IO Specifications Publication Model

Table of Contents

Interoperability (IO) Specification Publication Model

The Interoperability Specification Publication Model describes the lifecycle of the interoperability specifications (e.g., PS-CA, CA:FeX). Specifications will be identified according to semantic versioning, using a three-part version number and release type tag (e.g., v0.1.0 DFT, v1.1.1 TI, etc.,). The tag will identify the Specification Publication Type (i.e., maturity level) as either Draft (DFT), Trial Implementation (TI) or Final (Final).

The following table provides a summary view of the IO Specification Publication Model. There are three Specification Publication Types: Draft, Trial Implementation and Final, which represent the level of maturity for the specification. Within each Specification Publication Type, there are two attributes that further define the maturity level: Implementation Readiness and Prototyping / Validation Readiness. Definitions for each Specification Publication Type and Attribute can be found in the sections below.

The IO Specification Publication Model may also be accessed in PDF format here.

	Specification Publication Types
Publication Attributes	Draft	Trial Implementation	Final
Implementation Readiness	In Development	Limited Roll-Out	Production
Prototyping / Validation Readiness	Beta Testing / Beta Projectathon	Projectathon / Conformance	Connectathon / Certification

IO Specification Publication Types

Draft

When this designation is assigned, the specification is currently in development and may be in the midst of an internal and/or public review period. These specifications will generally benefit from lessons learned through development and pilots.

Trial Implementation

When this designation is assigned, the specification is considered to be a draft for trial use / trial implementation in production systems. It has been cycled through public open review and comment dispositioning has been completed. In some cases, features and capabilities or known issues may be documented in the backlog for inclusion in a future trial implementation release.

Final

When this designation is assigned, the specification is considered to have addressed all stakeholder comments received in reviews of prior releases. Projectathon testing has been successfully completed, with all known issues resolved. And, all documentation is complete, providing implementers the ability to use the specification for compliance and certification of their products.

IO Specification Attribute Definitions

Implementation Readiness

In Development: when this designation is assigned, the specification is in the development process and subject to significant change. It is not ready for limited roll-out or production level use.
Limited Roll-Out: when this designation is assigned, the specification is ready to be used on a limited scale projects to meet a health care interoperability need.
Production: when this designation is assigned, the specification is ready to be used in production to meet a health care interoperability need.

Prototyping / Validation Readiness

Beta Testing / Beta Projectathon: when this designation is assigned the specification is subject to significant changes and has undergone feature complete testing by the Infoway IO team. The specification may be available to implementers to test their solutions at a testing event, such as a beta Projectathon, to provide input and help prepare the specification for Projectathon readiness.
Projectathon / Conformance: when this designation is assigned the specification is ready for testing and validation where implementers collaborate to test their solutions using methodology and tools that accelerate interoperability. A Projectathon provides an opportunity for participants to test their systems among themselves, against a reference environment and show conformance with the specification.
Connectathon / Certification: when this designation is assigned, the specification is ready for implementers to perform detailed validation and achieve certification of their solutions to the specification.

IO Specification Publication Versioning

The interoperability specifications will follow semantic versioning, using a three-part version number and release type tag (e.g., v0.1.0 DFT, v1.1.1 TI, etc.,).

Major:

Increments every time a breaking change is made.
Indicated by increasing the Major number.

Minor:

Increments every time new non-breaking changes are made (i.e., changes that create new capabilities, but do not render existing implementations to be non-conformant.)
Indicated by increasing the Minor number.
Resets to 0 each time the Major version changes.

Patch:

Non-breaking changes (e.g., corrections).
Indicated by increasing the Patch number.
Resets to 0 each time the Minor version changes.

Release Tag:

Draft (DFT)
Trial Implementation (TI)
Final

IO Specification Publication Process Flow

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IO Specification Publication Process Roles

Role	Description
Change Control Board	The Interoperability Change Control Board (CCB) will be accountable for and will manage the interoperability roadmap and evolution of the specifications, deciding on the priorities and content for upcoming releases, and managing the backlog. The CCB will consist of Interoperability management, subject matter experts and representatives from the Operational and Strategic Governance bodies.
IO Team	This Infoway IO Team is responsible for developing and publishing the interoperability specifications in collaboration with it’s partners, for recommendation and approval. They will plan/ host testing events (e.g., Projectathons) and will also provide leadership and subject matter expertise representation on the CCB.
Jurisdictional Partners	Jurisdictional Partners (i.e., Canadian jurisdictions participating in the interoperability specifications advancements) will provide input into the process through collaboration with the Infoway IO Team, sharing their priorities, providing feedback during the comment disposition process, participation in testing events and sharing lessons learned from their implementation experience(s).
Public Stakeholders	Public Stakeholders (e.g., vendors, PCHO's, etc.) will provide input into the process through the comment disposition process, Infoway-hosted webinar / information gathering sessions, participation in testing events (e.g., Projectathons) and by sharing lessons learned from their implementation experience, where applicable.
Operational Governance	The Operational Governance body will participate in the ongoing development and alignment of the pan-Canadian work with jurisdictional priority areas and provide recommendations on the evolution of the interoperability specifications.
Strategic Governance	The Strategic Governance body will participate in the ongoing development and alignment of the pan-Canadian work with jurisdictional priority areas and provide strategic direction on the evolution of the interoperability specifications.

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