VC-LEG-0500 — Ethics, Governance & Authorization Policy
The governance structure of GreenWorld Sector-7, the authorization matrix for its most consequential activities, the whistleblower channel, and the reserved authority of the Chief Botanical Officer.
1. Purpose
1.1. This Policy establishes how GreenWorld Sector-7 is governed, how its most consequential activities are authorized, and the standards of conduct expected of every person who serves the Directorate. GreenWorld Sector-7 pursues botany as power; this Policy ensures that power is exercised under defined authority, recorded decision, and ethical constraint — and that nothing of consequence happens by accident or by an unaccountable hand.
2. Governance Structure
2.1. Governance flows from the Chief Botanical Officer through a small number of standing bodies. Authority is delegated; accountability is not.
| Body | Composition | Mandate | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office of the CBO (The Directorate) | Dr. P. L. Isley, CBO | Strategy, reserved authorizations, final authority on all matters (§6) | Standing |
| Directorate Council | CBO, GC, Director of Ops, Chief Engineer | Cross-department decisions, budget, risk acceptance | Weekly |
| Ethics Council | GC (chair), Governance Officer, 2 independent botanists, 1 safety officer | DURC-B review of weaponized-grade research; ethics rulings | Per-protocol + monthly |
| Compliance Review Board | GC, Compliance Officer, Risk Counsel, Director of Ops | Posture, findings, residual-risk ratification | Quarterly |
| Authorization Authority | Role-holders per the matrix in §4 | Approval of graded activities within delegated ceilings | On demand |
3. The Directorate's Authority
3.1. The Chief Botanical Officer is the source of all authority within GreenWorld Sector-7. Every delegation in this Policy is made by the CBO and is revocable by the CBO at will. No body or role-holder possesses authority except as delegated here or in writing by the CBO.
3.2. The Ethics Council provides independent review and may decline to recommend a protocol; it advises and constrains, but does not displace the reserved authority defined in Section 6.
4. Authorization / Approval Matrix
4.1. The following activities may be authorized only by the role(s) indicated, recorded in the authorization register, and — where two approvers are shown — by both, independently. No activity proceeds on a single signature where the matrix requires two.
| Activity | Required Approver(s) | Pre-conditions | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCL-1 / GCL-2 cultivation & routine ops | Sub-Unit Lead | Within SOP | Ops log |
| GCL-3 access & compound extraction | Director of Ops + Compliance Officer | Two-person rule, batch authorization | Custody chain + batch record |
| GCL-4 access / propagation | CBO + General Counsel | Named roster, current NDA, Bio-Vault integrity attested | CHLOROPHYLL authorization register |
| Weaponized-grade research (DURC-B) | CBO + Ethics Council recommendation | Protocol review, containment plan, exit strategy | Ethics Council minute + CBO order |
| External specimen release / off-perimeter movement | CBO + General Counsel | CBPA export determination, HSTP-9 manifest, indemnity in place | Release authorization + FSR |
| Outbound IP license | General Counsel + Patent Counsel | Field-of-use limited; no trade-secret disclosure | License register |
| Disclosure of CHLOROPHYLL data to a third party | CBO + General Counsel | NDA + named roster + need-to-know | Disclosure register |
| Acceptance of a HIGH/CRITICAL residual risk | CBO (on Council recommendation) | Documented compensating controls | Risk register entry |
5. Standards of Conduct & Whistleblower Channel
5.1. Every person owes GreenWorld Sector-7 duties of care, candor, and confidentiality. Conduct that endangers containment, conceals a Notifiable Event, or misappropriates the facility's IP is incompatible with service.
5.2. Whistleblower channel. Any person may report a suspected violation of law, this Policy, or a containment-safety concern through the protected channel, in confidence and, if desired, anonymously.
- Report via the
SPORE-LINEconfidential channel (MDF intake, routed to the Governance Officer and an independent Ethics Council member). - Where the report concerns the General Counsel or a Council member, it routes to the independent members and, if warranted, to the CBO.
- Reports are acknowledged within 48 hours and triaged within 5 working days.
- Non-retaliation: Retaliation against a good-faith reporter is itself a Grave violation under VC-LEG-0100 §9.
- Good-faith reporting of a genuine safety or legal concern is protected even where the concern proves unfounded.
6. Reserved Authority of the Chief Botanical Officer
6.1. Notwithstanding any delegation, committee recommendation, or provision of this or any other policy, the Chief Botanical Officer retains final authority over every matter within GreenWorld Sector-7. The CBO may authorize, suspend, override, or reverse any decision; may convene or dissolve any body; and may withdraw any delegation without notice.
6.2. The Ethics Council's recommendations are advisory. Where the Council declines to recommend a protocol, the CBO may nonetheless authorize it by recorded order stating the grounds; such orders are logged in the CHLOROPHYLL authorization register and reported to the Compliance Review Board.
6.3. This reservation is stated plainly and without ornament: the collection answers to the Directorate, and the Directorate answers to no committee.
7. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary of Change | Approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2088-04-30 | S. Aconite | Initial governance structure and authorization matrix. | GC · CBO |
| B | 2089-06-18 | S. Aconite | Added Ethics Council, DURC-B review, and SPORE-LINE whistleblower channel. | GC · CBO |
| C | 2090-05-01 | A. Datura | Codified reserved authorizations and the CBO's final-authority reservation (§6). | GC · CBO |