GEOS-FN-005 — Auditability & Evidence Requirements (Foundational Numeracy)

GEOS-FN-005 — Auditability & Evidence Requirements (Foundational Numeracy)

Version: 0.01 Status: Normative Standard Type: Standards Conformity Assessment (Assess)

1. Purpose and Scope ————————

1.1 Purpose

This document defines the auditability and evidentiary requirements that an Outcome Signal Portfolio claiming eligibility for certification under GEOS-FN-001 MUST satisfy in order to be assesse and certified as a GEOS Certified Outcome Signal Portfolio (GeOSP™).

This standard specifies:

• required audit artifacts;

• minimum evidence retention standards;

• reproducibility and traceability requirements;

• versioning and immutability constraints; and

• red-flag conditions requiring enhanced scrutiny.

This document governs how conformity is demonstrated, not what outcomes are valued.

1.2 Scope

This standard applies to:

• all Outcome Signal Portfolios submitted for GEOS certification under GEOS-FN-001

• all Sentinel signals contained within those portfolios; and

• all Layers A, B, and C referenced during conformity assessment.

This standard applies regardless of jurisdiction, funding counterparty, or data infrastructure, provided that the submitted artifacts seek GEOS certification.

2. Auditability Principles ——————————

A certifiable Outcome Signal Portfolio MUST satisfy the following auditability principles.

2.1 Reproducibility

An independent GEOSor™ Certified Partner™ MUST be able to reproduce:

• each Layer B aggregate from Layer A data; and

• each Layer C Sentinel signal from Layer B aggregates;

using the documented rules and parameters supplied with the submission.

2.2 Traceability

Each Sentinel signal included in a certifiable Outcome Signal Portfolio MUST be traceable to:

• specific raw data elements;

• documented aggregation logic; and

• a defined reporting period.

Traceability MUST remain intact across all transformations.

2.3 Determinism

Signal construction rules MUST produce identical outputs when applied to identical inputs under identical parameters.

Any stochastic elements MUST be:

• explicitly declared;

• parameter-bound; and

• reproducible under audit.

3. Required Audit Artifacts ——————————-

A certifiable Outcome Signal Portfolio MUST include the following audit artifacts.

3.1 Data Lineage Documentation

Documentation MUST specify:

• raw data source identifiers;

• data extraction timestamps;

• transformation sequence identifiers; and

• output artifact identifiers.

3.2 Transformation Specifications

For each Sentinel signal, the submission MUST include:

• formal aggregation equations or algorithms;

• normalization or scaling rules;

• treatment of missing or sparse data; and

• outlier handling logic.

3.3 Reporting Period Definitions

Each reporting period MUST be explicitly defined by:

• start date;

• end date; and

• inclusion/exclusion criteria.

4. Evidence Retention and Accessibility ——————————————-

4.1 Evidence Retention

All evidence supporting a certifiable Outcome Signal Portfolio MUST be retained for a minimum period defined in the GEOS Conformity Assessment Procedures.

4.2 Evidence Accessibility

During conformity assessment:

• GEOSors™ MAY inspect Layers A, B, and C under audit rules;

• inspection access MUST occur under confidentiality and data-protection safeguards; and

• inspection rights apply solely for assessment purposes.

4.3 Funding Counterparty Visibility

Finance Facilities MAY inspect the GeOSP™ artifact, usually under NDA.

5. Immutability and Version Control —————————————

5.1 Artifact Immutability

Once submitted for assessment:

• audit artifacts MUST be immutable; and

• any modification MUST trigger resubmission.

5.2 Versioning

Each certifiable Outcome Signal Portfolio MUST declare:

• applicable GEOS standard versions;

• transformation rule versions; and

• data extraction versions.

Backward compatibility MUST be explicitly documented.

6. Red-Flag Conditions ————————--

The presence of the following conditions MUST trigger enhanced scrutiny during assessment:

• unexplained discontinuities between reporting periods;

• extreme signal volatility relative to declared volatility criteria;

• undocumented changes in aggregation logic;

• inconsistencies between related signals; or

• missing audit artifacts.

Red-flag identification does not imply non-conformity but requires documented resolution.

7. Limits of Certification ——————————

GEOS certification under this standard:

• attests only to auditability and process conformity;

• does not validate educational effectiveness;

• does not guarantee funding decisions; and

• remains contestable under GEOS procedures.

8. Relationship to Other Standards ————————————--

This document SHALL be read in conjunction with:

• GEOS-CORE-001 (Roles and Authorities)

• GEOS-FN-001 (Outcome Framework)

• GEOS-FN-002 (Outcome Taxonomy)

• GEOS-FN-003 (Signal Families); an

• GEOS-FN-004 (Signal Construction & Transformation Rules)

In the event of conflict, GEOS-CORE-001 governs role interpretation

9. Stability and Evolution ——————————

This standard prioritizes:

• consistency across reporting periods; and

• comparability across jurisdictions.

Revisions SHALL follow GEOS versioning rules and include public rationale.

End of GEOS-FN-005