— Methodology Papers

How we measure what we say matters

A foundation that claims dignity, regeneration, and replication as outcomes must be willing to publish how it measures them. These are the working methodology papers behind our place-based programmes — the indices, the scoring, the formulas, the validation strategies, and the limitations we have not yet resolved. They are open for review.

Paper One
27 February 2026
Version 1.0 · Open for review
Circular Economy Composite Index Place-Based

The ACES Circularity Index

A place-based framework for measuring community-scale circular economy outcomes in distressed urban contexts.

Existing circular economy indicators are built for corporate supply chains and poorly capture the dynamics of place-based work in low-income communities. The ACI measures five dimensions — Material Diversion, Value Recovery, Livelihood Generation, Local Economic Recirculation, and Behavioural Embedment — combined into a composite suitable for funder and trustee reporting.

Read the paper
Paper Two
24 March 2026
Version 1.0 · Open for review
Dignity Survey Instrument CPQ™ Dignity Delta™

The Regenerative Dignity Index

Operationalising dignity, pride, and belonging as primary outcomes — with the Community Pride Quotient and Dignity Delta.

Most development interventions claim dignity as an outcome but measure only income. The RDI operationalises place-based dignity through five pillars — Pride Uplift, Belonging & Identity, Emotional Safety, Daily Experience, and Community Cohesion — via a 25-item community survey aggregated to a 0–100 composite, with two derived metrics for pride concentration and pre/post change.

Read the paper
Paper Three
21 April 2026
Version 1.0 · Open for review
Replication Site Selection MCDA

The Zone Replication Blueprint & Zone Readiness Index

A decision-support framework for selecting and sequencing place-based regeneration sites — before the capital, before the staff, before the goodwill is committed.

Place-based programmes are expensive and slow; selecting the wrong site is a multi-year mistake. The ZRI scores prospective sites against six dimensions — Community Readiness, Infrastructure, Local Governance, Social Capital, Risk Profile, and Economic Substrate — with a single-dimension veto rule designed to catch the all-too-common pattern of strong total scores masking a fatal single weakness.

Read the paper
Paper Four
19 May 2026
Version 1.0 · Open for review
Technology Architecture Offline-First Audit

Building an Auditable Operational Platform for Distressed Contexts

A note on the design principles, technical architecture, and operational rationale behind the Foundation's ACES place-based regeneration platform.

Most NGO software is built for stable infrastructure and digitally fluent users. The ACES dashboard takes a different approach: offline-first, single-file deployment, auditable by default, beneficiary-visible, funder-ready. This paper documents the architectural choices and positions them as a sector pattern rather than a product, with open questions on governance and openness.

Read the paper