PAAS — Competence Measurement

How do you measure competence in a way that is accurate, resistant to gaming, and practical to implement? This is one of the hardest problems in competence-weighted governance.

The Dual Competence Approach

PAAS uses two independent competence dimensions:

• Hard Competence (W_H): Verified credentials — degrees, licenses, certifications, patents. Verified through xSTF vetting and meta-aSTF approval. Low volatility, range 0–3000.
• Soft Competence (W_S): Performance-based ratings — peer review, activity scoring, endorsements, time decay. High volatility, range 0–3000, continuously updated.

The separation is deliberate: W_H anchors legitimacy through externally verifiable signals, while W_S adapts to current performance. Neither alone is sufficient.

Anti-Gaming Mechanisms

Verifiability

W_H is only updated through xSTF verification against external sources (degree databases, licensing boards, patent offices). This creates a high cost for falsification. Meta-aSTF audits provide a second verification layer.

Time Decay

W_S includes a time-decay component: contributions and endorsements lose weight over time. This prevents members from resting on past performance. A member who stops contributing sees their W_S score decline proportionally.

Peer Consensus Weighting

W_S ratings are themselves competence-weighted: a rating from a high-W_H domain expert carries more weight than a rating from an uninvolved participant. This prevents rating inflation through irrelevant peers.

Anomaly Detection

The Integrity Engine monitors both W_H and W_S for statistical anomalies. Sudden spikes, scoring patterns that deviate from historical distributions, or correlations that suggest collusion trigger aSTF review.

Practical Challenges

Cold start: New members have no W_S history. PAAS uses a probationary period where new members can build reputation through low-risk contributions. W_H provides the initial trust anchor.

Rating fatigue: If too many rating actions are required, members disengage. PAAS minimizes mandatory ratings and uses event-triggered rather than periodic ratings.

Cross-domain portability: A member with high W_H in one domain cannot automatically carry that to another domain. Domains maintain separate competence scores, though W_H can be re-verified across domains with reduced friction.

Also see: PAAS Framework | Efficiency Analysis | Radar Analysis | Ostrom Comparison