The EYQA Independence Charter
The structural commitments that ensure EYQA Defensibility Ratings mean what they say: defensibility is demonstrated under scrutiny, not declared in advance.
"Defensibility is demonstrated under scrutiny. It is not declared in advance."
In a market where ratings are often purchased, awards are often arranged, and recognition is often traded for sponsorship, EYQA operates under a different principle. This Charter codifies the structural commitments that make independent assessment possible across all three stages of the framework — Validation, Scrutiny, and Governance.
Principle 1 — Contractual Firewall
There is no commercial pathway to a Rating outcome. Payment for Validation services, gallery placement, or Governance access does not influence the Defensibility Rating awarded at Scrutiny. No financial arrangement — direct or indirect — can alter an assessment result. This is enforced by separation of assessment personnel from commercial relationship management.
Principle 2 — Methodology Precedes Recognition
The EYQA assessment methodology is published before any Rating is issued. Criteria for Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers are defined in advance and applied uniformly. No methodology change is made retroactively to accommodate a submission. Recognition follows the published standard — not the reverse.
Principle 3 — Evidence-Only Determination
A Defensibility Rating is determined exclusively by the volume, quality, and replicability of evidence submitted, and by how the narrative performs under structured scrutiny. Factors explicitly excluded from consideration: company size, relationship duration, payment amount, founder reputation, investor profile, prior engagements, and future potential. The evidence record and scrutiny performance alone determine the outcome.
Principle 4 — Transparent Assessment Criteria
All assessment criteria are published and accessible. Every narrative is evaluated against the same six defensibility dimensions — Evidence, Logic, Perspective, Risk Awareness, Contextual Fit, and Actionability — applied uniformly across Validation, Scrutiny, and any Rating awarded. Supporting assessment frameworks are documented in the published methodology and are not used to introduce undisclosed criteria.
Principle 5 — Independent Oversight and Review
Assessment outcomes are subject to periodic independent review to ensure consistency and methodological integrity. Ratings are re-assessed on a defined cycle and may be revised, suspended, or withdrawn if the underlying evidence changes materially. A Rating holder may contest an outcome through a documented appeals route; review outcomes are documented and, where material, published. The independence of the assessment function is structurally protected from commercial pressure.
Principle 6 — No Retroactive Rating
A Defensibility Rating cannot be applied retroactively to narratives that did not undergo assessment at the time of their original dissemination. The sequence — Validation → Scrutiny → Governance — is fixed. There is no alternative path to a rated or governed status.
Principle 7 — Public Accountability
EYQA publishes aggregate defensibility data (anonymised) and maintains a public register of rated narratives. Anyone may verify a Defensibility Rating. A Rating cannot be hidden, revoked without cause, or selectively disclosed.
"EYQA exists to assess narratives, not to certify customers. The distinction is structural, not rhetorical. This Charter makes it enforceable."
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