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Certification States (Definitions Only)

This document defines certification states for Last1. Definitions are policy-only; no UI, pricing, or automated enforcement is implied. No scoring, ranking, or public shaming is permitted.

States

Active

  • Meaning: The organization’s certification is in good standing. Available evidence across the validation layers is consistent with Last1 Standards and there are no outstanding conditions or holds.
  • Trigger (high level): Initial certification grant or restoration after conditional, paused, or revoked status following successful review and any required remediation.
  • Does not imply: That every outcome was achieved, that every beneficiary responded, or that the organization is “top ranked.” It indicates standing under the Standards only.
  • Reversibility: May transition to Conditional, Paused, or Revoked if review or evidence warrants, subject to due process and appeals.

Conditional

  • Meaning: Certification remains in effect but with specified conditions or follow-up (e.g., additional documentation, corrective action, or timeline for review). The organization retains certified status while meeting conditions.
  • Trigger (high level): Review identified gaps, inconsistencies, or areas requiring remediation that do not warrant immediate pause or revocation.
  • Does not imply: Guilt, fraud, or punitive sanction. It is an informational status indicating that conditions must be addressed.
  • Reversibility: May return to Active when conditions are satisfied and confirmed through human review. May transition to Paused or Revoked if conditions are not met or if further review so determines, subject to due process.

Paused

  • Meaning: Certification is temporarily suspended. The organization is not currently certified; certification may be restored after review and, where applicable, remediation.
  • Trigger (high level): Decision by governance (human review) that certification should be suspended pending clarification, remediation, or appeal—e.g., serious inconsistency in evidence, voluntary pause, or procedural hold.
  • Does not imply: Permanent revocation, guilt, or public shaming. It is an informational status.
  • Reversibility: May return to Active or Conditional after human review and, where applicable, successful appeal or remediation. May transition to Revoked if so determined through due process.

Revoked

  • Meaning: Certification has been withdrawn. The organization is no longer certified under Last1 Standards.
  • Trigger (high level): Human governance decision following due process (e.g., failure to meet conditions, serious breach of Standards, or voluntary relinquishment).
  • Does not imply: Scoring, ranking, or public shaming. Revocation is a status outcome, not a punitive label.
  • Reversibility: Reversibility is limited. An organization may reapply or seek recertification through defined processes; any such process is governed by Last1 Standards and human review, not automated reinstatement.

Prohibitions

  • No scoring. Certification states are categorical (Active, Conditional, Paused, Revoked). No numeric score or grade is assigned.
  • No ranking. Organizations are not ranked against each other. States describe standing only.
  • No public shaming. Status is used for governance and, where appropriate, for funders or partners under defined use; it is not a tool for public naming or shaming.
  • No automated enforcement. Transitions between states are determined by human governance following due process and appeals, not by automated rules alone.