Governance Migration
Updates to roles, processes, and the new register specification requirements.
Role Migration
The governance roles remain largely consistent but with some name changes and expanded responsibilities.
| 2015 Role | 2026 Role | Responsibility Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Register Owner | Register Owner |
|
| Register Manager | Register Manager |
|
| Control Body | Control Body |
|
| Submitting Organization | Proposer |
|
| Registry Manager | System Manager |
|
| Register User | Register User |
|
Process Changes
2015 Processes
- Proposal submission
- Control body review
- Appeal process
- Item status management
- Register publication
2026 Processes
- Establishment process (new)
- Proposal submission
- Control body review
- Appeal process
- Content management process
- Commitment compliance (new)
- Decommission process (new)
New Processes to Implement
Establishment
Creating and formally establishing the register.
- Define register specification
- Appoint roles
- Declare commitments
- Initial content load
Commitment Compliance
Ensuring declared commitments are met.
- Monitor persistence levels
- Verify access availability
- Track transparency requirements
Decommission
Properly retiring a register.
- Notify stakeholders
- Archive content
- Redirect identifiers
- Document rationale
Register Specification (New Requirement)
The 2026 edition requires a formal register specification document (previously called "technical standard"). This is a key new obligation.
Required Content
Purpose and Scope
What the register is for and its boundaries.
Roles and Responsibilities
Who fills each role and their duties.
Governance Processes
How proposals, approvals, and appeals work.
Data Requirements
Schema and content requirements.
Identifier Scheme
How identifiers are structured and assigned.
Commitments
Declared access, persistence, and transparency levels.
Concept Organization
How concepts are organized (for concept registers).
Creating Your Register Specification
- Gather existing documentation
Collect your current technical standards, procedures, and policies.
- Document commitments
Determine and declare your access, persistence, and transparency levels.
- Update role assignments
Verify all roles are assigned with updated names.
- Define processes
Document all governance processes including new ones.
- Get approval
Register owner must approve the specification.
Commitments Declaration
A key new requirement is declaring your commitments to users. Choose levels you can realistically maintain.
Minimum Declarations
| Category | Minimum Level | Your Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Level 1: Metadata access | |
| Persistence | Level 1: Identifier persistence | |
| Transparency | Optional |
Migration Checklist
- ☐ Update role names in documentation
- ☐ Update role assignments if needed
- ☐ Create register specification document
- ☐ Define and document commitments
- ☐ Update process documentation
- ☐ Add establishment process (if new register)
- ☐ Add decommission process
- ☐ Update training materials
- ☐ Notify stakeholders of changes