Operationalizing IEEE 7003 in Modulos

Modulos has two Frameworks for IEEE Std 7003-2024, the IEEE Standard for Algorithmic Bias Considerations. The two Frameworks have the name "IEEE 7003": MFF-25 at the AI System level and OFF-25 at the Organization level.

Use of IEEE 7003 is voluntary. See IEEE 7003 for the standard, where it applies, and conformance.

Recommended AI System structure

For IEEE 7003, Modulos recommends two levels of AI System. IEEE 7003 does not set these levels. IEEE 7003 has clauses for the life cycle of an autonomous intelligent system (AIS) (1.6). An AI System is the Modulos item to which you add a Framework.

AI System	Framework
The organization AI System	OFF-25
One AI System for each AIS or each use of an AIS in your IEEE 7003 work	MFF-25

IEEE 7003 has no Organization level. Clause 4 is about the “essential documents and processes” and the methods for bias consideration for one AIS in its context of use (1.6 a). Thus, the tasks of Clause 4 (4.4), for example 4.4 b, c, f, and g, are for each AIS.

Modulos also has Requirements for some IEEE 7003 provisions at the Organization level, in OFF-25. Some provisions are in the two Frameworks. For example, Clause 4.4 b is in MRF-440 for each AI System and in ORF-466 for the Organization. The work in OFF-25 does not replace the work that Clauses 4, 6, and 8 set for each AIS. The table in The Requirements shows the provisions of each Requirement.

Organization AI Systems

Frameworks at the Organization level, for example OFF-25, attach to the organization AI System of your organization. You cannot make a new organization AI System in Modulos. If your organization does not have one, contact Modulos before you add OFF-25.

The Requirements

In Modulos, each Requirement of the IEEE 7003 Frameworks MFF-25 and OFF-25 has a group of IEEE 7003 provisions. For each Requirement, the table shows the provisions and the page that gives information about them.

Framework	Requirement	IEEE 7003 provisions	Page
MFF-25	MRF-440 Bias Consideration Setup and Boundaries of Acceptability	Clause 4 (4.1–4.5), with 1.4–1.6 and Clause 5	Clause 4
MFF-25	MRF-441 The Bias Profile	Clause 5	Clause 5
MFF-25	MRF-442 Stakeholder Identification	Clause 6	Clause 6
MFF-25	MRF-443 Data Provenance and Representation Metadata	Clause 7 (7.1–7.4.2.1)	Clause 7, data sources and metadata
MFF-25	MRF-444 Data-Stakeholder Mapping and Exploration	7.4.2.2 and 7.4.2.3, with the monitoring of Clause 9	Clause 7, data exploration and data mapping
MFF-25	MRF-445 Bias Risk and Impact Assessment	Clause 8 (8.1–8.5)	Clause 8
MFF-25	MRF-446 Design and Output Bias Evaluation	9.1 and 9.2 (9.2.1–9.2.5)	Clause 9.2
MFF-25	MRF-447 Ongoing Bias Evaluation and Drift Monitoring	9.3 (9.3.1–9.3.5)	Clause 9.3
OFF-25	ORF-465 Adoption, Conformance, and Governance Interface	1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 4.2 c, and 4.4 c	Where IEEE 7003 applies, Conformance, Clause 4
OFF-25	ORF-466 Bias Competency, Diversity, and Advocacy Resourcing	4.4 b, 5.2.4, 6.4 a and b, 6.5, 8.1, and 8.4 c	Clause 4, Clause 6, Clause 8
OFF-25	ORF-467 Organizational Values and Bias Policies	4.2 c, 4.4 f, and 4.4 g	Clause 4

For the Controls of MFF-25 and OFF-25 that other Frameworks also use, see Control overlap.

Recommended sequence of work

Modulos recommends this sequence of work for IEEE 7003. This sequence is only the first iteration, because IEEE 7003 requires that each clause is applied again during all of the AIS life cycle, as “appropriate” (1.6). See The clauses of the standard.

1. Add the Frameworks. Add OFF-25 to the organization AI System. Add MFF-25 to the AI System of each AIS.
2. Prepare the work at the Organization level (OFF-25).
   • Collect the governance processes and policies that are available, for example the organizational values (4.2 c).
   • Select one or more of the uses in 1.8: a conformance claim, a contract, or an in-house standard.
   • Examine the biases, cultural context, “competency”, and diversity of the personnel who do stakeholder identification. IEEE 7003 requires this when they identify protected attributes (6.5).
   • Examine the diversity of the risk and impact assessment (RIA) team. IEEE 7003 recommends that the diversity of the RIA team shows the diversity of the identified stakeholders (8.4 c).
   • Prepare a method to get external advocates when the personnel do not “appropriately” represent the sensitive attributes (4.4 b).
3. Do Clause 4 for each AI System, and start the risk and impact assessment (MFF-25).
   • Do the tasks of Clause 4 (4.4) for each AIS.
   • Select an accountability structure (4.4 c). Identify the interface with the organizational governance framework (4.4 c). In Modulos, ORF-465 also has 4.4 c.
   • Make the bias profile (4.4 e).
   • Start the RIA when you make the business case (8.4 a). IEEE 7003 requires an initial RIA at system inception (8.1).
4. Identify the stakeholders and examine the data. Do stakeholder identification (Clause 6) and data representation (Clause 7) for the AIS.
5. Do the evaluation of the design and outputs, and examine the RIA again.
   • Do this evaluation as part of the “design and development stages” (9.2.1).
   • During the AIS life cycle, examine and change the RIA each time the bias profile changes (8.4 b).
   • Examine and change the RIA also when the AIS, its context of use, or the AIS environment changes (8.4 b).
6. Start the ongoing evaluation. Do the ongoing evaluation of Clause 9.3 during the operation of the AIS and during its decommissioning (9.3.1).
7. Do the steps again. Do the related steps again during all of the AIS life cycle, not only after a change (1.6).

Work that the Frameworks do not hold

The IEEE 7003 Frameworks in Modulos, MFF-25 and OFF-25, have Requirements for the provisions that The Requirements shows. Modulos does not do two items for you.

• The conformance claim and the contract. A project or organization makes a conformance claim (1.8). Modulos does not make this claim for you. It also does not make the contract or the “similar agreements” in which a procurer and a supplier name IEEE 7003 (1.8). For the uses of Clause 1.8 and their conditions, see Conformance. IEEE 7003 has no tracking or certification (1.5). A completed Review of a Requirement, or a different record in Modulos, does not make an AIS conform to IEEE 7003.
• Who signs the RIA and who accepts it. IEEE 7003 sets who signs the RIA (8.4 f) and who gives its formal acceptance (8.5). For these persons and when they do these steps, see Risk and impact assessment (Clause 8). A Risk in Modulos does not record risk treatment or that an owner accepts a remaining risk. A Review of a Requirement in Modulos does not sign the RIA and is not the formal acceptance.

Where to go next

IEEE 7003 overview

The standard, where it applies, conformance, and other frameworks

Bias requirements and the bias profile

Clauses 4 and 5: requirements for bias consideration and the bias profile

Stakeholders and data representation

Clauses 6 and 7: stakeholder identification and data representation

Risk, evaluation, and monitoring

Clauses 8 and 9: risk and impact assessment, and evaluation

See it in Modulos

Add OFF-25 to the organization AI System and MFF-25 to each AI System. Then record your IEEE 7003 work in Modulos.

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Sources of this page

• IEEE Std 7003-2024 — IEEE Standard for Algorithmic Bias Considerations, approved on 11 December 2024 and published on 24 January 2025. This page uses the pages before Clause 1, Clauses 1.4 to 1.6, 1.8, and 1.9, and Clauses 4 to 9. IEEE SA page.
• The Modulos Frameworks MFF-25 and OFF-25.

Disclaimer

This page gives general information only. It is not legal advice. Use of IEEE 7003 is voluntary, but a procurer and a supplier can make it part of their contract (Clause 1.8). Conformance to IEEE 7003 does not release a party from legal obligations or other obligations (Clause 1.9). Before you make a decision, compare this page with IEEE Std 7003-2024.