Periodic review
Certification is not permanent. A listing on the register is a statement that the organisation meets the interoperability standards of the Velocity Interoperability Network, and the standards, the organisation's systems and its arrangements all change over time. The Registry therefore reviews every listing within twelve months of its being made, and at intervals of twenty-four months thereafter, against the standards in force at the time of the review.
The programme for the first reviews was published on 6 September 2026 by notice RN 2026/010. The eight listings made at establishment will be reviewed between March and June 2027, two in each month and in order of listing, as set out below. Each organisation will receive notice of its review at least eight weeks before it begins. An organisation listed after establishment is told the month of its first review within three months of its listing.
A review is conducted in the same way as a first assessment, against the same eight criteria and the same conformance suite, but starts from the record of the previous one, so that an organisation whose systems have not changed is not asked to prove again what it has already proved. The fee for a periodic review is set out on the Fees page and is payable on notice of review. Because the first reviews fall after 1 January 2027, the fee applies to them.
How a review is conducted
Step 1: Notice of review
The Registry sends notice of review to the organisation's point of contact at least eight weeks before the review begins. The notice states the standards against which the listing will be reviewed, the evidence required and the date by which it must be returned. The review fee is payable on the notice.
Step 2: Return of evidence
Within four weeks of the notice the organisation returns a statement of the systems that exchange under its key, the results of its own tests against the standards, and an account of any change in its governance or security arrangements since the last assessment. Evidence returned late attracts a surcharge, and the review proceeds on the evidence available.
Step 3: Examination and testing
The Registry examines the evidence and tests the organisation's systems against the standards in force, in the same way as at first assessment. It may ask for further evidence, or for access to a system, and the organisation must provide it within the period stated.
Step 4: Provisional findings
The Registry sends its provisional findings in writing. The organisation has two weeks to respond, to correct any error of fact and to remedy any shortcoming that can be remedied within that time.
Step 5: Decision
The Registry decides whether the listing is confirmed, confirmed subject to conditions, suspended or removed, and sends the decision to the organisation with reasons. The organisation may object under the procedure set out on the Certification page.
Step 6: Record
A notice is published and the register is updated on the day of the decision. The date of the next review is fixed at twenty-four months from the decision and is confirmed to the organisation.
Programme of first reviews
| Organisation | Key | Listed | Review begins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of the Velocity Interoperability Network | ministry | 6 September 2026 | March 2027 |
| Defence Department | defence | 6 September 2026 | March 2027 |
| Immigration Department | immigration | 6 September 2026 | April 2027 |
| Careers Office | careers | 6 September 2026 | April 2027 |
| Northern Relay Cooperative | northern-relay | 6 September 2026 | May 2027 |
| Harbour Exchange Authority | harbour-exchange | 6 September 2026 | May 2027 |
| Central Data Trust | central-data | 6 September 2026 | June 2027 |
| Meridian Transit Board | meridian-transit | 6 September 2026 | June 2027 |
Outcomes of a review
- Listing confirmed
- The organisation meets the standards in force. Nothing on the register changes, and the next review falls due twenty-four months from the decision.
- Listing confirmed with conditions
- The organisation meets the standards in substance but must remedy specified matters within a period set in the decision. The status remains Active; the conditions are recorded in the notice. Failure to meet them within the period is a ground for suspension.
- Suspension
- The organisation does not meet the standards and the failure cannot be remedied at once. The status becomes Suspended, and systems on the Network refuse the key from the day of the notice, until the failure is remedied and the Registry is satisfied.
- Removal
- The organisation does not meet the standards and has not remedied the failure within the period allowed, or has not taken part in the review. It is struck from the register, its key retired and its certificate withdrawn. Removal does not prevent a fresh application.
Standards in force at the time of review
The standards against which a listing is reviewed are those in force when the review begins, not those in force when the organisation was first certified. Where the standards have changed, the Registry gives at least six months' notice of the change before it is applied in any review, so that no organisation is reviewed against a standard it has not had a fair opportunity to meet.
A review is not an occasion to re-argue the first assessment. Its only concern is whether the organisation meets the standards now.
Between reviews
An organisation need not wait for its review to report a change. A material change to the systems that exchange under its key, to its governance or to its security arrangements should be reported to the Registry when it is made. The Registry may then bring the review forward or, where the change is minor, note it for the next review. A change that is not reported and is found at review is a ground for suspension.
Reports of changes and enquiries about reviews may be sent to contact@registry.gov.vin. The decision of every review is recorded on the Notices page.