Glossary

The vocabulary we use. Defined precisely.

Every word that has a specific meaning in the rubric, in our contracts, or in the commercial model. Written so a buyer, an agency, and a lawyer can all read it the same way.

Acceptance criteria n.: The written, gate-specific list of conditions a deliverable must satisfy for the buyer to mark it accepted. Drafted before work begins; immutable for the duration of the gate.
agency_sourced attr.: An attribution label for a deal with no Prevouched involvement. No fee.
Async-first adj.: Prevouched's default operating mode: decisions arrive in writing on a published SLA before they arrive on a call. Live calls are reserved for the four covered call types.

Calibration session n.: Quarterly internal meeting where reviewers re-score the same reference applications to control for drift. Output is the new calibration set used until the next session.
Calibration set n.: The internal reference library of past applications scored at L1, L2, L3, and L4 in every pillar. Every new score is anchored against this set.
Composite score n.: The weighted sum of pillar scores, normalized to 0–100. The composite must clear the tier floor and no pillar may fall below its minimum.
Covered call n.: A live call that consumes one credit from an agency's monthly allotment. Defined as: pitch, kickoff, escalation/recovery, or milestone gate. Daily standups and routine status calls are explicitly excluded.
Critical failure n.: Any criterion scored L0. A single critical failure blocks issuance regardless of composite. Replaces the prior 'auto-fail' label as of rubric v1.1.

Directory n.: The public list of vetted agencies. Placement is a published function of tier, recency of vetting, and intro-response SLA performance. Not a paid slot.

Engagement n.: A single contracted body of work between an agency and a buyer. Prevouched attaches to engagements, not to individual tasks within them.
Escalation n.: A written notice from the buyer to the liaison that the engagement requires intervention beyond the agency's normal channels. Triggers the escalation-recovery playbook.
Evidence pack n.: The bundle of artifacts an agency submits per pillar during vetting: code references, reference roster, security policy, sample MSA, et al. Filed and retained on the verification record.

Gate (n.) n.: Shorthand for milestone gate. See milestone gate.

Handoff package n.: The documented bundle (code, credentials, runbooks) the agency delivers at engagement end. A clean handoff is graded in the IP & handoff hygiene criterion.

Intake n.: The application form an agency submits to begin vetting. Disqualifying gaps at intake never make it to the rubric panel.

L-level n.: A score on the L0–L4 scale used within a rubric criterion. L0 is a critical failure; L4 is exemplar.
Lapsed n.: A status assigned to an agency that missed the published re-attestation window. Distinct from Revoked: lapsed is administrative, revoked is substantive.
Liaison n.: A named US Prevouched staff member assigned to a Backed or Managed agency. Owns async accountability, handles escalations in writing, attends covered calls. Not a project manager.
liaison_assisted attr.: An attribution label for an agency-sourced lead where a Prevouched liaison materially participated in closing. Reduced or negotiated fee per contract.

Milestone gate n.: A scheduled, written checkpoint where the agency presents output and the client formally accepts or rejects. Acceptance is binary and in writing.

Pass bar n.: The minimum L-level a criterion must reach for an agency to be admitted at a given tier.
Pillar n.: One of the five top-level grading categories: Technical, Past-work, References, Communications, Security. Each pillar has its own weight and its own criteria.
Pillar score n.: The weighted average of the criteria within a pillar, normalized to 0–100.
Portal n.: The authenticated workspace where an agency manages their listing, sees intro requests, tracks call credits, and reviews their evidence pack.
prevouched_sourced attr.: An attribution label for a deal whose introduction originated in the directory or a Prevouched referral. Full success fee applies.
Prime / SLA layer n.: An optional Managed-tier contract structure where Prevouched signs as prime and carries additional accountability. Per-engagement opt-in, legal-review gated, priced for the risk.

Re-attestation n.: The annual process by which a vetted agency re-confirms evidence against the current rubric. Required to keep the mark active.
Recovery call n.: The 60-minute meeting the liaison convenes within 48 hours of an escalation. Outcomes are decided in the call and written within 24 hours of it.
Response SLA n.: The maximum business-hours interval between a client-initiated email and the liaison's first written response. Published per tier.
Reviewer panel n.: The standing group of senior engineers and liaisons who score applications. Composition and calibration cadence are published.
Revocation trigger n.: A documented condition that initiates review of a vetted agency's mark. For example, undisclosed subcontracting or a security incident.
Rubric n.: The five-pillar, weighted, versioned scoring system Prevouched uses to evaluate agencies. Each version is dated and recorded on the agency's verification page.

Sourced deal n.: A buyer engagement where the introduction is attributed to Prevouched (prevouched_sourced) or to a liaison's material participation (liaison_assisted). Drives the success-fee schedule.
Subcontractor disclosure n.: The agency's written declaration of any third-party engineers, agencies, or contractors who will touch buyer code or data. Material gaps are a revocation trigger.
Suspended n.: A status between Active and Revoked: the mark is paused pending review of a specific event. Verification pages display a suspended state with the date and reason.

Tier n.: An earned state. Verified, Backed, or Managed. Not a feature bundle. Tiers cannot be purchased without first passing vetting.
Tier floor n.: The minimum composite and per-pillar scores required to hold a tier. Below floor, the agency drops to the next tier or out of the directory.
Trust assertion n.: A specific claim made by the badge: that the agency cleared the rubric, that they have a named accountability contact, that the mark has not been revoked. Each is enumerated on the trust page.

Verification page n.: The public page behind every badge. Shows current status, tier, rubric version, vetting date, and. If revoked. The reason and date of revocation.
Verified badge n.: The revocable, live-rendered badge a vetted agency may display once they pass the rubric. Verification status is fetched on each render. It cannot be statically copied. Formerly called the trust mark in early documentation.
Vetting cycle n.: The interval between initial issuance and the next mandatory re-attestation. Currently twelve months. Mid-cycle reviews may be triggered by a revocation event.

Who pays whom n.: Prevouched's non-negotiable money-flow rule: the buyer pays the agency directly, the agency pays Prevouched. Prevouched is never a payee on the agency–client contract and never handles delivery payment.
Witness role n.: The liaison's posture in disputes: present, taking notes, reflecting facts. The liaison does not advocate for either side; that is what makes the witness role useful.