# Compatibility Matrix

> Alignment of CEP and CTags with Existing Civic Standards and Ecosystems

This matrix summarizes how Civic Interconnect integrates with leading civic data standards and common government systems.  
CEP provides the cross-domain structure; CTags provide the provenance layer.

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## Overview Table

| Standard / System | What It Covers | How CEP Integrates | How CTags Integrate | Value Added |
|-------------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------------|-------------|
| **Open Civic Data (OCD)** | Jurisdictions, political divisions, IDs | CEP entities reference OCD division IDs; relationships anchored to geography | CTags reference jurisdiction identifiers when provenance is location-based | Shared geography layer; consistent identifiers |
| **Popolo** | People, organizations, memberships | CEP entities map to Popolo-style person/organization structures | CTags reference actors involved in document creation or modification | Unified identity layer compatible with many civic tools |
| **OCDS (Open Contracting Data Standard)** | Contracting lifecycle (tender > award > contract > implementation) | CEP exchanges wrap OCDS documents or link to specific lifecycle stages | CTags attach to RFPs, bids, contracts, amendments | End-to-end traceability across procurement |
| **W3C PROV** | General-purpose provenance ontology | CEP aligns conceptually via entities/activities | CTags act as a lightweight PROV profile | Semantic-web compatibility without complexity |
| **FOIA / Public Records Vendor Systems** | Submission, routing, review, redaction, release | CEP exchanges represent request/response workflows | CTags track document lineage and redactions | Zero-friction integration; better audit trails |
| **Procurement / ERP Systems** | Contracts, POs, invoices, amendments | CEP structures the entity/relationship context; exchanges represent filings | CTags document transformations, OCR, AI assistance | Stronger compliance and cross-system linking |
| **Grant Reporting Systems** | Awards, periodic reports, audits | CEP models multi-stage reporting as exchanges | CTags attach to each submitted artifact | Simplified compliance, especially for small jurisdictions |
| **AI / LLM Systems** | Retrieval, summarization, classification, transformation | CEP provides structured context and stable IDs | CTags record chain-of-transformation for AI outputs | Transparent AI workflows; verifiable lineage |

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## Notes

- CEP is intentionally **schema-light and integrative**, not a replacement for existing domain standards.  
- CTags remain **artifact-level** and can be used independently.  
- Combined, they enable transparent, interoperable, AI-ready civic data pipelines across institutions, vendors, and research ecosystems.
