DocsTrust network
How delegated authority is represented
Delegation, consent, and support arrangement records are the technical representation of authority in Community OS.
TechnicalTrust networkAdminCoordinatorTrustee
Authority in the trust network is represented as data, not as a fixed list of roles. Three kinds of record describe who may act for whom, over which records, and until when. The system reads these records at every access decision.
The three relationship records
| Record | What it says | Key fields |
|---|---|---|
| Delegation | "Hana may act for Wiremu on the support-plan records." | Subject (Wiremu), delegate (Hana), scope, start date, end date, status. |
| Consent grant | "Wiremu consents to Hana accessing the support-plan collection." | Subject (Wiremu), grantee (Hana), collection, permission level, dates, status. |
| Support arrangement | "James is Wiremu's support worker from 1 August to 31 August." | Subject (Wiremu), worker (James), coordinator, organisation, role, dates, status. |
How access is decided
Access is decided at the moment of each request. The system checks three things together:
- A valid relationship. A delegation or an arrangement that names the person asking.
- An active consent. The beneficiary's permission for that person to open the collection.
- The dates and the status. Every relationship record is active only within its dates and while its status is Active.
Consent is never implied. A delegation or an arrangement alone grants no access. Revoking consent cuts off access immediately, even while the relationship record stays active.
Why this matters to you
The design gives the beneficiary control that a fixed role list cannot:
- Limits are stored with the record. The scope, the dates, and the status are part of the data.
- Revoking is instant. The system checks the current status on every request, so there is no delay.
- Records are portable. They are stored in the person's own repository, addressed by DID.
Where to learn more
- AT Protocol authorization is the engineering reference for how the relationship records are enforced across the system.
- Record statuses in the trust network lists every status and who can change it.
- What is delegated authority explains the model in plain language.