Forward Impact Team

Getting Started: Pathway for Engineers

Pathway is your interface to the engineering framework. Browse job definitions, explore career progression, and generate AI agent teams matched to your role.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+
  • npm

Install

npm install @forwardimpact/pathway

Initialize framework data

If your organization hasn't provided a framework data bundle, bootstrap starter data to explore with: 

npx fit-map init

This creates ./data/pathway/ with a complete starter framework. If your organization distributes a framework bundle, follow their installation instructions instead — typically a one-line curl | bash install script that places data at ~/.fit/data/pathway/.

Data directory resolution

The CLI resolves the data directory by walking upward from the current working directory looking for a data/pathway/ folder. To override, use the --data flag: 

npx fit-pathway discipline --list --data=./my-data/pathway

Browse your job definition

Use the Pathway CLI to explore the engineering framework your organization has defined. 

npx fit-pathway discipline --list    # See available disciplines
npx fit-pathway level --list         # See available levels
npx fit-pathway track --list         # See available tracks

Generate a complete job definition by combining a discipline, level, and optional track: 

npx fit-pathway job software_engineering J040 --track=platform

This produces a full view of the skills, behaviours, and expectations for that role.

Generate agent teams

Create AI agent definitions matched to your role's skill profile: 

npx fit-pathway agent software_engineering --track=platform --output=./agents

This generates a set of .agent.md files and a skills/ directory. Each agent file defines a persona with specific capabilities. The skills directory contains SKILL.md files that agents use as operational context — the same skill definitions humans reference, formatted for AI consumption.

Copy the output into your project's .claude/ or equivalent agent configuration directory.

Next steps