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Annex 03 — Terms of Reference (ToR) — Network Coordination Unit (Tier-2)

03.1 Purpose​

This ToR establishes the mandate, governance authority, accreditation roles, documentation stewardship, and ecosystem-level accountability of the Network Coordination Unit (NCU).

NCU is the apex governance body in a VILF network. It safeguards system integrity and ensures interoperability, transparency, and long-term sustainability.

03.2 Scope​

Applies to:

  • National NCU (for government-backed deployments)
  • Multi-institutional NCU (universities, NGOs, public–private alliances)
  • Regional or supranational NCU equivalents

03.3 Mandate​

NCU must:

  • Maintain and enforce IGF governance rules
  • Oversee accreditation cycles for labs and hubs
  • Safeguard documentation and evidence standards
  • Lead national or multi-institutional MEL synthesis
  • Manage benchmarking and performance reports
  • Ensure transparency and accountability
  • Provide authoritative guidance for scaling

03.4 Responsibilities​

Governance Responsibilities​

  • Enforce Tier-2 decision-rights
  • Conduct audits and governance reviews
  • Arbitrate escalations between hubs and labs
  • Protect system integrity against political volatility

Accreditation Responsibilities​

  • Accredit labs and hubs annually
  • Maintain criteria and rubrics
  • Ensure compliance with IMM-P®, MEL, and IGF

MEL Responsibilities​

  • Consolidate national MEL reports
  • Conduct benchmarking cycles
  • Publish annual performance synthesis

Documentation Responsibilities​

  • Maintain the evidence repository architecture
  • Oversee metadata standards
  • Ensure version control and public transparency (when applicable)

Strategic Responsibilities​

  • Lead system expansion and roadmap execution
  • Align VILF with national or institutional strategy
  • Coordinate international cooperation

03.5 NCU Team Structure​

Minimum roles:

  • Network Director
  • Standards & Governance Unit
  • Learning & Performance Unit
  • Infrastructure & Documentation Unit

03.6 Outputs​

  • National benchmarking report
  • Annual MEL synthesis
  • Accreditation decisions
  • Governance audits
  • System performance dashboard
  • Documentation integrity reports

03.7 Version Compatibility​

Compatible with VILF 1.0, VXF, MCF 2.1, IMM, IMM-P®, IGF, and MEL.

03.8 Licensing Note​

Released under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. No modifications permitted without authorization.