Speech data · Engagement model

Five phases, each with a sign-off. Discovery to delivery, one statement of work.

Discovery, scoping, pilot, production and delivery. Steps, responsibilities and acceptance criteria are defined during scoping and written into the statement of work.

The DPA is executed in scoping, before any production recording.

The engagement Phases five Sign-off after each phase Roles YPAI · client, in the statement of work Change amendment procedure DPA · executed in scoping, GDPR Article 28

The phases five phases

Each phase ends with a checkpoint. The next one starts on a signature.

Phase structure and checkpoints are adapted to project scope. Some engagements skip a phase; the sequence and the sign-offs stay.

  1. Discovery

    Requirements assessment, preliminary scope, and identification of compliance and governance needs.

  2. Scoping

    Specifications, acceptance criteria, milestones and contractual terms finalised. Statement of work prepared, DPA executed.

  3. Pilot

    Limited-scale collection to validate specifications, quality standards and integration workflows before production.

  4. Production

    Full-scale collection under validated specifications: contributor recruitment, controlled environments, continuous QA.

  5. Delivery

    Milestone deliveries with formal acceptance and the full documentation package per technical specification.

The framework seven terms in the statement of work

What the engagement fixes, before the first recording.

Specific terms, timelines and deliverables are fixed contractually in scoping.

Model
Five-phase engagement: Discovery, Scoping, Pilot, Production, and Delivery
Terms
Steps, responsibilities, and acceptance criteria formalised in the statement of work
Roles
Documented for both client and YPAI teams
Acceptance
Criteria established for each phase before proceeding
Change control
Procedures govern scope modifications throughout the engagement
Governance
Provenance, consent and QA records, kept on the agreed retention terms
DPA
Executed before production collection starts

Overview procurement · legal · production

Every engagement runs through a named project lead and a written statement of work.

Each engagement follows a defined process from first consultation to production delivery, with checkpoints, documented acceptance criteria and governance throughout.

Standard data collection projects and custom collection protocols for specialised model requirements run on the same model.

Roles ypai · client

Ownership is written down, so accountability holds through the engagement.

Roles and responsibilities are documented in the statement of work.

YPAI responsibilities:

  • Data collection design and protocol development
  • Contributor vetting and management
  • Recording environment validation
  • Quality assurance and human review
  • Documentation and audit trail
  • Delivery per the technical specification

Client responsibilities:

  • Requirements definition and specification approval
  • Acceptance criteria definition
  • Designated project contact and escalation path
  • Milestone review and formal acceptance
  • Change requests through the documented channel

Role assignments and communication protocols are written into the same document.

Acceptance per phase · per milestone

Every phase and every milestone is accepted against criteria agreed in scoping.

Each phase and each milestone delivery has a formal acceptance checkpoint, with the criteria documented in the statement of work.

Acceptance criteria include

  • Technical format compliance (audio specifications, metadata structure)
  • Quality metrics validation (acoustic quality, transcription accuracy)
  • Documentation completeness (provenance records, consent records)
  • Volume and demographic requirements met

Phase acceptance: Each phase concludes with a formal acceptance checkpoint. Proceeding to the next phase requires documented sign-off against agreed criteria.

Milestone acceptance: Deliverables are validated against technical specifications, quality metrics, and documentation requirements before formal acceptance.

Acceptance periods, validation procedures, and sign-off authorities are defined in the statement of work.

Change control request · assess · approve · amend

A scope change is a documented request, assessed, approved and amended into the statement of work.

Change control procedures govern modifications to scope, specifications, timeline or deliverables once the engagement has started.

  1. Request

    Scope changes are submitted through documented channels, with description, justification and requested timeline.

  2. Assessment

    Impact on timeline, resources, quality and contractual terms, documented and communicated to stakeholders.

  3. Approval

    Designated stakeholders on both sides approve before implementation, within the thresholds set in the engagement agreement.

  4. Amendment

    Approved changes are documented as amendments to the statement of work. Change history is kept for audit and reference.

Governance dpa · audit trail · reporting

The audit trail is kept as the work runs, and retained on the agreed terms after delivery.

Governance requirements, reporting cadence and audit access procedures are defined in the engagement agreement.

DPA governance
Data Processing Agreements are executed during scoping, aligned with GDPR Article 28. Sub-processors are disclosed. The role, processor or independent controller, is written into the agreement.
Reporting
Status reports on the agreed cadence, with production progress, quality metrics, milestone status, and any issues or risks.
Retention
Documentation is retained according to agreed terms for compliance verification and audit purposes.

Audit documentation:

  • Provenance records for all delivered data
  • Consent records and contributor documentation
  • Quality validation logs and gate passage records
  • Change control documentation and approval history
  • Delivery acknowledgment and acceptance records

The audit trail is kept for the length of the engagement.

Procurement and operations

Scoping, pilots and sign-off

How does the engagement process begin?

Engagements begin with a discovery phase in which YPAI assesses your data collection requirements, technical specifications, compliance needs and project timeline. The first consultation is confidential and non-binding.

What is defined during scoping?

Scoping defines the complete project parameters including volume requirements, language and demographic specifications, technical acceptance criteria, delivery milestones, and contractual terms. The statement of work formalises these details.

Is a pilot phase required?

A pilot or evaluation phase is recommended for new engagements. This allows validation of technical specifications, quality standards, and workflow integration before committing to production scale. Pilot scope is defined during scoping.

How are acceptance criteria determined?

Acceptance criteria are established collaboratively during scoping based on your technical requirements and quality standards. Criteria are documented in the statement of work and validated at each phase checkpoint.

Who is responsible for what during the engagement?

Roles and responsibilities are documented in the statement of work. YPAI manages data collection, quality assurance, and delivery. Client responsibilities typically include requirements definition, milestone acceptance, and integration testing.

How are scope changes handled?

Change control procedures are defined during scoping. Scope modifications require documented change requests, impact assessment, and approval through agreed channels before implementation.

What happens if delivered data does not meet acceptance criteria?

Remediation procedures are documented in the engagement agreement. Non-conforming deliveries are flagged, the cause is investigated, and corrections follow the agreed timeline.

When is the DPA executed?

The Data Processing Agreement is executed during the scoping phase, before any production data collection commences. DPA terms align with GDPR Article 28 requirements for processor engagements.

What documentation is provided throughout the engagement?

Documentation includes project status reports, quality metrics, milestone completion records, and audit artefacts. Specific documentation requirements are agreed during scoping.

How long does a typical engagement take?

Engagement timelines depend on scope, volume, and complexity. Timeline estimates are provided during scoping based on your specific requirements.

Can engagement terms be customised for our procurement requirements?

Yes. YPAI works with your procurement and legal teams to address enterprise requirements including vendor assessment questionnaires and security documentation.

What audit documentation is available?

Audit documentation is available for your compliance review: provenance records, consent records, quality validation logs and chain of custody documentation. Access procedures are defined in the engagement agreement.

Bring the requirement. Discovery starts the same week.

Scoping turns your project requirements into the statement of work and the DPA.

Scope a speech data requirement

Speech data overview Service Level Agreement DPA overview Technical specifications