QCI-QS1

Applicable edition. Version 2.3, published and effective September 23, 2026. It supersedes Version 2.2 of June 8, 2026; transition between editions is governed by Clause 1.3. A reference to this edition cites Version 2.3 and its date.

Scope. The standard applies inside an assessment boundary the organization defines and its executive sponsor approves: legal entity or business unit, locations, environments, systems, services, critical data flows, supplier dependencies and the assessment period (QCI-1.1-01). Exclusions must be documented, and a critical dependency cannot be excluded solely because evidence or supplier access is unavailable (QCI-1.1-02).

Document structure. Clauses 1 to 8 are normative: scope and conformance, references, terms, governance, inventory, scoring, third-party oversight and governing-body reporting. Clause 9 and Annexes A to G are informative. Companion publications such as the Practitioner Handbook, sector supplements and the QCI-M1 method apply the standard; QCI-M1 states that it does not create requirements and that the standard governs where they differ.

Conformance vocabulary.

• Conformance record: a record for every requirement ID stating applicability, evidence, assessor, date and result (QCI-1.2-01).
• Conformance claim: allowed only when every applicable requirement is met. An accepted risk or approved exception does not convert an unmet requirement, and this edition permits no qualified claim (QCI-1.2-02).
• Assessed against: an organization with open nonconformities may say it was assessed against the standard if it discloses them and does not call the result conformity (QCI-1.2-02).
• Self-assessment or independent assessment: every claim must state which (QCI-1.2-03).
• Not certification: use of the standard is not QCI certification unless separately authorized by an established QCI certification scheme (QCI-1.2-03).
• Score is separate: conformance status is reported separately from the Q-Risk Score (QCI-1.2-04).

For pillar and gate explanations, see the QCI-QS1 section of the Knowledge Center.