1. Purpose and Scope ————————
This specification defines the procedures by which a Data Pipeline is assessed for conformity with the GEOS Data Pipeline standards.
It governs:
how conformity assessments are initiated,
how evidence is reviewed,
how determinations are made, and
how non-conformities are handled and resolved.
This document does not define:
who is eligible to perform assessments,
any institutional accreditation model, or
any funding or policy decisions.
It defines procedures, not organizations.
2. Roles (Functional, Not Institutional) ——————————————--
The following roles are referenced in this specification. These roles may be performed by individuals or organizations authorized under GEOS rules, but no new legal entities are implied.
The actor responsible for:
operating the Data Pipeline,
maintaining its documentation,
submitting it for conformity assessment, and
responding to assessment findings.
The actor responsible for:
evaluating a Data Pipeline against GEOS-DP-002 criteria
reviewing evidence supplied by the Data Pipeline Owner,
performing verification activities, and
issuing a conformity determination.
An actor engaged when:
disputes arise,
elevated assurance is required, or
re-assessment is triggered under contestability rules.
3. Assessment Lifecycle —————————
A conformity assessment begins when the Data Pipeline Owner submits:
a request for assessment, and
the complete documentation package required under GEOS-DP-002.
The scope of the assessment must be explicitly declared, including:
subject domain(s) covered,
operational context (e.g., pilot, national rollout),
version identifiers of the pipeline design.
The Conformity Assessment Actor reviews submitted evidence to verify:
completeness of the declared pipeline structure,
clarity of Entry and Exit definitions,
consistency between declared behavior and documented controls,
presence of required audit artifacts.
Evidence may include:
process descriptions,
data transformation logic,
control and validation rules,
sample outputs,
operational logs or simulations.
No student-level data is required or requested.
Verification may include one or more of the following, as appropriate:
document inspection,
logical walkthroughs of pipeline stages,
replay of synthetic or historical test data,
review of control and exception handling mechanisms.
Verification focuses on process integrity, not outcome values.
The assessment concludes with one of the following determinations:
Conformant — all mandatory criteria satisfied.
Conformant with Conditions — minor deficiencies identified with corrective actions specified.
Non-Conformant — one or more mandatory criteria not met.
Each determination must reference:
the specific criteria assessed,
the evidence relied upon, and
the rationale for the conclusion.
4. Non-Conformities and Remediation —————————————
Non-conformities are classified as:
Critical — invalidate pipeline certification.
Material — must be remediated before certification.
Minor — do not block certification but must be tracked.
The Data Pipeline Owner may:
submit corrective actions,
provide updated documentation, and
request re-assessment of affected criteria.
Re-assessment is limited in scope to the remediated elements unless broader issues are identified.
5. Certification Outcome and Validity —————————————--
A positive conformity determination results in the Data Pipeline being recognized as:
GEOS-Conformant Data Pipeline (Declared Scope and Version)
Validity is:
version-specific,
scope-specific, and
time-bounded as defined by GEOS rules.
Any material change to the pipeline requires re-assessment.
6. Contestability and Re-Assessment —————————————
GEOS Data Pipeline conformity is formally contestable.
Triggers for contestability include:
evidence of undisclosed pipeline changes,
discrepancies between declared and observed behavior,
substantiated challenges by authorized counterparties.
Contestability is resolved through:
procedural review,
additional audit evidence, and
re-assessment where required.
7. Separation from Funding and Policy Decisions —————————————————
Conformity assessment under this specification:
does not imply correctness of outcomes,
does not guarantee funding eligibility,
does not influence pedagogical or policy decisions.
It establishes only that the Data Pipeline conforms to GEOS-defined structural, procedural, and auditability standards.
8. Relationship to Other GEOS Specifications ————————————————
This document operates in conjunction with:
GEOS-DP-001 — Data Pipeline Conceptual Model
GEOS-DP-002 — Data Pipeline Certification Criteria
Relevant subject-domain standards (e.g., GEOS-FN-xxx)
Together, these define how Data Pipelines become finance-grade artifacts within the GEOS system.
Normative, procedural specification.\ No institutional expansion implied.\ Compatible with future Data Source certification without modification.
END GEOS-DP-003