Verified outcomes glossary

Arcus's proposed model separates the observation, the claim, the policy decision, and the resulting record. These definitions explain that separation and help partners discuss what an outcome can establish without overstating evidence, signatures, or program impact.

Reward capacity

Sponsor-funded campaign authorization for rewards released under program rules after qualifying outcomes. It is a campaign control, not a consumer cash wallet or refundable deposit.

Privacy-preserving reporting

Purpose-bound reporting that limits disclosure through aggregate results, coarse geography, limited retention, and small-group suppression. The applicable controls must be validated for each program.

Evidence

A permissioned observation or record relevant to a claimed activity, with its source, timestamp, consent scope, and confidence limits retained.

Claim

An assertion that an activity satisfies a program condition. A claim is input to evaluation, not proof by itself.

Policy

A versioned set of rules defining who is authorized, which actions qualify, the relevant boundaries and time windows, and permitted downstream uses.

Verification decision

The result of evaluating a claim under a named policy version, with reasons, evidence references, uncertainty, and review requirements where relevant.

Outcome fact

A durable result supported by a verification decision and suitable for an authorized downstream use. It remains distinct from raw evidence and causal impact claims.

Outcome receipt

A structured record connecting a workflow, its applicable policy, evidence references, decision, authorized effect, and integrity information.

Portable proof

An artifact that another authorized system can interpret without access to the originating database. Integrity and authentication alone do not establish that a real-world event occurred.

Verified outcome

A policy-defined result supported by sufficient evidence and a traceable decision. Linked to a program intervention and suitable measurement, these records can substantiate progress and impact; claims of incremental change also need a baseline and stated assumptions.