Validation · Scrutiny · Governance

A glossary of the core concepts that define the EYQA framework. These terms are not interchangeable.

"Defensibility is demonstrated under scrutiny, not declared in advance."

Narrative Stress-Test

The free, self-administered diagnostic that precedes formal Validation. A 5-minute assessment across six dimensions (Evidence, Logic, Perspective, Risk Awareness, Contextual Fit, Actionability) that surfaces where a narrative is exposed before institutional review. The Stress-Test does not formally assess — it surfaces exposure and directs toward the appropriate next stage.

Validation — Stage I

Establish the evidentiary baseline. Validation assesses whether a narrative is actually supported by documented evidence across all six dimensions. It identifies evidence gaps and produces the documented record on which the later stages depend. Validation does not award a Rating — it qualifies narratives for progression to Scrutiny.

Scrutiny — Stage II

Test the narrative under adversarial challenge. Scrutiny subjects the validated narrative to stakeholder-specific scenarios — evidence requests, counterclaims, and changing conditions modelled on the audiences the narrative will actually face. The output is a Narrative Defensibility Profile with one of four findings: Survives, Conditional, Vulnerable, or Unresolved.

Governance — Stage III

Authorise controlled release. Governance places the scrutinised narrative inside a framework that authorises controlled publication to executive, investor, and institutional audiences — within defined usage contexts and representation boundaries. The output is Deployment Authorisation. The deployment itself remains the organisation's responsibility.

Defensibility Rating

An optional output of Scrutiny — Bronze, Silver, or Gold. A Defensibility Rating reflects the depth of evidence confirmed during Validation and the breadth of scenario testing completed during Scrutiny. It is not a stage and not a certification. Determined exclusively by evidentiary depth and scrutiny performance — cannot be purchased or negotiated.

Defensibility

The attribute the framework measures. A narrative is defensible when its claims survive structured scrutiny — from investors, boards, procurement teams, or regulators — without fracturing. Persuasive ≠ defensible.

How They Relate

The Fixed Sequence

Stress-Test → Validation → Scrutiny → Governance

Each stage builds on the previous. You cannot scrutinise without validating first, and you cannot govern without scrutinising first.

The Defensibility Rating is an optional output of Scrutiny, not a stage in the sequence.

Common Questions

Frequently Confused Terms

Is Validation the same as a Stress-Test? +

No. A Stress-Test is a free, self-administered diagnostic (5 minutes). Validation is a formal submission process (2–4 weeks) that establishes the documented evidentiary baseline. The Stress-Test should precede Validation.

Is a Defensibility Rating permanent? +

No. A Rating reflects evidence and scrutiny performance at the time of assessment. It is subject to periodic review and may be revised, suspended, or withdrawn if the underlying evidence changes materially or if representation boundaries are breached.

Can a narrative be defensible without a Defensibility Rating? +

Defensibility is an attribute. A Defensibility Rating is a formal confirmation of that attribute. A narrative may be defensible without a Rating — but external parties have no independent verification of that claim.

Is a Defensibility Rating the same as a certification? +

No. A Defensibility Rating is an outcome of Scrutiny. It is not a regulatory certification, accreditation, compliance mark, or endorsement, and it does not imply performance guarantee or future outcomes.

The simplest distinction:
Stress-Test = "Where are we exposed?"
Validation = "What is the narrative actually supported by?"
Scrutiny = "How does it hold under adversarial challenge?"
Governance = "Where and how can it now be released?"