Hello All! 
One of the projects for which I was brought into the IoPA is to conduct research and technical writing toward establishing a Mutual Recognition and Data Standard for makerspaces, fablabs, and spaces in the maker community. The aim is to allow for mobile and/or nomadic makers to navigate between spaces. Since joining the group last month, I have been in conversation with many of you, as well as with makerspace and maker consortium directors/coordinators around the world, to gather an understanding of not only what the work on this standard would be, but how we could get there.
I have been working closely with @Jessicang to frame the direction of this research for integration into an immediate use case for the Mutual Recognition and Data Standard for Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) Users’ Skills Using Maker Passports component of the mAkE consortium project, and we have been collaborating on collecting data during maker events, such as AMN’s event in Cape Town last week.
Now that I’ve had a chance to get my feet under me, I’ve collated a start to this work to share with you openly and invite collaboration. Very much in alignment with the modus operandi of Liberate Science and their ResearchEquals platform, I’m about sharing how we know, not just what we know - that means open processes and invitation for collaboration at every stage.
I will be following this post with others inviting feedback and collaboration on how I am coordinating this work, how best to engage you as a community, and to gather information and ideas for broadening the discussion beyond the scope of the immediate use case.