An open standard is only as trustworthy as the process that governs it. This page describes how changes to F-ACT are proposed, reviewed, and decided — and is honest about the difference between how the process works today and how it will work once the Foundation is stood up.
1Propose
Anyone may propose a change by submitting a request through the contact form. Describe the problem, the proposed solution, and which part of the standard is affected (dimension, tier, schema, or process).
2Review
The stewards assess the proposal against the standard’s design principles: does it preserve the five-question structure, respect the tier boundaries, and remain implementable by a solo developer? Proposals that weaken existing conformance requirements are held to a higher bar.
3Decide
Accepted changes are classified as errata (clarification, no conformance impact — applied in place, noted in the changelog) or revisions (conformance impact — new version number, new stable URL). Rejected proposals receive a written explanation.
4Publish
Errata are published immediately. Revisions go through a public comment period before a new version is released. The prior version remains accessible at its stable URL indefinitely.
Five questions, not six
GUARD asks five questions. A change that adds a sixth dimension must demonstrate that the existing five cannot cover it.
Tiers are additive
Each GUARD level adds requirements; no level removes them. GUARD 2 includes all of GUARD 1. GUARD 3 includes all of GUARD 2.
A solo developer can implement
If a change makes GUARD 1 conformance require enterprise infrastructure, it has moved the floor too high.
Honest about what a document can prove
The standard must never claim a static document proves a runtime property. That boundary is load-bearing.
Backward compatibility unless safety demands otherwise
Existing conforming envelopes should remain conforming under new versions. Breaking changes require a new version number and strong justification.
Who decides today versus later
Today: the standard is maintained by Society OS Pty Ltd as steward. Change proposals are received through the contact form and reviewed by the current maintainers. Decisions are published in the changelog.
After the Foundation: once the Open Conformance Foundation is a legal person (charter signing planned for 5 September 2026), governance transfers to the Foundation’s steering committee. The process above stays the same; the decision authority moves from the company to the Foundation.
Use the contact form to submit a proposal.