Review and submit for validation

The validation for Step B will confirm whether the indicators and metrics selected by the assessment team comply with the guidelines. The validation scope includes all selected metrics and indicators, as well as ensuring any changes made during reassessment are appropriately documented and justified.

Validation for Step B can be conducted in one of three ways: entire assessment validation, pillar-by-pillar validation, or indicator-by-indicator validation. In the case of pillar-by-pillar or indicator-by-indicator validation, the assessment team must inform the LandScale team about which specific aspects of the assessment should be reviewed.

Once Step B is complete, the assessment team must submit their inputs and request validation. Documentation requirements and validation criteria are outlined below.

[Insert screenshot of submitting Step B for validation]

Documentation requirements

The following materials must be submitted through the LandScale platform for validation:

• Identification of all indicators and metrics to be included in the reassessment.

• Appropriate justification for the deselection or deferral of any core indicators compared to the baseline assessment.

• Description of any modified or new indicators or metrics introduced as a baseline measurement, including evidence that the Step B documentation requirements from the baseline assessment guidelines have been met.

• Identification of all selected data resources (may be submitted during Step B or C validation).

• Updated data limitations analysis for all selected datasets, reflecting any shifts in data quality, methodology, or availability (may be submitted during Step B or C validation).

• Documentation of any data source changes (may be submitted during Step B or C validation), including:

  • Rationale for switching datasets.

  • Assessment of comparability and limitations.

  • Plans for mitigating risk and ensuring results accurately reflect trends.

• Documentation related to any primary data collection, in accordance with the baseline assessment guidelines. This documentation should be added within the dataset description and metadata fields that are available in the platform for each dataset (may be submitted during Step B or C validation).

• Identification of metrics and indicators designated as data-deficient or otherwise deferred, along with a statement of the reason for these decisions (may be submitted during Step B or C validation).

Validation criteria

Validation will confirm whether the following requirements of Step B have been fulfilled:

• All core indicators from the baseline assessment are included, or a valid justification is provided for their deselection or deferral.

• The wording of indicators and metrics remains consistent with the baseline assessment.

• Any new or modified indicators and metrics meet the Step B validation criteria outlined in the baseline assessment guidelines.
• The data limitations analysis has been updated to reflect any changes in dataset reliability, methodology, or coverage.

• For any changes in data sources, documentation includes a clear rationale, an assessment of comparability, and measures to mitigate risks of misinterpretation.

• If indicators, metrics, or data sources have changed, documentation of stakeholder consultation (if conducted) is provided.

• If human rights indicators under Goal 2.2 are reassessed, documentation demonstrates compliance with the Human Rights Assessment Guidelines.

Performance tracking of a limited set of indicators

For performance tracking, the deselection or deferral of core indicators does not need to be justified, as it focuses on a subset of indicators from the baseline assessment.

Validation for performance tracking will confirm whether the following requirements have been met:

• The wording of selected indicators and metrics remains consistent with the baseline assessment.

• The data limitations analysis has been updated to reflect any changes in dataset reliability, methodology, or coverage.

• For any changes in data sources, documentation includes a clear rationale, an assessment of comparability, and measures to mitigate risks of misinterpretation.

• If human rights indicators under Goal 2.2 are reassessed, documentation demonstrates compliance with the Human Rights Assessment Guidelines.