{ "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema", "$id": "https://vnwo.com/schemas/participation-process-comparison.schema.json", "title": "Participation Process Comparison", "description": "Compares information, consultation, deliberation, co-decision, and delegated or binding authority in one bounded context without ranking people or claiming that higher influence is always appropriate.", "type": "object", "additionalProperties": false, "required": [ "schema_version", "id", "version", "last_reviewed_utc", "artifact_maturity", "comparison_title", "decision_context", "comparison_rule", "levels", "claim_boundary_note" ], "properties": { "schema_version": { "type": "string", "const": "3.0.8" }, "id": { "type": "string" }, "version": { "type": "string", "const": "3.0.8" }, "last_reviewed_utc": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time" }, "artifact_maturity": { "type": "string", "enum": [ "proposed", "experimental", "reviewed", "reference", "deprecated" ] }, "comparison_title": { "type": "string" }, "decision_context": { "type": "string" }, "comparison_rule": { "type": "string" }, "levels": { "type": "array", "minItems": 5, "maxItems": 5, "items": { "type": "object", "additionalProperties": false, "required": [ "level", "purpose", "participant_influence", "decision_owner", "evidence_required", "appropriate_when", "not_appropriate_when", "example_outcome", "authority_boundary" ], "properties": { "level": { "type": "string", "enum": [ "information", "consultation", "deliberation", "co_decision", "delegated_or_binding" ] }, "purpose": { "type": "string" }, "participant_influence": { "type": "string" }, "decision_owner": { "type": "string" }, "evidence_required": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "appropriate_when": { "type": "string" }, "not_appropriate_when": { "type": "string" }, "example_outcome": { "type": "string" }, "authority_boundary": { "type": "string" } } } }, "source_domain": { "type": "string" }, "claim_boundary_note": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 } }, "examples": [ { "schema_version": "3.0.8", "id": "participation-process-comparison-rule-change-001", "version": "3.0.8", "last_reviewed_utc": "2026-06-20T17:20:17Z", "artifact_maturity": "reference", "comparison_title": "Five participation levels applied to one fictional rule-change context", "decision_context": "An AI-assisted community is considering a change to temporary visibility limits and appeal timing.", "comparison_rule": "A higher influence level is not automatically better or lawful. Use the level that matches the actual authority, stakes, capacity, and published mandate, and label it honestly.", "levels": [ { "level": "information", "purpose": "Publish a decision that is already fixed and explain sources, effects, and correction paths.", "participant_influence": "Participants can understand and correct factual errors but cannot change the policy through this process.", "decision_owner": "Community operator", "evidence_required": [ "notice", "source links", "effective date", "correction contact", "exit impact" ], "appropriate_when": "A legally or operationally fixed notice must be communicated without pretending it is open.", "not_appropriate_when": "The organization is still deciding but withholds that fact.", "example_outcome": "The organization publishes the new appeal address and accepts factual corrections.", "authority_boundary": "Publication does not imply consent or participation." }, { "level": "consultation", "purpose": "Receive evidence and proposals before the owner decides.", "participant_influence": "Participants can affect the owner’s reasoning but do not hold the final decision.", "decision_owner": "Governance working group", "evidence_required": [ "open questions", "channels", "known access gaps", "contribution dispositions", "final response" ], "appropriate_when": "The owner retains authority but can still change defined parts of the proposal.", "not_appropriate_when": "Comments are collected after every consequential choice is fixed.", "example_outcome": "The owner shortens the temporary limit after reviewing evidence.", "authority_boundary": "Consultation is advisory and must not be called co-decision." }, { "level": "deliberation", "purpose": "Allow affected people and decision owners to examine reasons, trade-offs, and revised options together.", "participant_influence": "Participants can revise proposals and preserve unresolved disagreement; final authority remains declared.", "decision_owner": "Governance working group after facilitated deliberation", "evidence_required": [ "agenda", "source packet", "facilitation rules", "revised options", "minority report", "owner response" ], "appropriate_when": "Trade-offs benefit from reason exchange and the process can support accessible facilitation.", "not_appropriate_when": "The organization lacks time, access support, or response capacity and would only stage a discussion.", "example_outcome": "Two alternatives are combined, while a minority objection remains published.", "authority_boundary": "Deliberation does not imply consensus." }, { "level": "co_decision", "purpose": "Share a bounded decision over named levers.", "participant_influence": "Participants and the owner jointly decide the published scope, such as duration and appeal timing.", "decision_owner": "Participants and governance working group within the defined scope", "evidence_required": [ "authority allocation", "eligibility or participation rule", "decision method", "conflict rule", "decision-change record", "implementation follow-through" ], "appropriate_when": "The organization can genuinely share the named authority and implement the result.", "not_appropriate_when": "The organization cannot bind itself to the stated method.", "example_outcome": "The six-hour maximum and appeal window are jointly selected.", "authority_boundary": "Authority does not extend beyond the named levers." }, { "level": "delegated_or_binding", "purpose": "Give a bounded body the power to initiate, approve, block, or require action.", "participant_influence": "The authorized body makes or blocks the decision under a published mandate.", "decision_owner": "Delegated review council within its mandate", "evidence_required": [ "mandate", "selection rule", "term and expiry", "conflict policy", "accountability", "appeal", "revocation", "implementation evidence" ], "appropriate_when": "A valid implementing authority has created a durable, reviewable mandate.", "not_appropriate_when": "VNWO templates are being used as a substitute for legal or organizational authority.", "example_outcome": "The council blocks activation until the accessibility condition is satisfied.", "authority_boundary": "VNWO does not create the mandate or certify its legitimacy." } ], "source_domain": "vnwo.com", "claim_boundary_note": "Fictional comparison. It does not rank participants or claim that one influence level is universally appropriate, representative, democratic, lawful, or sufficient." } ], "schema_version": "3.0.8", "last_reviewed_utc": "2026-06-20T17:20:17Z", "claim_boundary": "VNWO provides a static documentation pattern. It does not recruit participants, collect submissions, verify identity or representation, validate consent, certify fairness, democracy, accessibility, legal sufficiency, implementation quality, or institutional follow-through, and it does not guarantee that an organization acts on input.", "source_routing_note": "The implementing authority must declare which level applies; VNWO does not confer or certify authority." }