Ed-Fi Implementation Partner Badge

The Ed-Fi Implementation Partner Badge recognizes vendors that consistently deliver services aligned to Ed-Fi best practices and enable successful adoption of the Ed-Fi data standard across multiple implementations.

This badge is awarded based on a demonstrated ability to deliver repeatable, scalable services that lead to aligned, standards-based implementations in a variety of customer contexts. It reflects a partner’s capability, leadership, and alignment with the Ed-Fi community’s goals for data quality, interoperability, and long-term ecosystem impact.

Requirements

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In addition to the specifics listed below, a vendor must satisfy all applicable core requirements listed in Badging Requirements for Technology Providers.

Applicants for the Implementation Partner Badge must:

• Demonstrate alignment to Ed-Fi best practices and data standards through completed implementations
• Show repeatable implementation practices across at least two verified projects
• Participate in project retrospectives to reflect on lessons learned and ensure alignment with Ed-Fi guidance
• Provide evidence of change management processes relevant to Ed-Fi implementations
• Provide verifiable documentation of implementation methods, internal tools, and process frameworks
• Actively participate in the Ed-Fi community and governance structures

What We Mean by "Repeatable Services"

Repeatability refers to a partner’s ability to consistently deliver effective, scalable services aligned to Ed-Fi implementation guidance. This includes:

• Applying reusable internal playbooks, templates, or code packages
• Delivering services that can be sustained across agencies, geographies, or vendor ecosystems
• Following guidance from Ed-Fi’s Implementation Playbooks, Technical Deployment materials, and Solution Guides
• Contributing to implementations that result in standards-aligned, community-compatible outcomes

Core Service Areas We Look For

The badge process evaluates whether a partner consistently delivers services that align to the following areas:

• Ed-Fi strategy and implementation planning
• Technical architecture and environment configuration
• ODS/API deployment and management
• Data mapping, validation, and extension minimization
• Vendor coordination and onboarding
• Project management and change facilitation
• Stakeholder engagement and governance support
• Documentation, training, and LEA enablement
• Operational and post-deployment support

Partners may also propose additional service areas for review, if those services directly support Ed-Fi-aligned implementations.

Verifications - Quality

Like other badges, a verifying agency/company is required. The nature of the verification is important due to the custom nature of offering implementation services.

• If the verification is for a vendor product, the vendor must also be badged/certified to qualify as a verification. This is required to ensure that implementation services are following best practices and current certification/badging requirements.
• Collaboratives or regional service centers can provide verification if their solution is badged as a “Ed-Fi Managed ODS API Platform Badge”
• Ed-Fi may use a developer to look at code of the implementation to look for best practices (e.g. look for multi-threading in code to support best practice)
• Verifications from individual LEAs/SEAs require a deeper validation than other means to ensure adherence to Ed-Fi standards and repetability.  Vendors should consider productizing their service for more streamlined scale-ability.  Part of this verification includes validation Ed-Fi core components are used, code inspection to validate that best practices are being used, and reviewing processes exist for repeatability.

Verifications - Quantity

Unlike other badges, the Implementation Partner badge requires two verifications. Due to the custom nature of implementations Ed-Fi requires a second verification to demonstrate repeatability in the marketplace.

Proof of repeatability

Implementation partners must demonstrate their services are “productized” for future customers. Examples of evidence includes re-usable development packages, re-usable project plans, and/or detailed implementation documentation. These documents can be internal intellectual property but must be shared with Ed-Fi with enough detail to verify their existence and usage.

Community Participation

Implementation Partners are expected to be active members of the Ed-Fi Partner Program, including:

• Participation in governance groups and community feedback processes
• Engagement with other partners and state/local agencies
• Ongoing contributions to community learning, documentation, or working groups

Ed-Fi Project Retrospective Participation

Any project can be reported to Ed-Fi for a group retrospective. This can be done during mid-project reviews or as the project is closed out.  Lessons learned from the retrospective can identify gaps in best practices and will be used to anonymously update Ed-Fi’s best practices and guidance. Badge removal may occur if the retrospective identifies gaps in quality and repeatability by a badged vendor that are not resolved after an appropriate time.

Provisional Badges

New organizations without two completed implementations may apply for a Provisional Badge, which includes:

• A deeper review of tools, methods, and alignment to Ed-Fi implementation guidance
• Retrospective participation for initial projects
• Full badge eligibility upon completion and validation of two successful, aligned implementations