What is a verified outcome?
A verified outcome is a policy-defined result supported by sufficient evidence and a traceable decision. In Arcus's proposed model, an authorized observation becomes useful only when evaluated against explicit program rules. The resulting record explains what qualified, under which policy, and with what limits. It does not automatically establish causation or return on investment.
How does evidence become an outcome?
Consider an illustrative attendance program. A participant claims they attended an eligible session. An authorized partner record and a timestamp could support that claim. A program policy defines the qualifying session, attendance window, evidence threshold, and authorized use of the result.
- Evidence: retain the permissioned observation, its source, and its limitations.
- Claim: state which activity is asserted to qualify.
- Decision: evaluate the claim under a named policy version, including reasons and uncertainty.
- Outcome fact: preserve the result supported by that decision.
- Disclosure: release a receipt, proof, report, or aggregate only to an authorized party.
This separation makes it possible to inspect a decision and correct an outcome when evidence changes. A receipt should preserve the connection to the relevant rule and decision rather than flattening every result into an unexplained success label.
What if evidence is missing or conflicting?
An insufficient-evidence result and a review-required result are useful outcomes of an evaluation. Neither should be presented as a corroborated event. A proposed pilot should define its thresholds, exceptions, correction process, and review responsibilities before a result authorizes a downstream action.
Is a signed receipt proof that an event happened?
A valid signature can support integrity and identify the signer. It does not independently establish that the physical event occurred, that evidence was sufficient, or that the policy was appropriate. Evaluating a portable proof requires understanding the evidence, policy lineage, and disclosed limitations as well as its integrity.
How can verified outcomes prove program impact?
Verified actions are the evidence that a program achieved its qualifying behaviors. A campaign encouraging transit or carpooling can link its intervention to completed trips and measure progress toward fewer single-occupancy vehicle journeys. An appropriate baseline and stated measurement method support claims about how much changed, repeat behavior, and cost per outcome. Modeled emissions should retain their factors and uncertainty.
How do rewards and program data fit together?
A sponsor can define qualifying behavior, campaign rules, and authorized reward capacity. Verification establishes eligibility before issuance, while the outcome record connects the decision to the reward. The intended controls prevent duplicate issuance and rewards beyond the authorized campaign capacity.
Privacy-preserving reporting can then show qualifying actions, repeat participation, and cost per outcome without exposing individual traces to every program partner. Purpose-bound consent, coarse geography, limited retention, and small-group suppression are part of the design. The exact controls and measurement method belong in each pilot's scope.