Open protocol for structured, verifiable, portable records. Universal.
OpenFORMA defines how documents and identity records move between systems. It specifies what fields a record must contain, how those fields are typed and validated, and how the record is sealed and exchanged. It is not a file format. It is a schema standard.
Published under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0. Built by Ark & Aico Labs.
Records do not travel.
A method statement written in one system cannot be validated by another. A worker credential issued on one platform cannot be read by the site manager's system. An induction form on paper cannot be queried by a gate scanner.
Every document is a silo. Verification is manual. Compliance gaps are invisible.
This is not a construction problem. It is a universal one.
OpenFORMA makes records machine-readable, transferable, and verifiable across any industry.
OpenFORMA protocol layer — record container, integrity model, exchange rules
FormaSchema schema registry — naming, classification, field contracts
EventSpec event layer — state changes, notifications, workflow triggers
Domain Lexicons vocabulary per industry — stable codes for domain-specific terms
Schemas are named by functional domain and record class.
{DOMAIN}-{CLASS}-{NNN}
FIN Financial
OPS Operational
COM Compliance and Safety
HR Human Resources
LEG Legal and Commercial
LOG Logistics
IDN Identity and Profile
DOC Document — signed, filed, immutable
PRO Profile — living record, versioned, owner-linked
| Schema ID | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IDN-PRO-001 | Worker Identity Profile | Published |
| COM-DOC-001 | Risk Assessment | Published |
| COM-DOC-002 | Method Statement | Published |
| COM-DOC-003 | RAMS | Published |
| COM-DOC-004 | Site Induction Record | Published |
| COM-DOC-005 | Permit to Work | Published |
| COM-DOC-006 | COSHH Assessment | Published |
| FIN-DOC-001 | Invoice | Published |
| FIN-DOC-004 | Direct Debit Instruction | Published |
| FIN-DOC-005 | Payment Application | Published |
| HR-DOC-001 | Employment Contract | Published |
| HR-DOC-004 | Timesheet | Published |
| LEG-DOC-004 | Subcontract | Published |
| LEG-DOC-005 | Labour-Only Subcontract | Published |
| LEG-DOC-006 | CIS Declaration | Published |
| LOG-DOC-001 | Goods Received Note | Published |
| LOG-DOC-002 | Waste Transfer Note | Published |
| OPS-DOC-001 | Job Sheet | Published |
| OPS-DOC-004 | Snag List | Published |
| OPS-DOC-005 | Prestart Check | Published |
JSON Schema files: schemas/
Schemas reference domain-specific vocabulary via lexicon_ref fields. Lexicons are maintained in the Domain Registry Index.
The first registered lexicon is the Construction Lexicon (DRI-0001). It provides stable codes for construction roles, plant, certifications, site types, and employment status.
OpenFORMA records travel inside EventSpec payloads.
{
"eventspec_version": "1.0",
"type": "EVENT",
"payload": {
"event_type": "INDUCTION_COMPLETE",
"subject_id": "sub:person:uuid",
"forma_ref": {
"schema_id": "COM-DOC-004",
"record_id": "uuid",
"status": "accepted"
}
}
}Every OpenFORMA record is sealed with OFSIG. Ed25519 primary. RSA-PSS enterprise fallback. Canonical JSON via RFC 8785 before hashing.
A valid signature proves the payload has not been altered since signing. Trust is determined by issuer identity, schema compliance, and verifier policy.
credi.build is the first production implementation. Every worker profile on credi.build is an IDN-PRO-001 document.
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0. Free to use, implement, and extend. Attribution required.
Protocol changes via the FieldCore Proposal (FCP) process. Raise a proposal by opening an issue in this repository.
Conceived October 2024. First published April 2026. Author: Ark & Aico Labs