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Guiding principles

The IDSA Rulebook is based on a set of fundamental principles and underlying values, described in detail in the Manifesto of international data spaces. Key aspects are the autonomy and agency of participants in dataspaces and their governance, as well as the responsibilities of participants in a data space.

Additionally several core principles apply to the guidance presented in the IDSA Rulebook:

  • No reinventing the wheel: proven processes & technologies are used wherever possible.
  • Integrate existing systems: integrating data spaces into existing systems is necessary to create end-to-end use cases and well functioning data ecosystems.
  • Use existing standards: align data space guidance with international standards and specifications, re-use technical standards, and established processes wherever possible.
  • Industry and domain independent: data spaces are applicable as a foundational concept and form a horizontal standard component for data ecosystems.
  • Easy to use: reduce friction of implementing data spaces with a focus on portability and replicability.

IDSA applies four key governance principles:

  • Accountability: Parties must be answerable for their actions and commitments, provide verifiable evidence of compliance, and maintain clear governance contact points for remediation and escalation.

  • Transparency: Governance processes, policies, and operational procedures should be documented, discoverable, and auditable to enable informed participation and public scrutiny where appropriate.

  • Fairness: Rules and operational processes must avoid undue advantage, ensure equitable treatment of participants, and provide impartial dispute resolution mechanisms.

  • Responsibility: Participants and governance bodies are accountable for implementing policies, enforcing obligations, and providing timely remediation where violations occur.

As a result, IDSA offers free use of IDS specifications and related open resources for all, open governance processes in which everyone can participate, and transparent decision making - preferably by consensus.