6.8 Counterparty Intelligence Framework
The counterparty map for each regional play will distinguish:
-
Decision Sponsors: The entity with authority to approve or commission a pilot
-
Regulatory / Policy Gatekeepers: The entity whose approval or non-objection is required before a pilot can proceed
-
Procurement Owners: The entity through which a public-sector contract would flow
-
Local Delivery Partners: System integrators, technology providers, or implementation organisations capable of building and operating the solution
-
Distribution and Trust Partners: Organisations — NGOs, cooperatives, community networks — that provide access, trust, and local legitimacy
-
Technical and Compliance Enablers: Banks, payment providers, mobile-money operators, legal counsel, identity-service providers
For each named or archetypal counterparty, the map will state whether the entity was interviewed, has been referred by another stakeholder, was desk-identified, or is hypothetical. This distinction is required to ensure that counterparty maps do not overstate access.
10. Stakeholder Access Plan
10.1 Respondent Categories and Access Basis
The table below documents the primary respondent categories, their relevance to the decision gates, and PRISMA’s access basis for each:
| Respondent Category | Decision Gate Relevance | Access Basis | Indicative Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public-sector officials and former officials in candidate regions | Regional priority, counterparty access, regulatory pathway | CATS26 network; hub network referrals; desk-identified with warm introduction pathway | 6–10 |
| Regulators, policy experts, and compliance professionals | Regulatory landscape, licensing requirements, procurement pathways | Hub network referrals; desk-identified with warm introduction pathway; local counsel contacts | 4–6 |
| Humanitarian organisations, NGOs, and multilateral intermediaries | Humanitarian use case viability; counterparty access; compliance and delivery requirements | CATS26 participant ecosystem; hub network; desk-identified organisations active in target regions | 4–6 |
| Local technology providers, system integrators, and implementation partners | Delivery capacity, infrastructure assessment, implementation model viability | CATS26 hub network; existing Cardano ecosystem relationships; desk-identified regional firms | 8–12 |
| Mobile money operators, banks, and payment infrastructure providers | Off-ramp access, stablecoin settlement, financial services regulatory pathway | Hub network referrals; desk-identified operators in priority regions | 3–5 |
| Agricultural networks, cooperatives, and supply-chain actors | Agricultural use-case viability; implementation pathway; farmer identity and trust conditions | Hub network in sub-Saharan Africa; desk-identified sector organisations | 3–5 |
| Cardano ecosystem actors active in candidate regions | Existing signal assessment; ecosystem presence scoring; counterparty landscape | Direct PRISMA network; CATS26 participant community; Cardano community referrals | 6–10 |
Total indicative primary research interactions: 34–54. Interactions will be documented in the Counterparty and Partner Access Map, with each contact’s access basis and confidence level stated.
10.2 Access Limitations and Fallback Protocols
PRISMA will not overclaim access. Where direct stakeholder access is limited — particularly for senior public-sector officials, central bank regulators, or ministry-level decision-makers — the methodology will:
-
Use former officials, policy advisers, and regulatory consultants as proxies, with findings labelled accordingly
-
Use structured expert panels to aggregate knowledge where individual interview access is constrained
-
Document access limitations explicitly in the Confidence and Limitations Register
-
Adjust RARF scores and CASS classifications to reflect access limitations in the evidence base
PRISMA will avoid overstating government interest based on indirect evidence. Where a finding depends on desk-identified or hypothetical counterparties, it will be clearly marked with a lower confidence level and recommended for further diligence before resource deployment.
10.3 Managing Insider Bias
PRISMA’s primary research will actively seek non-Cardano stakeholders to balance the evidence base. For each priority region, the research will include at least two respondents with no direct Cardano affiliation — including, where possible, individuals who evaluated Cardano and chose an alternative approach. This is a structural control, not an optional enhancement.