Outputs
Clause 4 produces the bias profile with its requirements and boundaries, and a values statement that carries the bias considerations.
What clause 4.3 asks
Two things come out of the first step. One is the profile, holding the bias requirements and the limits of what is acceptable. The other is a statement of values for this system, with the first view of bias built in. The profile is the working record; the values statement is the bridge to the people affected and to the governance function that must defend the limits.
Why it matters
The two outputs serve different readers. The profile is the working record for the team and the assessor. The values statement is the bridge to the people who will be affected and to the governance function that has to defend the boundary. A team that produces only the profile has the engineering record but not the justification. A team that produces only a values statement has a policy document with no testable requirement.
What good looks like
Write the profile first, because the values statement should reflect the requirements and boundaries that were actually set. Then write the values statement in plain language and test it with someone outside the project. Put both under version control and name the approver. If the values statement cannot be written without contradicting the profile, the boundary is not settled.
Evidence an assessor asks for
The assessor will read the values statement against the profile. A statement that promises fairness while the profile accepts an unmitigated disparity is a credibility problem.
- Bias profile The profile with the bias requirements, the boundaries of acceptability and the version date
- Values statement A system-specific statement of values and bias considerations, approved by the accountable owner
- Approval record The name, role and date of the person who approved both outputs
- Consistency check A note showing that the values statement and the profile do not contradict each other
Where it commonly fails
- The values statement is the corporate code with the system name inserted
- The profile has requirements but no boundaries
- Both outputs exist but neither is approved or versioned
What to do before publication
Approve both outputs at the same meeting. They are a pair, and a later change to one should trigger a review of the other.