Core concept
Decision provenance
Provenance is not a decorative metadata field. It tells a reviewer where an evidence object came from, which version applied and how it related to the decision.
Definition
The precise question
Decision provenance is the declared origin, integrity, applicability and decision relationship of the evidence objects used to understand a consequential organisational act.
Reference model
From category to independent review
Decision assurance
Decision evidence
VES decision envelope
Evidence objects
Independent review
The envelope can link model output, runtime records, policy versions, authority records, claims documents, human rationale, external data and approvals while preserving each source's declared limits.
Insurance example
What this looks like in practice
A pricing model output can be linked to its model version, input snapshot, timestamp, source issuer, decision relationship and declared limitations.
Evidence map
What a reviewer needs to see
- Source system, standard, version and issuer
- Capture time, applicability period and integrity details
- Decision relation such as relied-on, governed-by, produced-by or contextual
Provenance and relevance
An evidence inventory can be large and still fail to explain a decision. Provenance becomes useful when the package distinguishes available from relied-upon material and relates each object to the decision question.
Minimum questions
- Who or what issued the object?
- Which source version and time period apply?
- Was it relied upon, governing, produced by or merely contextual?
- What limitation prevents a reviewer from over-reading it?
Why this matters in insurance
External data, policy wording and model outputs can all change after an underwriting or claims act. Provenance preserves the point-in-time relationship without claiming immutable truth.
The VES connection
A published evidence structure
VES 1.2 uses Evidence Objects to preserve provenance without requiring every source to be transformed into a VES-native format.
Read VES 1.2 for the published Decision Envelope, Evidence Object and verification model.
Boundary
Declared provenance does not make the underlying content factually correct. It records how an object was attributed, linked and assessed within the decision package.
Frequently asked
What does decision provenance address?
Decision provenance is the declared origin, integrity, applicability and decision relationship of the evidence objects used to understand a consequential organisational act.
Does this establish that a decision was correct or compliant?
Declared provenance does not make the underlying content factually correct. It records how an object was attributed, linked and assessed within the decision package.