Blockchain Ledger for Decision Model Governance and Provenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decision models lack a built-in mechanism for diligently tracking changes and modifications, leading to operational risks due to lack of transparency and unauthorized changes, and fail to ensure compliance with regulations such as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
Innovation Solution
A permissioned blockchain-based shared ledger system is used to track the end-to-end provenance of decision models, ensuring immutable tracking and authorization for any changes, with access control and smart contracts to manage participant interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permissioned blockchain-based shared ledger system is used to track decision models, then transparency and security of model governance are improved, but device complexity and implementation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blockchain-based shared ledger as an intermediary mechanism between model developers, approvers, and auditors. This mediator provides immutable tracking of model provenance, changes, and approvals, ensuring transparency without requiring direct trust between all parties. The blockchain acts as a neutral, decentralized authority that all participants can verify.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared ledger system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tracks model provenance, records approvals from authorized personnel, monitors changes to models and underlying data, manages access control permissions, and provides audit trails for regulatory compliance. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single unified platform.
2Reliability
If blockchain technology is implemented for tracking decision models, then unauthorized changes are prevented, but ease of operation and accessibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements role-based access control where different participants have different levels of permission and visibility. Model developers can submit models and view their own history, approvers can review and approve models within their scope, and auditors can access comprehensive audit trails. This localized permission structure ensures security while maintaining ease of operation for each user group within their authorized boundaries.
3Reliability
If end-to-end provenance tracking is implemented, then accountability and compliance are improved, but loss of time for tracking and approvals increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blockchain ledger continuously and automatically records all model-related actions from creation through approval to deployment and monitoring. Once a model is submitted, the system continuously tracks its provenance, approvals, and changes without interruption. This continuous automatic tracking eliminates the need for manual documentation and reduces overall tracking time despite the comprehensive nature of the monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically generates and maintains audit trails, provenance records, and approval histories without requiring manual intervention. Smart contracts automatically execute approval workflows and update ledgers when conditions are met, reducing the time burden on human operators while maintaining comprehensive accountability tracking.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A model governance framework uses a shared ledger on the back of a blockchain. The solution tracks various analytic tracking documents (ATDs) and associated assets, like requirements and sprints, through various stages of an ATD lifecycle. Data schema and data distributions are also tracked. The decision models, corresponding variables and execution codes are also tracked. Existing variables and execution codes are made available via a preexisting asset ATD for reuse. Various transactions provide mechanism for accessing and manipulating the various assets through a recorded ledger of events and approvals. A system provides tracking of the approvals and the approvers of all model assets that are touched by any participant, and further provides access control and security for multi-user access. An application layer provides graphical access to the various aspects of the blockchain. Event notification provides the backbone for interfacing with various external systems like email servers and version control systems.