Governance of the APS standard
A standard is only as good as its rules. APS is maintained in the open: changes are proposed, consulted on and versioned, so a score published this year compares with one published next year.
Principles
| Principle | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Open method | Pillars, rubric and weights are published in full. |
| Independence | Scores are never adjusted for clients. |
| Comparability | Every score states the version that produced it. |
| Consultation | Material changes are published for comment before they take effect. |
Who maintains APS
| Body | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Standards council | Approves new versions of the standard. | Seats open |
| Methodology committee | Drafts and tests changes to the method. | The Prompt Group |
| Public consultation | Anyone can comment on a draft before it is adopted. | Open on APS-1.0 |
| Corrections | Reviews reported errors in published scores. | Process published below |
How the standard changes
- Proposal
A change to the method, weights or reporting rules is written up with its reasons.
- Testing
The methodology committee tests the change against stored answers and publishes the effect on scores.
- Public consultation
The draft is published for comment. Material changes are never adopted without it.
- Approval
The standards council approves the final text.
- Release
The change ships under a new version number, with its date and a summary of what changed.
Versions and comparability
Every published score names the version that produced it. Scores compare directly only when they come from the same version, because the version fixes the pillars, formulas and weights.
| Version | What it covers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| APS-1.x | Pillar IV method and its entry into the score. | In development |
| APS-1.0 | Pillars I to III scored, the 0 to 100 composite and reporting rules. | Consultation |
| — | Pillars first defined in The Delegation Curve. | Published |
Independence
The method is the same for every company measured. No company can buy a different method, a different set of engines for its published score, or a change to a score after it is computed.
- Scores are never changed by hand.
- Question sets are fixed before answers are collected.
- Every score travels with its evidence: pillar scores, version, engines, answer count and window.
Corrections
If a published score appears to contain an error, report the question, the engine and the collection date. The stored answer is checked against the record, and any correction is published with the score and the reason for the change.
Public consultation
APS-1.0 is open for comment. The consultation covers the pillar weights, the minimum evidence for each pillar, the reporting requirements and the arrangements on this page.