06 Certificate Standards

Certificate Standards

Certificates of Collaboration are awarded on the basis of documented and verifiable contribution.

Certification is not based solely on participation, project membership, attendance, or time spent. The founder evaluates the quality, traceability, and significance of contributions against the standards below.

Minimum Standards

• Contributions must be linked to assigned work.
• Contributions must be documented.
• Evidence must be available for review.
• Work must follow established project procedures and templates.
• Contributions must have been carried out in consultation with the project team.
• Activities must align with the goals and values of the project.

Evaluation Criteria

The founder may consider:

• Quality of work
• Consistency of participation
• Initiative and responsibility
• Collaboration and communication
• Technical and non-technical contributions
• Impact on the project or community

Grounds for Refusal

Certification may be declined when:

• Contributions cannot be verified.
• Evidence is missing or incomplete.
• Work was performed outside agreed project processes.
• GitHub assignments, issues, or pull requests do not adequately support the claimed contribution.
• The claimed contribution is substantially different from the documented contribution.

Final Review

The certification decision rests with the founder.

Issuance of a certificate confirms that the available evidence has been reviewed and that the contribution meets the standards of the Certification of Collaboration programme.