Program Backed
Documentation

The reference layer under the framework.

This documentation describes how the Program Backed Framework is put together — the anatomy of the agreement, the definitions used in schedules, and the methodology behind audit findings. It is written for candidates who want to read past the marketing, providers preparing for admission, and reviewers auditing us.

1. Anatomy of a Framework Agreement

Every Framework Agreement is a five-part document. The body is the same for every Provider; the schedules are programme-specific.

  • Recitals. Identify the parties: the Candidate, the Provider, and Program Backed LLC as framework administrator.
  • Operative terms. The rights and obligations that apply to every agreement — audit rights, complaint mechanism, notice, governing law.
  • Schedule A — Parties. Legal names, addresses, and contact points.
  • Schedule B — Commitments. The employment commitment: role type, placement window, salary floor, tenure, geographies. The support obligations: mentor cadence, CV review, mock interviews, warm employer introductions.
  • Schedule C — Refund terms. The trigger, the amount, the timeline, the deductions, the payment method.

2. Schedule definitions

Placement

Paid employment in the discipline the programme trains for, at or above the salary floor in Schedule B, retained for at least the minimum tenure in Schedule B (typically 90 days). A placement is verified against an offer letter and either payroll evidence or a written employer confirmation.

Placement window

The number of days, measured from the earlier of (a) the completion date of the programme and (b) the date agreed in Schedule B, within which the Provider commits to achieve a Placement for the Candidate.

Candidate availability

The Candidate is "available" for a Placement when they respond to Provider outreach within three business days, attend interviews scheduled within a reasonable notice period, and do not refuse offers meeting Schedule B without written cause. Refusal for written cause (e.g. an offer below the salary floor, a role outside the discipline) does not affect availability.

Programme completion

The Candidate is considered to have completed the programme when they have attended the required proportion of instruction set in Schedule B, submitted the required assessments, and been signed off by the Provider. Providers cannot withhold sign-off arbitrarily to avoid Schedule C.

3. Audit methodology

Audit runs on a rolling quarterly cycle. For each cycle:

  1. A sample of Placements is drawn at random from the Provider's roster for the cycle.
  2. For each sampled Placement, source records are requested: offer letter, payroll evidence or employer confirmation, and correspondence sufficient to verify the role, salary, and start date.
  3. The audit team reconciles the Placement against the Schedule B definition. Any discrepancy is noted in a finding.
  4. Findings are shared with the Provider. The Provider may correct records within ten business days; unresolved findings become part of the public audit summary.
Sampling proportions and confidence intervals are set by the audit team on a per-Provider basis, informed by cohort size and prior findings. The audit team is separated from framework operations and reports to the Program Backed directors — see Governance.

4. Report IDs and revisions

Report IDs on programme pages follow the format:

PB-{discipline}-{provider}-{year}

The framework revision (e.g. "2026.Q1") indicates which version of the Program Backed Standard was in force when the report was issued. Existing agreements are not retroactively renegotiated when the Standard updates; the next audit cycle applies the new rules.

5. Programme statuses

  • Protected. The programme is currently listed and its Framework Agreement is in force.
  • Under review. An audit or complaint is open. The Provider continues to trade and honour signed agreements.
  • Corrective action. A finding has issued and the Provider has ten business days to correct it publicly.
  • Suspended. The programme cannot accept new enrolments. Existing agreements remain enforceable.
  • Removed. The programme is no longer on the framework. Existing agreements transfer to the Program Backed resolution reserve.

6. Integration references (for Providers)

Providers integrate with the framework in three places: enrolment (signature capture), cohort reporting (roster and completion), and outcome reporting (placement events). Detailed integration references, sample payloads, and sandbox credentials are shared with admitted Providers directly — write to info@programbacked.com from a Provider-owned domain to request access.

7. Glossary of terms used across the site

  • Framework Agreement. The signed contract between Candidate, Provider, and Program Backed.
  • Standard. The ruleset every Provider accepts to be listed. See The Standard.
  • Schedule B. The commitments schedule.
  • Schedule C. The refund and remedy schedule.
  • Framework revision. The version of the Standard in force at issue.
  • Case reference. The identifier issued when a complaint is opened.
  • Resolution reserve. The mechanism that keeps candidate rights alive when a Provider leaves the framework.