> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.therisk.global/organization/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.therisk.global/organization/programme/standards.md). # Nexus Standards Nexus Standards, the standards pillar of the Nexus programme: where open standards are developed, corrected and applied, with adoption decided by each jurisdiction. *Where this fits: applied response. Pillar:* [*Nexus Standards*](/organization/institutions/nexus-standards.md)*. Institutions: the Global Standards Council, with GCRI Canada as secretariat and publisher of record; National Standards Councils. Phases: readiness preparation, controlled build, correction, docket review, renewal. Kind: pillar page.* **In brief.** Nexus Standards is where the programme codifies what it has learned and corrects it in the open. Findings from a cycle become change proposals; adopted standards and profiles return to the Foundry for the next build and to [Risk Academy](/organization/institutions/risk-academy.md) as course modules. The standards are published and governed on [nexustandards.com](https://nexustandards.com/), whose text and status govern; this page describes the pillar and does not restate any standard. Every Nexus Standard is at the PROPOSED stage, and a UNI "never certifies". > **Boundary.** "A validator report is evidence for review, not a conformance claim; adoption is final for each jurisdiction and no global body holds a veto."
Nexus Standards on the hexagon of the six pillars, with the pillars it hands work to or receives work from selected, every handoff among those pillars, and the phases of the programme year in which recorded handoffs happen. Pillars it exchanges no work with are shown unselected.

Nexus Standards in the programme. A designed programme cycle, not a record of operation. Handoff identifiers F01 to F14 and R1 to R4 as in the sites' pillar model. Source: the sectors and pillars model published on the GCRI, GRF and GRA home pages, vendored and hash-pinned in tools/figures/vendor/nexus-model. As of 2026-10-21.

Figure data (text alternative) | Element | Kind | Description | Value | | --------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | | F01 | Handoff | Universe to Foundry: Admitted mission becomes a cycle project with a decision case | Readiness preparation | | F02 | Handoff | Foundry to Universe: Core Build Report and go or no-go evidence | Controlled build | | F03 | Handoff | Foundry to Reports: Sealed observations and indicator series behind a profile | Closeout | | F04 | Handoff | Universe to Reports: After-action and scenario findings for chapters 10 and 13 | After-action review | | F05 | Handoff | Foundry to Reports: National Portfolio movement for chapter 11 | After-action review | | F06 | Handoff in play | Reports to Standards: Method and correction findings as change proposals | Correction | | F07 | Handoff in play | Universe to Standards: Docket items that need a standard or a profile | Docket review | | F08 | Handoff in play | Standards to Foundry: Composed mission profiles and national adoption records | Readiness preparation | | F09 | Handoff in play | Standards to Academy: Each adopted standard or profile becomes a course module | Renewal | | F10 | Handoff | Universe to Academy: Assessed cycle tasks become completion evidence | Closeout | | F11 | Handoff | Academy to Universe: Qualified participants for the next cycle's roles | Renewal | | F12 | Handoff | Reports to Universe: Q4 synthesis informs the next-year mandate | Renewal | | F13 | Handoff in play | Foundry to Standards: Validation and monitoring evidence for conformance review | Controlled build | | F14 | Handoff | Foundry to Academy: Each system's rooms become a learning-by-doing course | Planning | | R1 | Handoff in play | Standards to Reports: Applied in editions | Around the ring | | R2 | Handoff | Reports to Academy: Taught in the open | Around the ring | | R3 | Handoff | Academy to Labs: Questions become experiments | Around the ring | | R4 | Handoff | Labs to Foundry: Tested prototypes are built | Around the ring | | Labs | Pillar | Explore, experiment and prototype | – | | Foundry | Pillar | Build, simulate and prepare | in this route | | Universe | Pillar | Convene and test | in this route | | Standards | Pillar | Codify, correct and apply | in this route | | Reports | Pillar | Publish in every format | in this route | | Academy | Pillar | Teach in the open | in this route | | Planning | Phase (Q1, G0) | F14 Each system's rooms become a learning-by-doing course | 1 handoff(s) | | Readiness preparation | Phase (Q2, G2) | F01 Admitted mission becomes a cycle project with a decision case; F08 Composed mission profiles and national adoption records | 2 handoff(s) | | Controlled build | Phase (Q2, G3) | F02 Core Build Report and go or no-go evidence; F13 Validation and monitoring evidence for conformance review | 2 handoff(s) | | Closeout | Phase (Q3, G5) | F03 Sealed observations and indicator series behind a profile; F10 Assessed cycle tasks become completion evidence | 2 handoff(s) | | After-action review | Phase (Q3) | F04 After-action and scenario findings for chapters 10 and 13; F05 National Portfolio movement for chapter 11 | 2 handoff(s) | | Correction | Phase (Q4) | F06 Method and correction findings as change proposals | 1 handoff(s) | | Docket review | Phase (Q4) | F07 Docket items that need a standard or a profile | 1 handoff(s) | | Renewal | Phase (Q4, G7) | F09 Each adopted standard or profile becomes a course module; F11 Qualified participants for the next cycle's roles; F12 Q4 synthesis informs the next-year mandate | 3 handoff(s) |
## How Nexus Standards works **Governance.** The [Global Standards Council (GSC)](/organization/governance-in-operation/global-level.md) stewards the standards: it holds thirteen voting seats and adopts by a two-thirds majority after a ninety-day last call. Thirteen technical committees work under four technical management divisions, with editors, a registrar, a Conformance and Assurance Panel and an Ethics, Conflicts and Appeals Panel. GCRI Canada is the secretariat and publisher of record ([Governance](https://nexustandards.com/governance/)). **National adoption.** Each country's [National Standards Council](/organization/governance-in-operation/national-standards-council.md) (NSC) decides national adoption. There are four modes: adopt as is, adopt with a profile ([NS-16](https://nexustandards.com/standards/ns-16/)), adapt, or reference only. Adoption is final for each jurisdiction, and "the GSC has no veto over a national decision" ([Adopt and implement](https://nexustandards.com/adopt-and-implement/)). In the programme, national councils adopt or adapt standards, and the Foundry checks conformance during a build; a validator report is evidence for review, never a conformance claim. **Licences.** Text, registries, schemas and data are published under CC BY 4.0, code under Apache-2.0, and contributions are made under the Developer Certificate of Origin. The public repository is [Adopt and implement the Nexus Standards](https://nexustandards.com/adopt-and-implement/). **The roadmap.** The [roadmap](https://nexustandards.com/roadmap/) runs in phases from a founding phase (P0, October 2026 to March 2027) to the first release of an adopted catalogue. The current catalogue is listed in the [Standards catalogue](/organization/standards/catalogue.md) of this documentation. **Liaison.** Work with other standards bodies proceeds through community and liaison routes, named in text only, without logos and with no claim of affiliation. External standards are cited, never reproduced. ## The pillar in the model The tables in this section are generated from the sites' pillar model, so they match the GCRI, GRF and GRA home pages. ### At a glance What the pillar does, the records it owns, the boundary it keeps and where it is published. | | | | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Does | Identifies every artifact with a UNI; Routes work to the standards that apply; Validates and monitors conformance evidence; Takes cycle findings as change proposals; Records national adoption | | Records it owns | UNI identifiers; Standards, clauses and profiles; Change proposals; National adoption records; Conformance evidence | | Boundary | A validator report is evidence for review, not a conformance claim; adoption is final for each jurisdiction and no global body holds a veto. | | Public home | [nexustandards.com](https://nexustandards.com/) | | Further pages | [The Nexus Standards](https://nexustandards.com/standards/) · [How a standard is made](https://nexustandards.com/foundations/standards-process/) | ### Handoffs The handoffs this pillar sends and receives. Recorded handoffs (F01 to F14) happen in a named phase; ring handoffs (R1 to R4) run continuously. | Id | Direction | Phase | What moves | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | F06 | From [Nexus Reports](/organization/programme/reports.md) | Correction | Method and correction findings as change proposals | | F07 | From [Nexus Universe](/organization/programme/universe.md) | Docket review | Docket items that need a standard or a profile | | F08 | To [Foundry](/organization/programme/foundry.md) | Readiness preparation | Composed mission profiles and national adoption records | | F09 | To [Risk Academy](/organization/programme/academy.md) | Renewal | Each adopted standard or profile becomes a course module | | F13 | From [Foundry](/organization/programme/foundry.md) | Controlled build | Validation and monitoring evidence for conformance review | | R1 | To [Nexus Reports](/organization/programme/reports.md) | Continuous | Applied in editions | ### Through the year What the pillar does in each quarter and in each phase of the programme year. | Quarter | Edition | What this pillar does | | ------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | Q1 | State and Agenda | Routes missions to standards | | Q2 | Evidence and Build | Composes profiles; validates the build | | Q3 | Stress Test and Readiness | Monitors conformance; findings become proposals | | Q4 | Annual Synthesis and Renewal | Council review; adopted changes published | | Phase | Quarter | Gate | Work in this phase | | --------------------- | ------- | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Planning | Q1 | G0 | Routes each candidate mission to the standards and profiles that apply. | | Readiness preparation | Q2 | G2 | Composes mission profiles and records any national adoption the missions depend on. | | Controlled build | Q2 | G3 | Validates build outputs against the composed profiles and records the evidence. | | Action Week | Q3 | G4 | Monitors conformance during operation and logs deviations. | | Stand-down | Q3 | – | Seals transferable evidence with its provenance. | | Closeout | Q3 | G5 | Records sealed evidence against the standards it was tested on. | | After-action review | Q3 | – | Turns findings about methods and gaps into change proposals. | | Reporting | Q4 | G6 | Assigns UNIs and deposits publications under the publisher's process. | | Correction | Q4 | – | Records the correction as a change to the evidence. | | Docket review | Q4 | – | Moves change proposals through review toward a council decision. | | Network review | Q4 | – | Updates the measurement and interoperability profiles. | | Renewal | Q4 | G7 | Publishes the year's adopted changes and national adoption status. | ### At each scale What the pillar does locally, nationally, regionally and at planetary scale. | Scale | What this pillar does at that scale | | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Local | A UNI identifies each artifact, dataset and site record, so a local finding can be cited and corrected. | | National | National councils adopt or adapt standards, and adoption is final for each jurisdiction. | | Regional | Profiles compose the standards that apply across a regional programme's shared systems. | | Planetary | A Global Standards Council stewards one open set of standards that any jurisdiction may adopt. | ### In each operating area The fourteen operating areas the programme answers for, as this pillar answers them. | Area | Question | For this pillar | | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Leadership | Who leads, and on what record. | A Global Standards Council stewards the standards once constituted, with GCRI Canada as secretariat; national councils lead adoption in their own jurisdictions. | | Strategy | How the year's priorities are set. | Each candidate mission is routed to the standards and profiles that apply, and gaps found in the year become change proposals. | | Cadence | When the work happens in the year. | Routing in Q1, profile composition and validation in Q2, monitoring in Q3, change proposals through review in Q4, and adopted changes published at renewal. | | Ownership | Which records each pillar owns. | Owns UNI identifiers, standards, clauses and profiles, change proposals, national adoption records and conformance evidence. | | Process | How work moves, step by step. | An open track runs from open to community draft, proposed, candidate and adopted; conformance is evidence read under each institution's own rules. | | Development | What is developed, and how capacity grows. | Develops standards in the open, with cycle findings entering as change proposals. | | Simulations | How scenarios and exercises are run and read. | Monitors conformance during exercises and logs deviations against the composed profiles. | | Reporting | How results reach the public record. | Assigns UNIs to publications and records sealed evidence against the standards it was tested on. | | Governance | Who decides, and what a decision is not. | Adoption is final for each jurisdiction, and no global body holds a veto over national adoption. | | Data and evidence | Where the evidence comes from and how it is kept. | Every artifact carries a UNI, so evidence can be cited, checked and corrected. | | Finance and resourcing | How work is resourced and made readable to finance. | Standards documents are published under CC BY 4.0 and their tooling under Apache-2.0. | | Risk and assurance | How errors are caught and limits are stated. | A validator report is evidence for review, not a conformance claim; deviations become change proposals. | | Participation | Who takes part, and how. | Anyone can comment and contribute in the open, and national councils adopt or adapt. | | Communication | How each pillar speaks in public. | Each standard is published with its status and UNI, and a proposed standard is never presented as adopted. | ### Applied to the eight contexts How the pillar would apply to each teaching context of the model, and the measure it would answer for. These are illustrative applications, not delivered projects. | Context | Illustrative application | Measure | Applied | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | ------- | | [Urban flood](/organization/model/scenarios/urban-flood.md) | Shared asset records so utilities exchange outage data | Agencies sharing records (higher is better) | yes | | [Hydropower reservoir](/organization/model/scenarios/hydropower.md) | Common records for releases, flows and fish passage | Flow records shared (higher is better) | yes | | [Drought](/organization/model/scenarios/drought.md) | Trigger thresholds and records agencies can share | Triggers adopted (higher is better) | yes | | [Heatwave](/organization/model/scenarios/heatwave.md) | Shared heat-alert levels and response records | Agencies on one scale (higher is better) | – | | [Grid blackout](/organization/model/scenarios/blackout.md) | Interdependency records shared by operators | Operators sharing (higher is better) | yes | | [Pandemic](/organization/model/scenarios/pandemic.md) | Shared surveillance and continuity records | Days to share data (lower is better) | – | | [Pollinator decline](/organization/model/scenarios/pollinator.md) | Common biodiversity monitoring records | Sites reporting (higher is better) | yes | | [Coastal storm surge](/organization/model/scenarios/storm-surge.md) | Shared records for coastal assets and defences | Defences recorded (higher is better) | yes | ### The institutions in this pillar What GCRI, GRF and GRA each contribute. | Institution | Contribution | | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | GCRI | GCRI Canada is publisher of record and secretariat; GCRI stewards the evidence, methods, data and open research behind the standards. | | GRF | Convenes participation and keeps the public record of recognition and standing. | | GRA | Makes the standards readable to finance and insurance. | ## Read further * [Programme](/organization/programme.md): the six pillars together. * [The programme year](/organization/programme/the-programme-year.md): every phase, gate and actor. * [The Nexus cycle](/organization/programme/the-nexus-cycle.md): from a question to renewal, and who decides. * [The model](/organization/model.md): coupled risk and applied response. * [Nexus Standards](/organization/standards.md): the standards part of this documentation. ## Sources * Nexus Standards, [Governance](https://nexustandards.com/governance/), [Adopt and implement](https://nexustandards.com/adopt-and-implement/), [Roadmap](https://nexustandards.com/roadmap/) and [The standards](https://nexustandards.com/standards/), as of 2026-10-21. * GCRI, [Methods and standards](https://therisk.global/ecosystem/standards/). * Pillar model and programme spine of the sites (vendored in the documentation repository, `tools/figures/vendor/nexus-model`): the source of every generated table on this page. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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