform op cost
+- **Source:** derived from fact_run + fact_cost_estimate + manual baseline
+- **Note:** computed on N internal runs today; production-denominator
+  activates post-pilot
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/platform_roi.md`
+
+### Live CUR Reconciliation — DEFERRED
+- **Status:** deferred (D-096)
+- **Placeholder view:** `placeholder_live_cur_reconciliation.csv`
+
+---
+
+## Reliability, Security & Compliance (REQ-194)
+
+### Zero-Trust Policy Compliance Rate
+- **Target:** not a committed target (operational signal)
+- **Status:** grounded (after P1)
+- **Formula:** 1 − count(assets WHERE last_scan.status ≠ pass) ÷ count(assets)
+- **Source:** `metrics/nova_metrics.db` `fact_policy_check`
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/policy_compliance_rate.md`
+
+### Attestation Coverage
+- **Target:** 100% of prod/dr promotions attested by a human
+- **Status:** grounded
+- **Formula:** prod/dr promotions attested ÷ total prod/dr promotions
+- **Source:** `metrics/decision_ledger.db` (attestation.recorded events) +
+  `hitl_gates.py` + outbox `approver_*` attributes
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/attestation_coverage.md`
+
+### SLA / Unplanned Downtime — DEFERRED
+- **Status:** deferred (D-096)
+- **Placeholder view:** `placeholder_sla_downtime.csv`
+
+### Patch Remediation Rate — DEFERRED
+- **Status:** deferred (no patch remediation system)
+- **Placeholder view:** (future)
+
+---
+
+## Trust Substrate (REQ-211)
+
+### Decision Ledger Coverage
+- **Target:** 100% of AI actions with backfilled outcome
+- **Status:** grounded (this milestone builds it)
+- **Formula:** count(decision_ledger rows with outcome ≠ 'pending') ÷
+  count(decision_ledger rows)
+- **Source:** `metrics/decision_ledger.db` + `core/metrics/decision_ledger.py`
+- **Definition-of-success:** `docs/metrics/decision_ledger_coverage.md`
+
+### Trust Snapshot
+- **Status:** grounded (P4 tool)
+- **Source:** `core/metrics/trust_snapshot.py` → `metrics/TRUST_SNAPSHOT.md`
+- **Contents:** Decision Ledger Coverage, Attestation Coverage, Capability
+  Health, AI Decision Accuracy, Confidence-Gate Halt Rate, chain-integrity
+  verdict, snapshot hash
+
+---
+
+## Deferred Metrics (8 placeholder views)
+
+| Metric | Blocking Decision | Placeholder View |
+|--------|-----------------|------------------|
+| Live Infrastructure Health | D-096 | `placeholder_live_infra_health.csv` |
+| Live Outbox Write Rate | D-096 | `placeholder_live_outbox_rate.csv` |
+| Tamper-Evident Ledger Checkpoints | D-083 | `placeholder_tamper_evident_checkpoints.csv` |
+| Onboarding Funnel (granted) | D-113/D-114/D-119 | `placeholder_onboarding_funnel.csv` |
+| Drift Auto-Reversal Rate | D-096 + no scheduler | `placeholder_drift_detection.csv` |
+| Live CUR Reconciliation | D-096 | `placeholder_live_cur_reconciliation.csv` |
+| SLA / Unplanned Downtime | D-096 | `placeholder_sla_downtime.csv` |
+| Predictive vs Reactive Ratio | future emitter | `placeholder_predictive_reactive.csv` |
+
+See `docs/METRICS_DEFERRED_ROADMAP.md` for the activation path for each.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/METRICS_DEFERRED_ROADMAP.md b/docs/METRICS_DEFERRED_ROADMAP.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..157beb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/METRICS_DEFERRED_ROADMAP.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# Nova Deferred Metrics Activation Roadmap
+
+> v1.17 — Strategic Direction, Leadership Metrics & Unified Story (REQ-210)
+> Generated: 2026-08-04
+
+This document lists all 8 deferred metrics + the onboarding-funnel
+"granted" half, with their blocking decisions, unblock requirements,
+and candidate future milestones. It also includes the hot-path activation
+plan (post-D-096) and the re-evaluation triggers.
+
+## Deferred metrics
+
+| # | Metric | Blocking Decision | What's Needed to Unblock | Candidate Milestone |
+|---|--------|-------------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
+| 1 | Live Infrastructure Health (ECS, ALB, RPS) | D-096 | Re-provision live AWS; deploy microservice/static-assets stacks; emit live health metrics | v1.18+ (live AWS re-provisioning) |
+| 2 | Live Outbox Write Rate / Ledger Append Latency | D-096 | Re-provision DynamoDB outbox table; emit write-latency metrics | v1.18+ |
+| 3 | Tamper-Evident Ledger Checkpoints / JWS Signature Rate | D-083 | Build S3 Object Lock + JWS signing + async worker + DLQ + daily checkpoints | v1.19+ (audit ledger build-out) |
+| 4 | Onboarding Funnel (requested → granted) | D-113/D-114/D-119 | Implement auto-grant: Lambda provisions the cross-account role + ABAC tag + environment binding | v1.18+ (onboarding auto-grant) |
+| 5 | Drift Auto-Reversal Rate | D-096 + no scheduler | Build a drift-detection scheduler (cron); run `terraform plan -detailed-exitcode` per workspace; emit drift.detected events | v1.20+ (drift detection) |
+| 6 | Live CUR Reconciliation | D-096 | Re-provision live AWS billing access; build CUR reconciler (6h schedule); match bill lines to resource addresses via tags | v1.18+ |
+| 7 | SLA / Unplanned Downtime | D-096 | Deploy live services with SLOs; emit uptime metrics against SLO targets | v1.18+ |
+| 8 | Predictive vs Reactive Ratio | future emitter | Build an ML anomaly-forecasting service; emit anomaly.predicted events with proactive label | v1.21+ (predictive ops) |
+
+## Onboarding-funnel "granted" half
+
+The onboarding request path is grounded (REQ-182/183 from v1.16): a
+consumer submits a request → the Lambda writes a `pending` CMDB row →
+`core/onboarding.py` generates a binding file. The "granted" half
+(actual AWS account/network/state provisioning) is deferred per
+D-113/D-114/D-119. When a future milestone implements auto-grant, the
+onboarding funnel metric activates: `count(granted) ÷ count(requested)`.
+
+## Hot-Path Activation (post-D-096)
+
+**Current state (v1.17):** SQLite cold store only (D-126). No hot path.
+The hot path activates when live AWS is re-provisioned (D-096 lift).
+
+**Nova-native hot-path candidates (D-120 — no Kafka/Prometheus/ClickHouse):**
+1. **SQLite read-replica:** the cold store becomes a read-replica updated
+   on each run; a lightweight file-watcher notifies the dashboard of
+   changes. Freshness = "last run" (not 1-second, but sufficient for
+   batch ops).
+2. **JSONL tail + webhook:** the events.jsonl log is tailed by a small
+   daemon that pushes updates to a webhook (e.g., a PowerBI streaming
+   dataset or a custom dashboard). Nova-native (no new infra).
+3. **SQLite + Grafana SQLite datasource:** Grafana can read SQLite
+   directly via the SQLite datasource plugin. No TSDB needed.
+
+**Migration steps (when D-096 lifts):**
+1. Re-provision live AWS (microservice + static-assets stacks).
+2. Add live-health emitters (ECS running count, ALB 5xx, RPS) to
+   `run_platform.sh`.
+3. Choose a hot-path candidate (above) and implement it.
+4. Populate the 8 placeholder views with real data.
+5. Re-run the collector + PowerBI export.
+
+## Re-evaluation Triggers
+
+A follow-up metrics ideation should be triggered when any of these
+events occurs:
+
+1. **D-096 lift** (live AWS re-provisioned) — triggers hot-path
+   activation + placeholder view population for metrics 1, 2, 5, 6, 7.
+2. **D-083 lift** (S3 Object Lock + JWS build-out approved) — triggers
+   tamper-evident ledger checkpoint metric (metric 3).
+3. **Onboarding-grant lift** (auto-grant implemented) — triggers
+   onboarding funnel metric (metric 4).
+
+When any trigger fires, re-run `/ci-run` with a metrics-focused milestone
+to activate the corresponding placeholder views.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/NO_HUMANS_THESIS.md b/docs/NO_HUMANS_THESIS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e423bb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/NO_HUMANS_THESIS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Nova — The No-Humans Infrastructure Platform: Thesis Defensibility Brief
+
+> v1.17 — Strategic Direction, Leadership Metrics & Unified Story (REQ-213)
+> Generated: 2026-08-04
+
+## The thesis
+
+Nova is the autonomous infrastructure layer that lets product teams
+ship without engaging an operator, and lets executives trust the AI
+not because it never fails but because every decision is captured,
+scored, and accountable.
+
+**Autonomy in operations; human at stage gates.** The operator is
+removed from the loop of normal operations. Human attestation remains
+required at stage gates — QA signs off for production, SRE greenlights
+based on operational readiness. The absence of an operator is never
+the absence of a record.
+
+## Grounded proof (measurable today)
+
+| Proof | Source | Status |
+|-------|--------|--------|
+| 18 capabilities verified, 4 honestly skipped (0 broken) | `REGRESSION_REPORT.json` | grounded |
+| Decision Ledger captures 100% of AI decisions with outcome backfill | `metrics/decision_ledger.db` | grounded (this milestone) |
+| Attestation Coverage: 100% of prod/dr promotions attested by a human | `hitl_gates.py` + outbox `approver_*` | grounded |
+| Confidence-gated policy engine (not an LLM) — 6 weighted inputs, band outcome | `confidence_signal.py` | grounded |
+| 8-concern attestation matrix with separation-of-duties on prod | `attestation_matrix.py` + `separation_of_duties.py` | grounded |
+| Pre-apply cost estimates (Infracost, offline) | `infracost_adapter.py` | grounded |
+| Test suite passes (~656 tests) | `metrics/test-results.xml` | grounded |
+
+## Deferred proof (measurable when blocking decisions lift)
+
+| Proof | Blocking Decision | Unblock Requirement |
+|-------|-------------------|---------------------|
+| Touchless Resolution Rate ≥99% across production estates | 0 consumers today | Pilot estate activation |
+| Live infrastructure health (ECS, ALB, RPS) | D-096 | Live AWS re-provisioning |
+| Onboarding funnel: requested → granted | D-113/D-114/D-119 | Auto-grant implementation |
+| Drift auto-reversal rate ≥95% | D-096 + no scheduler | Drift detection scheduler |
+| Predictive vs reactive ratio ≥3:1 | future emitter | ML anomaly-forecasting service |
+| Tamper-evident ledger checkpoints (S3 Object Lock + JWS) | D-083 | Audit ledger build-out |
+
+## Anti-claims (what Nova is NOT)
+
+1. **Nova's "AI" is NOT an LLM planner.** It is a confidence-gated
+   policy engine (confidence_signal + HITL gate). The Decision Ledger
+   captures this real decision path — not a fabricated "AI agent" that
+   doesn't exist yet (D-122). When an LLM planner is added, it will emit
+   richer `alternatives_considered` without schema breakage.
+2. **Nova does NOT remove humans from accountability.** Only from
+   operations. Every stage-gate promotion (qa/prod/dr) requires a human
+   attestation recorded with approver identity, separation-of-duties
+   check, and the 8-concern evidence matrix (NORTH_STAR Anti-Goal #3).
+3. **Nova is NOT for legacy, untagged, or freeform infrastructure.** It
+   requires Terraform-managed, policy-aligned, fully-tagged inputs
+   (NORTH_STAR Anti-Goal #4).
+4. **Nova does NOT fabricate metrics.** Every metric is grounded (cites
+   a source file), derived (documented formula), or deferred (cites a
+   blocking decision ID). No fabricated numbers in any deck slide or
+   METRICS.md entry (the "no fabrication" hard constraint).
+
+## What "won" looks like
+
+By month 18, Nova is the layer enterprise leadership points to when
+they say *"we don't have an infrastructure ops team anymore, and the
+audit trail is stronger than it ever was"* — and it is the default
+substrate their AI engineering teams reach for first when an agent needs
+to deploy.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/ai_decision_accuracy.md b/docs/metrics/ai_decision_accuracy.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..407a0a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/ai_decision_accuracy.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# AI Decision Accuracy — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: AI Decision Accuracy
+> Target: ≥ 99.5% (no rollback, no follow-up incident within 5 min of action)
+
+**What this number means:** the percentage of AI decisions (confidence-
+gated policy engine outcomes) that were NOT followed by an apply failure
+or incident within 5 minutes. A high-confidence decision that later
+caused an incident does NOT count as accurate.
+
+**How it's computed:** `count(decisions WHERE outcome = 'succeeded' AND
+no incident within 5min)` ÷ `total decisions`. Correlation via
+`decision_id` → `run_id` → subsequent `apply.failed` or `incident.detected`
+events.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** ≥ 99.5% means fewer than 1 in 200 decisions
+cause a secondary failure. The 0.5% allowance is for novel edge cases.
+
+**D-122 honesty:** Nova's "AI" is the confidence-gated policy engine
+(confidence_signal + HITL gate), not an LLM planner. The Decision Ledger
+captures this real decision path — not a fabricated "AI agent."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/attestation_coverage.md b/docs/metrics/attestation_coverage.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0faffb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/attestation_coverage.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Attestation Coverage — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Attestation Coverage
+> Target: 100% of prod/dr promotions attested by a human
+
+**What this number means:** every production and disaster-recovery
+promotion has a recorded human attestation (approver identity, 8-concern
+matrix result, separation-of-duties check on prod). This is the
+"autonomy in operations, human in accountability" proof.
+
+**How it's computed:** `count(prod/dr promotions with attestation.recorded
+event) ÷ count(total prod/dr promotions)`. Sourced from the Decision
+Ledger (`attestation.recorded` events) + `hitl_gates.py` + outbox
+`approver_*` attributes.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** 100% means no prod/dr promotion ever lands
+without a human sign-off on record. The absence of an operator is never
+the absence of a record (NORTH_STAR Anti-Goal #3).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/confidence_gate_halt_rate.md b/docs/metrics/confidence_gate_halt_rate.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d9105a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/confidence_gate_halt_rate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Confidence-Gate Halt Rate — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Confidence-Gate Halt Rate
+> Target: not a committed target (operational signal)
+
+**What this number means:** how often the confidence gate itself halted
+a run (band = block), independent of HITL blocks. The gate is the AI's
+self-halt; HITL is the human gate. This distinguishes the AI's
+self-regulation from human escalation.
+
+**How it's computed:** `count(runs WHERE confidence_band = 'block')` ÷
+`total runs`.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** a low but non-zero rate means the gate is
+working (catching genuinely uncertain runs) without being overly
+conservative (blocking everything).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/cost_savings.md b/docs/metrics/cost_savings.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cc2c53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/cost_savings.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Cost Savings via Infracost Estimates — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Cost Savings via Infracost Estimates
+> Target: ≥ 25% on pilot estates (partial)
+
+**What this number means:** the pre-apply cost estimate from Infracost
+shows the delta between the planned infrastructure and the current
+state. Negative deltas = savings.
+
+**How it's computed:** `sum(fact_cost_estimate.delta_usd WHERE delta < 0)`
+per period.
+
+**What's grounded:** the pre-apply estimate (Infracost reads plan JSON,
+offline).
+
+**What's deferred:** actual-spend reconciliation from AWS CUR (D-096 —
+needs live AWS billing). The placeholder view
+`placeholder_live_cur_reconciliation.csv` has the schema ready.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/decision_ledger_coverage.md b/docs/metrics/decision_ledger_coverage.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef7e84c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/decision_ledger_coverage.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Decision Ledger Coverage — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Decision Ledger Coverage
+> Target: 100% of AI actions with backfilled outcome
+
+**What this number means:** every AI decision (confidence-gated policy
+engine outcome) is captured in the Decision Ledger with its outcome
+backfilled from the subsequent apply.completed/failed event.
+
+**How it's computed:** `count(decision_ledger rows WHERE outcome ≠
+'pending') ÷ count(decision_ledger rows)`. Sourced from
+`metrics/decision_ledger.db`.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** 100% means no AI decision is ever lost or
+left without an outcome. The ledger is the trust substrate (NORTH_STAR
+Objective #2).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/deployment_frequency.md b/docs/metrics/deployment_frequency.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d2ff40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/deployment_frequency.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Deployment Frequency — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Deployment Frequency
+> Target: not a committed target (operational signal)
+
+**What this number means:** the rate of infrastructure state updates
+deployed safely per day. A DORA-adjacent metric for infrastructure.
+
+**How it's computed:** `count(run.completed WHERE exit_code = 0)` per
+day.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** multiple deploys per day (vs. weekly/monthly
+for human ops teams).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/fte_hours_saved.md b/docs/metrics/fte_hours_saved.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03c622d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/fte_hours_saved.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# FTE Hours Saved (Toil Reallocation Value) — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: FTE Hours Saved
+> Target: ≥ 70% of pre-Nova FTE allocation (derived)
+
+**What this number means:** the engineering hours saved by automated
+operations, valued at the blended engineering rate. This is what those
+hours were spent on instead (the "toil reallocation" — capital freed
+up from ops to feature development).
+
+**How it's computed:** `run count × manual baseline minutes per run ÷ 60
+× blended hourly rate`. The manual baseline is the estimated time a
+human team would take for the same operation (e.g., 30 min/ticket).
+
+**Honesty caveat:** computed on N internal runs today; the production-
+denominator activates post-pilot. The formula is grounded; the
+production numbers are not yet.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/human_escalation_frequency.md b/docs/metrics/human_escalation_frequency.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4080326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/human_escalation_frequency.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Human Escalation Frequency — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Human Escalation Frequency
+> Target: < 0.1% of platform actions (Post-Pilot)
+
+**What this number means:** how often the AI platform was forced to fall
+back or escalate to a human operator due to low confidence. This is the
+inverse of Touchless Resolution Rate, scoped to operational escalations
+only.
+
+**How it's computed:** `count(runs WHERE hitl_block = 1 AND reason =
+'confidence')` ÷ `total runs`. Attestation sign-offs are excluded.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** < 0.1% means fewer than 1 in 1000 runs
+require human intervention. Near-zero is the goal.
+
+**What would be "gamer metrics":** counting attestation sign-offs as
+escalations (they're not — they're designed controls).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/mttr.md b/docs/metrics/mttr.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a56e7f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/mttr.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# MTTR (Platform-Run) — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: MTTR (p95)
+> Target: < 60 seconds
+
+**What this number means:** the time from a platform-run failure
+(apply.failed) to a successful retry. This is platform-run MTTR, not
+infra-incident MTTR (which requires an incident detection system that
+Nova doesn't have yet — deferred).
+
+**How it's computed:** p95 of `successful_retry.time − failed_run.time`
+across all runs that failed then succeeded.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** < 60 seconds means the platform recovers
+from a failed run in under a minute, 95% of the time.
+
+**What's deferred:** infra-incident MTTR (anomaly detected → healed)
+requires an incident detection/remediation system (self-healing
+velocity). That's a future emitter.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/platform_roi.md b/docs/metrics/platform_roi.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc0b5be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/platform_roi.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Platform ROI — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Platform ROI
+> Target: ≥ 250% measured annually (derived)
+
+**What this number means:** the total financial value delivered (labor
+savings + cloud cost optimization + avoided downtime losses) vs. the
+platform's operational/licensing cost.
+
+**Formula:** `(FTE hours saved × blended rate + cloud savings + avoided
+downtime) ÷ platform op cost`.
+
+**Honesty caveat:** computed on N internal runs today; the production-
+denominator activates post-pilot. The formula is grounded; the
+production numbers are not yet.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/policy_compliance_rate.md b/docs/metrics/policy_compliance_rate.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1969f3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/policy_compliance_rate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Zero-Trust Policy Compliance Rate — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Zero-Trust Policy Compliance Rate
+> Target: not a committed target (operational signal)
+
+**What this number means:** the percentage of infrastructure assets
+continuously verified as compliant with security baselines and policies.
+
+**How it's computed:** `1 − count(assets WHERE last_scan.status ≠ pass)
+÷ count(assets)`. Sourced from `fact_policy_check` (Checkov results).
+
+**What "good" looks like:** 100% means every resource passed every
+policy check. The Nova tagging standard (nova_tagging.py, hard mode) is
+the primary check.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/provisioning_lead_time.md b/docs/metrics/provisioning_lead_time.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4884a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/provisioning_lead_time.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Provisioning Lead Time — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Provisioning Lead Time
+> Target: not a committed target (operational signal)
+
+**What this number means:** the time from intent received (run.started)
+to apply completed (run.completed). Measures how fast Nova provisions
+compliant environments.
+
+**How it's computed:** `run.completed_at − run.started_at` per run.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** minutes, not days. The reduction from days
+(human ops) to minutes (autonomous) is the velocity proof.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/metrics/touchless_resolution_rate.md b/docs/metrics/touchless_resolution_rate.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99aa2b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/metrics/touchless_resolution_rate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Touchless Resolution Rate — Definition of Success
+
+> KPI: Touchless Resolution Rate
+> Target: ≥ 99% across production estates (Post-Pilot)
+
+**What this number means:** the percentage of platform runs that complete
+end-to-end without an operational HITL block. An operational HITL block
+is a confidence-driven escalation (the AI's confidence was too low to
+proceed). Attestation gates (qa/prod/dr sign-offs) are NOT counted as
+escalations — they are designed controls, not autonomy failures.
+
+**How it's computed:** `runs WHERE hitl_block = 0 AND environment = 'dev'`
+÷ `total runs` (dev environment only, where attestation gates don't apply).
+For production estates: `runs WHERE hitl_block = 0` ÷ `total runs`
+excluding attestation-gate sign-offs.
+
+**What "good" looks like:** ≥ 99% means fewer than 1 in 100 runs require
+human intervention due to low confidence. The 1% allowance is for
+genuine edge cases (novel failure modes, blast-radius exceedances).
+
+**What would be "gamer metrics":** counting attestation gates as
+"touchless" (they're not — they're human by design) or counting only
+dev runs (cherry-picking the easiest environment).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/metrics/TRUST_SNAPSHOT.md b/metrics/TRUST_SNAPSHOT.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13fac01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metrics/TRUST_SNAPSHOT.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Nova Trust Snapshot — 2026-08-04T20:05:00Z
+
+> v1.17 — Strategic Direction, Leadership Metrics & Unified Story (REQ-211)
+> This snapshot is a dated one-pager with 5 trust metrics + chain-integrity verdict.
+
+## Trust Metrics
+
+| Metric | Value | Details |
+|--------|-------|---------|
+| **Decision Ledger Coverage** | 0.0% | 0 entries, 0 broken |
+| **Attestation Coverage** | 0.0% | 0 attestation events |
+| **Capability Health** | 18V / 4S / 0B / 0D | from REGRESSION_REPORT.json |
+| **AI Decision Accuracy** | 0.0% | 0/0 succeeded |
+| **Confidence-Gate Halt Rate** | 0.0% | 0/0 halted |
+
+## Chain Integrity
+
+- **Verdict:** INTACT
+- **Broken entries:** 0
+
+## Snapshot Hash
+
+`a3c59eda5d569a5d`
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/check_north_star_diff.sh b/scripts/check_north_star_diff.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..89e8caa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check_north_star_diff.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Nova NORTH_STAR diff-check (REQ-204).
+#
+# Fails when the Vision, Strategic Objectives, Anti-Goals, or 12-18mo
+# Targets sections of .ciagent/NORTH_STAR.md change without a
+# NORTH_STAR-CHANGE: commit trailer in the latest commit message.
+#
+# Usage: bash scripts/check_north_star_diff.sh
+# Returns 0 on pass, 1 on fail.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+NORTH_STAR=".ciagent/NORTH_STAR.md"
+SECTIONS_REGEX='^## (Vision|Strategic Objectives|Anti-Goals|12.*18 Month Targets)'
+
+if [ ! -f "$NORTH_STAR" ]; then
+    echo "WARN: $NORTH_STAR not found — skipping diff-check"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Get the diff of NORTH_STAR.md in the latest commit
+DIFF=$(git diff HEAD~1 -- "$NORTH_STAR" 2>/dev/null || true)
+
+if [ -z "$DIFF" ]; then
+    # No changes to NORTH_STAR.md — pass
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Check if any of the strategic sections changed
+SECTION_CHANGES=$(echo "$DIFF" | grep -E '^\+## (Vision|Strategic Objectives|Anti-Goals|12.*18 Month Targets)' || true)
+LINE_CHANGES=$(echo "$DIFF" | grep -E '^[+-]' | grep -v '^[+-]{3}' | head -50 || true)
+
+# Simple heuristic: if lines under the strategic sections changed
+CHANGED_SECTIONS=""
+CURRENT_SECTION=""
+while IFS= read -r line; do
+    case "$line" in
+        "+## Vision"*) CURRENT_SECTION="Vision" ;;
+        "+## Strategic Objectives"*) CURRENT_SECTION="Strategic Objectives" ;;
+        "+## Anti-Goals"*) CURRENT_SECTION="Anti-Goals" ;;
+        "+## 12"*) CURRENT_SECTION="12-18mo Targets" ;;
+        "+## "*) CURRENT_SECTION="" ;;
+    esac
+    if [ -n "$CURRENT_SECTION" ] && [ -n "$line" ] && [[ "$line" == +* ]] && [[ "$line" != "+## "* ]]; then
+        CHANGED_SECTIONS="$CHANGED_SECTIONS $CURRENT_SECTION"
+    fi
+done <<< "$DIFF"
+
+if [ -z "$CHANGED_SECTIONS" ]; then
+    # No strategic section changes — pass
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Check for the NORTH_STAR-CHANGE: commit trailer
+COMMIT_MSG=$(git log -1 --format='%B')
+if echo "$COMMIT_MSG" | grep -q "NORTH_STAR-CHANGE:"; then
+    echo "OK: NORTH_STAR strategic sections changed with NORTH_STAR-CHANGE: trailer"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "FAIL: NORTH_STAR strategic sections changed without NORTH_STAR-CHANGE: commit trailer"
+echo "Changed sections:$CHANGED_SECTIONS"
+echo "Add 'NORTH_STAR-CHANGE: <description>' to the commit message and re-commit."
+exit 1
\ No newline at end of file