Two ways to adopt ALiF
Every organization, program and instrument that uses ALiF states its relationship to the Standard in one of two ways.
Conforming implementation
A conforming implementation must:
- address all five components; none may be left out;
- recognize all three progression levels, even if it targets only one or two;
- map to all sixteen sub-competencies, weighting them as its roles require;
- use the role adaptation principles when creating or using role-specific descriptors;
- state the version of the Standard under which it claims conformance.
Aligned implementation
An aligned implementation covers part of the Standard as a planned step towards full conformance. It must:
- document which components and sub-competencies it covers and which it does not;
- have a gap plan for the rest;
- set a timeline to full conformance of no more than three years;
- not claim conformance in external communications. It may say that it is “aligned with the ALiF Standard with a documented plan for full conformance”.
Aligned status is an on-ramp, not a permanent category. An implementation that stays partial beyond its timeline loses its aligned status.
When the Standard changes
Implementations state the version they conform to. Minor versions are backward compatible and need no migration. When a new major version is released, implementations of the previous version remain recognized for a transition period, during which they plan and complete their migration.
Proposed for ALiF 2.0
| Requirement | Applies to | In brief |
|---|---|---|
| (f) Data Literacy First | Programs and organizational implementations | DAT.1 and DAT.2, at least at Foundation level, come before or within the same module as the first EVA or ETH activity |
| (g) Learning Conditions Statement | Organizations implementing ALiF for their own staff, trainees or students | Document practice, supervision, learning time and voice, and report what was delivered; applies 12 months after release |
| (h) Decisions about individuals | Organizational implementations | No self-assessment results, participation records beyond training completion, or AI-use data in hiring, progression, pay, discipline, privileges or placement decisions |
| (i) Self-assessment tools | Self-report instruments | State that results are not validated for decisions about individuals |
No conformance claim has been registered.