> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.sustainly.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Designing Trust: Community Governance and Data Provenance in Sustainly

> How Sustainly structures roles, permissions, and versioning so sustainability work can be shared confidently without losing control.

## Introduction

Sustainability work needs collaboration, but collaboration requires **trust**.\
The Sustainly community is built on transparent governance — where every contribution, dataset, and verification step has **clear ownership and traceable history**.

This approach allows organizations, students, and verifiers to work together without compromising confidentiality or data integrity.

***

## 1. Role-Based Access

Each workspace in Sustainly uses **explicit roles** to balance openness with control.

| Role     | Access Level                 | Typical Use                                                  |
| -------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Viewer   | Read-only                    | For external stakeholders or auditors                        |
| Editor   | Edit and run LCAs            | For internal teams and collaborators                         |
| Verifier | Review and comment           | For accredited reviewers ensuring EN 15804 or EPD compliance |
| Owner    | Manage roles and permissions | For project leads or administrators                          |

Role separation ensures that shared models can circulate without leaking sensitive data or intellectual property.

***

## 2. Versioning and Provenance

Every dataset and model in Sustainly carries **immutable version identifiers** and **provenance records**:

* Source: dataset origin and license
* Methodology: applied standard (e.g., EN 15804, ISO 14044)
* Changes: timestamped edits with author attribution
* Verification: validation state and reviewer ID

<Info>
  This makes it possible to verify any LCA result or reuse an older dataset without uncertainty about its origin or validity.
</Info>

***

## 3. Controlled Sharing

Sustainly supports **granular sharing policies**:

* Share a **model structure** (inputs and flows) without exposing numerical data.
* Export **read-only results** for EPD publishing.
* Keep **sensitive supplier data local**, while linking to shared public references.

This design enables both **academic openness** and **industrial confidentiality** in the same ecosystem.

***

## 4. Community Review Workflow

Verifiers and collaborators can comment directly inside projects.\
Each review creates an auditable record, showing:

* Reviewer identity
* Timestamp
* Review context (model, dataset, parameter)
* Decision (approved, needs revision, rejected)

> This structured feedback replaces email threads and maintains a permanent audit trail.

***

## 5. Why Governance Strengthens the Community

| Governance Element  | Community Benefit                            |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Transparent roles   | Users know exactly who can edit or view data |
| Version control     | Shared models remain reproducible            |
| Provenance tracking | Builds confidence in data quality            |
| Controlled sharing  | Encourages participation without risk        |
| Review audit trail  | Standardizes verification across borders     |

These mechanisms turn the Sustainly community into a **network of accountable collaboration**, not just shared enthusiasm.

***

## Conclusion

Trust is the foundation of collaboration.\
Sustainly’s community governance model ensures that **every shared dataset, template, or LCA** comes with clear ownership, versioning, and verification history.

That’s how open sustainability work becomes reliable — and why community and compliance can finally coexist.

👉 [Explore Sustainly’s governance features](https://sustainly.ai)

***