Methodology Lifecycle

Lifecycle stages

Every dMRV methodology in the Carrot Network follows a defined lifecycle from initial proposal through production operation to eventual deprecation:

Proposal — A proponent submits the methodology concept for evaluation.
Validation — The Community of Experts reviews the proposal for scientific rigor and feasibility.
Development — The MvF specification and MvA implementation are built and tested.
Accreditation — The completed MvF is evaluated against six quality dimensions and, when approved, formally accredited for production operation.
Production — The methodology is deployed and begins processing MassID documents.
Versioning — The methodology evolves through versioned releases as rules are refined or added.
Deprecation — The methodology is retired when it is no longer valid or has been superseded.

Proposals typically originate from a Request for Proposals (RFP) — Carrot publishes a formal call with scope, type, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and timeline. Six RFP types cover different contribution needs, from problem-solving proposals to MvF authoring to MvA development. Proponents can also enter via partnership or direct submission, subject to the same integrity and qualification requirements. See the RFP Participation Guide for practical submission guidance.

A methodology proposal must demonstrate:

Scientific basis — Grounding in established standards (e.g., UNFCCC CDM methodologies, IPCC guidelines)
Additionality — Evidence that the verified activity creates impact beyond business-as-usual
No collision — Confirmation that the proposed scope does not overlap with existing methodologies (see Colliding Methodologies)
Alignment with the Carrot dMRV Standard — Compliance with all Standard requirements

The Community of Experts reviews proposals through consultative and deliberative phases, evaluating scientific rigor, practical feasibility, and market relevance.

Development

Once a proposal is validated, two parallel workstreams begin:

MvF authoring — An MvF Author writes the verification framework specification, defining scope, eligibility, validation rules, formulas, and a traceability matrix. See the MvF Author Guide.
MvA development — An MvA Developer implements the framework as executable rule processors, including comprehensive testing with seed documents. See the MvA Developer Guide.

Both deliverables are reviewed against the Carrot dMRV Standard before the methodology can move to production.

Accreditation

Before entering production, the completed MvF undergoes a formal accreditation process. The MvF is evaluated against six quality dimensions — completeness, verifiability, traceability, implementability, auditability, and geographic adaptability. The process allows up to two review cycles for the author to address any non-conformities. Once all dimensions are conformant, the MvF is accredited and the methodology can proceed to production deployment.

Production and operation

In production, the methodology actively processes MassID documents submitted by Network Integrators:

Each MassID is evaluated against every rule in the methodology's MvA.
Rules that pass generate an audit trail explaining what was verified.
When all rules pass, a Certificate is issued and Credits are minted.
Rewards are distributed to supply chain participants according to the methodology's distribution policy.

Versioning

Methodologies evolve through semantic versioning (SemVer):

MAJOR — Breaking changes to verification logic that may affect existing integrations
MINOR — New rules added without changing existing rule behavior
PATCH — Bug fixes and documentation updates

The MvF and MvA are versioned independently, with the MvA tracking the MvF's MAJOR version. See the Versioning Policy for full details.

Deprecation

A methodology may be deprecated when it is no longer scientifically valid, has been superseded by a more effective approach, or is no longer operationally active. Credits issued before deprecation remain valid and tradeable.

See the Discontinuation Policy for the full deprecation criteria and process.

Governance evolution

Methodology governance is led by the Carrot Foundation with progressive expansion of community participation. As the ecosystem matures, the Community of Experts will take on increasing responsibility for methodology approval, versioning decisions, and Standard evolution.

Learn about the methodology ecosystem · Learn about the Carrot dMRV Standard