# Issue Taxonomy

Use these labels for recurring findings, issue logs, and scorecards.

## Commercial Terms and Rates
- `rate-noncompliance`: billed rate exceeds approved rate or an unauthorized rate increase appears.
- `discount-shortfall`: negotiated discount, write-off expectation, or rate concession did not fully appear.
- `afa-term-mismatch`: the invoice appears inconsistent with a cap, collar, blended rate, fixed fee, or other agreed fee arrangement.
- `budget-drift`: actual spend or forecast materially exceeds approved budget or phase budget.

## Staffing and Matter Management
- `unapproved-timekeeper`: a billed professional appears outside the approved roster or approval window.
- `staffing-sprawl`: too many professionals appear on the matter or task relative to complexity.
- `partner-overuse`: partner-heavy staffing appears disproportionate to task complexity or phase.
- `duplicate-attendance`: multiple attendees were billed for the same event and the staffing looks hard to justify.

## Narrative and Billing Hygiene
- `vague-narrative`: the description is too vague to approve, accrue, forecast, or defend.
- `block-billing`: multiple tasks are grouped in a way that prevents meaningful review.
- `research-churn`: repeated or excessive research appears relative to novelty or comparator history.
- `drafting-churn`: repeated drafting or revision cycles appear inefficient or unexplained.
- `clerical-or-admin`: administrative, clerical, or file-management work appears billed at professional rates.
- `internal-conferencing`: internal meetings, reviews, or coordination appear excessive.
- `training-or-onboarding`: time appears tied to training, onboarding, or learning curve costs.
- `invoice-preparation`: time appears tied to preparing bills, budgets, or administrative submissions.

## Charges and Expenses
- `prohibited-expense`: travel, meals, overhead, or another expense appears prohibited.
- `surcharge-noncompliance`: AI, database, contract-attorney, vendor, or technology charges appear prohibited or unsupported.
- `tax-or-fx-ambiguity`: tax, taxes, VAT, currency conversion, or FX treatment may affect the conclusion and needs clarification.

## Evidence and Data Quality
- `data-gap`: missing source data materially limits the conclusion.
- `comparator-mismatch`: the benchmark comparator appears weak or not sufficiently similar.

## Use Rules
- Use one primary label per issue row, then add explanation in prose.
- If an issue implicates both a rule breach and an efficiency concern, choose the stronger primary label and explain the secondary concern.
- Absolutely Do Not use labels as accusations of misconduct.

## Recommended Display Labels For Visual Outputs
Use these in visible tags, pills, slide labels, and PDF or Word tables:
- `rate-noncompliance` -> `Rate Issue`
- `discount-shortfall` -> `Discount Gap`
- `afa-term-mismatch` -> `AFA Mismatch`
- `budget-drift` -> `Budget Drift`
- `unapproved-timekeeper` -> `Unapproved TK`
- `staffing-sprawl` -> `Staffing Sprawl`
- `partner-overuse` -> `Partner Overuse`
- `duplicate-attendance` -> `Duplicate Attendance`
- `vague-narrative` -> `Vague Narrative`
- `block-billing` -> `Block Billing`
- `research-churn` -> `Research Churn`
- `drafting-churn` -> `Drafting Churn`
- `clerical-or-admin` -> `Clerical/Admin`
- `internal-conferencing` -> `Internal Conferencing`
- `training-or-onboarding` -> `Training`
- `invoice-preparation` -> `Invoice Prep`
- `prohibited-expense` -> `Expense Issue`
- `surcharge-noncompliance` -> `Surcharge Issue`
- `tax-or-fx-ambiguity` -> `Tax/FX Ambiguity`
- `data-gap` -> `Data Gap`
- `comparator-mismatch` -> `Comparator Mismatch`
