THE V-SCORE PROTOCOL

The V-Score Protocol is the proprietary assessment methodology of Vocovallis B.V., designed to evaluate the integrity of a human artistic practice as a rated, commercially defensible asset. Version 1.0 established the conceptual architecture: four assessment vectors — Provenance, Depth, Singularity, and Vitality — weighted and aggregated into a Narrative Solvency Score.

Version 2.0 rebuilds the measurement layer of the protocol to satisfy the evidential requirements of ISAE 3000 (Revised). The four vectors are retained without modification. What has been redesigned is the mechanism by which each vector is assessed: from holistic professional judgment to a structured evidence schema in which every score derives from specific, documentable, independently verifiable data points.

The rationale for this redesign is commercial and institutional. The primary deployment context of the V-Score is corporate cultural engagement under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. CSRD reports are subject to external assurance under ISAE 3000. Any assertion derived from a V-Score assessment must therefore meet the evidential standard that ISAE 3000 requires. Version 1.0 did not meet this standard. Version 2.0 does.

The V-Score Protocol evaluates a single class of subject matter: the human artistic practice of a named individual practitioner. A practice, for the purposes of this protocol, is the totality of a practitioner's documented creative output, institutional engagement, and methodological development over time. It is an ongoing, living process — not a single work, a series, or a body of work at a fixed moment.

The protocol produces a single output: the Narrative Solvency Score (NSS), expressed as a number between 0 and 100, from which a certification rating is derived. The NSS is the only basis for the issuance or refusal of a Human Practice Certificate.

The protocol assesses structural integrity: whether the practice is what it claims to be, evidenced to the standard required for independent assurance. It does not assess aesthetic quality or commercial market value.

ISAE 3000 (Revised), issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), governs assurance engagements on subject matter other than historical financial information. It is the applicable standard for non-financial reporting assurance under the CSRD. Three requirements of ISAE 3000 are directly operative on the V-Score methodology.

The V-Score is designed as a limited assurance engagement under ISAE 3000. It provides limited assurance that the practice, based on procedures performed and evidence examined, meets the stated criteria. This distinction is disclosed in every Vocovallis certification output.

ISAE 3000 requires that the criteria used in an assurance engagement have a documented rationale. The following sets out the basis for each vector's weight in the composite score.

Each vector is assessed through a defined set of evidence indicators. Each indicator is classified as Binary (present = full points / absent = zero) or Quantitative (points awarded on a defined scale). No indicator may be scored without a corresponding retained piece of documentary evidence.

Raw vector score = (points earned / maximum possible points) × 100, producing a normalised score between 0 and 100 for each vector.

Provenance audits the biographical integrity of the practice. The assessor verifies that the practice has a specific, named, documented human author with a traceable record of investment in a creative discipline.

Maximum Provenance raw score: 100 points.

Depth audits the compounding quality of the practice over time. The assessor verifies a developmental arc — not a single aesthetic moment but an evidenced trajectory across multiple periods.

Maximum Depth raw score: 100 points.

Singularity audits the irreducibility of the artistic voice. This vector requires structured expert panel assessment, because irreducibility is a relational property — it can only be established by comparing the practice against a defined set of market comparators through qualified expert judgment, constrained to a documented, replicable procedure.

Maximum Singularity raw score: 100 points.

Vitality audits the active development and ongoing relevance of the practice. The reference period is the 36 months preceding the assessment date. Evidence outside this period is not counted for Vitality, though it may be counted under Depth.

Maximum Vitality raw score: 100 points.

The Narrative Solvency Score (NSS) is the single numerical output of the assessment. Each vector raw score is first normalised to a 0–100 scale, then weighted and aggregated, then adjusted by the Dissonance Deduction.

Version 2.0 replaces the division-based Dissonance Penalty of v1.0 with a subtraction-based Dissonance Deduction. This eliminates the mathematical instability of a divisor that could approach zero and produces a fully auditable output. The minimum NSS after all deductions is 0.

The Dissonance Deduction reduces the NSS by a defined number of points for each confirmed dissonance condition. A condition is confirmed only when documentary evidence supporting it is retained in the engagement file. Unconfirmed allegations do not trigger the deduction. Multiple deductions are additive.

CCC and DDD ratings are confidential to the practitioner. Vocovallis does not publish or disclose below-threshold assessment outcomes without the practitioner's written consent.

Every V-Score engagement follows a documented six-phase process. Deviation from this process invalidates the certification.

The practitioner submits a structured Evidence Package prior to Phase 3 verification. The package must be organised according to the indicator codes in Section V. Each item of evidence must be clearly labelled with the indicator code it supports.

A Human Practice Certificate is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance. Renewal requires a Vitality Re-Assessment — a focused assessment of Vector 4 indicators only, using evidence from the preceding 12 months.

Renewal does not require a full four-vector assessment unless Vocovallis identifies a material change in the practice that warrants re-evaluation of other vectors. The renewal NSS is calculated by substituting the new Vitality score into the previous full-assessment formula. The certification rating is updated accordingly.

If a renewal assessment results in a score below the BBB threshold, the certificate is placed under review for 60 days. The practitioner may submit additional Vitality evidence within the review period before a final determination is made.

All V-Score assessments are conducted by or under the direct supervision of a Vocovallis Qualified Assessor (VQA). Expert panel members for Singularity assessment must meet independent qualification criteria.

Vocovallis retains all engagement documentation in a secure, access-controlled system. Practitioner data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). Practitioners may request access to their own engagement file at any time.

The V-Score Protocol version 2.0, including all indicator definitions, scoring formulae, assessment instruments, engagement protocols, and rating designations contained in this document, is the exclusive intellectual property of Vocovallis B.V.