Introduction of the Blockchain Maturity Model

Throughout this course, we have talked about what Distributed Energy System is and the challenges that face the industry, and one possible innovation (Blockchain) could help the industry alleviate those issues so that the industry can prosper. Items like affordability, data, and security must be addressed to prosper the industry.

But, one may ask, “What does the Government Blockchain Association’s (GBA’s) role within the solution of this industry?

The GBA has introduced a framework called the Blockchain Maturity Model. Suppose you are a government entity and want to hire a contractor to help you implement a blockchain or decentralized solution for a service you perform for your constituents. How would you know that that solution is mature? Does it adhere to business principles and a fully functioning system that will stand the test of time and achieve the goals outlined in a Request for Proposal (RFP)? The GBA and its members saw that this would be an issue that, with the knowledge of their members, they could create a framework to help solve this issue. On the GBA’s website about the BMM, you have the following:

• Provide a roadmap to mature blockchain solutions.
• Demonstrate that a vendor’s solution can be trusted to meet industry standards.
• Provide acquisition professionals with the information needed to evaluate blockchain solutions.
• Establish the criteria to achieve a Government Blockchain Association certification.

So, we now know why it was created, but what is the Blockchain Maturity Model? The model is divided into two main categories: Elements and levels within those elements.

• Distribution
• Governance
• Identity
• Infrastructure Sustainability
• Interoperability
• Performance
• Privacy
• Reliability
• Resilience
• Security
• Synchronization

Within each of these elements, you have a level assessed by the assessing team. Five levels can be achieved, but we will be giving more general terms for these levels. If you want to know more about the specific level within an element, please refer to the BMM documentation for a deep dive. The generic levels are as follows:

• Level 1: Initial
• Level 2: Documented
• Level 3: Validated
• Level 4: Production
• Level 5: Optimizing

The assessing team shall have charge of the following requirements:

• Agnostic to the selection of any blockchain solution
• Applied to the full stack of technology from the blockchain to applications built on any blockchain.
• Evaluated in the context of opportunities and constraints that exist for the solution.

The roles of the assessment team are as follows:

• Director, Standards, and Certifications
• Lead Assessor
• Assessment Team Member
• Solution Point of Contact
• Blockchain Quality Assurance Committee

Each member has responsibilities and qualifications. To learn more, please go to the Assessment Program Requirements document for further details.

Even though the technical load for blockchain technologies can be steep, the advantages of the technology for the Distributed Energy and solving the issues with the industry could be innovative.