1 Purpose
This document sets the defined parameters and decision conditions for Candidate Progression and Star Decision Schedule for Good Taste Awards.
2 Scope
This document applies to the requirements, decisions, records, controls, and outputs expressly identified under Candidate Progression and Star Decision Schedule. Award scope and exclusions are defined by GTA-STD-100; this document shall not create an additional award dimension. Operational prerequisites identified here affect assessment validity and never constitute product certification.
3 Authority and interpretation
The Method Authority owns GTA-SCH-202; the Standards Authority approves it. formal verbs, defined terms, stable requirement identities, policy constants, and generated representations shall be interpreted under GTA-GOV-002, GTA-GOV-005, and the defined registers.
3.1 Registered relationships
| Relationship | Direction | Related document |
|---|---|---|
implements | outbound | GTA-STD-200 |
implements | inbound | GTA-OPS-109 |
executes_rules_of | inbound | GTA-DATA-003 |
governed_by | outbound | GTA-GOV-001 |
drafted_under | outbound | GTA-GOV-002 |
4 Requirements
GTA-SCH-202-R001 — Initial One-Star rule
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the initial One-Star rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R002 — Initial Two-Star entry
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the initial Two-Star progression rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R003 — First progressed Two-Star rule
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the first progressed Two-Star rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R004 — Higher-star continuation rule
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the higher-star continuation rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R005 — Extension triggers
The Method Authority shall permit statistical extension only when exactly one defined boundary condition is missed and every other Two-Star condition is met.
GTA-SCH-202-R006 — Extended Two-Star rule
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the extended Two-Star rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R007 — Three-Star entry
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the Three-Star progression rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R008 — Final Three-Star rule
The Method Authority shall apply every defined condition of the final Three-Star rule.
GTA-SCH-202-R009 — Professional confirmation
The Method Authority shall attach confirmation to each candidate and prohibit promotion above candidate.
GTA-SCH-202-R010 — Confirmed-level preservation
The Method Authority shall preserve the previously confirmed lower level while testing a higher level.
GTA-SCH-202-R011 — Decision states
The Method Authority shall define stop, progress, extend, replace, hold, invalidate, confirm, authorize, and publish eligibility.
5 Authoritative decision table
| Rule | Valid responses | Median minimum | Lower-quartile minimum | Count at 7+ | Count at 9 | Count at ≤3 maximum | Count at ≤4 maximum | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
one_star | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | — | — | 1 | candidate confirmation |
two_star_entry | 8 | 8 | — | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | progression confirmation |
two_star_first_decision | 12 | 8 | — | 10 | 3 | 0 | — | candidate confirmation |
three_star_continuation_at_twelve | 12 | 8.5 | — | 11 | 6 | — | 0 | progression confirmation |
two_star_extended_decision | 16 | 8 | — | 13 | 4 | — | 1 | candidate confirmation |
three_star_entry | 16 | 8.5 | — | 15 | 8 | — | 0 | progression confirmation |
three_star_final_decision | 24 | 8.5 | — | 22 | 12 | 0 | 1 | candidate confirmation |
Every stated condition in a row is conjunctive. No condition may compensate for another failed condition. Values shall be evaluated without rounding.
6 Progression state machine
- At the initial decision point, test the One-Star candidate and the separate Two-Star progression rule.
- If the One-Star candidate is confirmed, record One Star as the preserved level. If the Two-Star progression rule and progression confirmation are satisfied, add the defined number of assessors for the first progressed decision.
- At the first progressed decision, test the Two-Star candidate. If confirmed, record Two Stars as the preserved level. Test the separate Three-Star continuation rule only after the Two-Star candidate has been professionally confirmed.
- A statistical boundary extension is permitted only where exactly one of the two registered extension conditions is missed at its stated boundary and every other Two-Star condition is met.
- A response invalidated after lock shall be replaced before calculation or the affected stage shall be invalidated. It shall not be converted into a statistical extension.
- A confirmation set in which no disposition has a strict majority shall enter independent professional review. It shall not add Overall Liking responses to the statistical panel.
- At the extended decision, apply the applicable Two-Star extension rule or Three-Star entry rule according to the route by which the product arrived.
- At the final decision, apply the final Three-Star rule. If it is not satisfied, retain the confirmed Two-Star level unless a permitted validity ground removes it.
7 Confirmation grounds
Professional confirmation shall be based on assessment integrity and individual product sensory evidence. Every valid professional assessor assigned confirmation authority at the decision point shall record one disposition after response lock and supporting records discussion. Personal preference, commercial expectations, status, familiarity with the entrant, desired award distribution, or disagreement with the popularity of a product shall not be a reason to alter a candidate result.
| Resolved disposition | Permitted reason code |
|---|---|
confirm | candidate_confirmed |
confirm_lower_level | repeated_material_sensory_defect |
declare_assessment_invalid | preparation_or_service_validity_failure, product_identity_or_batch_failure, material_procedure_failure |
authorize_procedural_reassessment | preparation_or_service_validity_failure, category_or_presentation_mismatch, material_procedure_failure |
A lower result requires a fully satisfied lower candidate and at least 2 independent professional observations of a repeated material sensory defect. Its evidence shall contain repeated_independent_observation, product_specific_description, applicable_category_expectation, material_effect_on_integrated_pleasure, minority_view_preserved. A validity or identity failure shall be resolved as invalidity or procedural reassessment according to the outcome-reason map; it shall not be disguised as a taste-based downgrade.
Where no disposition has a strict majority, an independent professional review shall resolve one permitted disposition from the locked record and mapped evidence. The reviewer shall hold the Independent Reviewer role, possess applicable professional-assessor qualification, have recorded no disposition in the original confirmation set, and have no material conflict. The review shall not promote the candidate, add or alter an Overall Liking response, or use a reason outside the defined map.
8 Conformity and records
Conformity with Candidate Progression and Star Decision Schedule requires evidence comprising the source evidence, defined decision, accountable role, and independent or automated verification. The record for each applicable GTA-SCH-202 requirement shall permit reconstruction without relying on an unrecorded explanation.
Evidence created under GTA-SCH-202 shall use stable identifiers, immutable event sequence numbers, and machine event timestamps. A correction shall be append-only. A nonconformity shall place the affected object in a non-releasable state until its consequence and confirmed disposition are recorded. Role combination remains subject to the mandatory separation rules.