When is a Guardian required?

Only when irreducible professional judgment remains after simpler competent verification. A Guardian does not cure deficient evidence.

What does an HVC certify?

An HVC communicates an authorized, bounded HEART conformity decision for the subject, scope, requirements, versions, evidence period, limitations, and status identified in the credential and Registry.

Is public HEART certification intake currently live?

The governing specifications are current, but this site does not represent intake, production HVC issuance, or a production Registry as live until their operational gates and public status services are satisfied.

HEART Assurance

Verification first; formal certification only through the Scheme

Verification and certification are different. HEART uses the minimum-sufficient verifier for the claim; an official HEART conformity claim requires the separately governed Scheme, independent review and decision, HVC semantics, and current Registry status.

Ordinary verificationUse deterministic checks, records, technical tests, existing audit evidence, or other competent methods when sufficient.

Qualified specialist or GuardianEscalate only where domain competence or irreducible professional judgment is material.

HEART Conformity Assessment SchemeApply selection, evaluation, technical review, independent decision, attestation, surveillance, complaints, and appeals when an official claim is sought.

HVC and RegistryThe credential communicates the bounded decision; the Registry supplies current status and lineage. Neither creates truth beyond the evidence and authority.

The assurance suite

Surface	Governing source	Responsibility
Formal Scheme	HEART Conformity Assessment Scheme v1.0	Who may make an official claim and how the functions remain competent, impartial, independent, reviewable, and challengeable.
Guardians	Five-document Guardian suite v2.0	Profession, competence coordinates, conduct, calibration/reliability, and assessment practice.
HVC	HEART Verification Credential Specification v4.0	Credential subject, scope, decision semantics, limitations, lifecycle, and reliance.
Registry	HEART Registry Specification v1.0	Current status, events, lineage, corrections, complaints, appeals, privacy, and public resolution.

Current operating status

The specifications are current canon. Specification publication alone does not prove that an authorized certification body, production HVC issuer, production Registry, or public intake service currently exists.

No legacy Gold, Silver, Bronze, Phi/BGF score, pathway, example credential, Guardian oath, or manual registry entry automatically carries forward as active status.

HEART Conformity Assessment Scheme — Scheme v1.0 governs every official HEART conformity, certification, HVC, mark, decision, surveillance, complaint, appeal, and withdrawal.

HEART Registry — Registry Specification v1.0 governs current status, events, lineage, corrections, complaints, appeals, privacy, and public resolution for HEART authority records.

HEART Verification Credential — HVC v4.0 communicates an authorized, bounded HEART conformity decision without universal tiers, compensating scores, or claims beyond the underlying record.

The Guardian Profession — The Guardian v2.0 suite keeps profession, competence, conduct, reliability, and assessment practice separate so each responsibility remains legible and governable.