GitCover Body of Knowledge (GCBoK)
The Normative Reference Work for Git-Native Compliance
GitCover is not a tool for compliance enthusiasts. It is infrastructure for everyone who wants to get compliance done — as affordable, as secure, and as auditable as possible.
The GitCover Body of Knowledge (GCBoK) is a normative reference work that canonicalizes the terminology, concepts, and architectural principles of Git-native Compliance. It is comparable to PMBOK (Project Management), SWEBOK (Software Engineering), and DMBOK (Data Management) — yet with its own conceptual framework.
Positioning
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Body of Knowledge (BoK) — normative |
| Pattern | ISO/IEC 24773 (BoK structure as a foundation for certification schemes) |
| Sponsor | GitCover Commons gUG (GCC) — non-profit |
| License | Target: CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Versioning | Git (git.gitcover.org) — Git-native, self-referential |
| URL | gcbok.org (Production) |
Three-Layer Model
The GCBoK is part of a three-layer naming model:
- GCBoK (normative terminology authority) — definitions, concepts, architectural principles
- GCCom (GitCover Compendium) — communication and documentation frontend
- GCRef (GitCover Reference) — machine-readable layer (OSCAL catalogs, OPA rule sets)
Seven Axes
The GCBoK is structured along seven chapter axes:
| Axis | Topics |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals | Git-native Compliance, Compliance as Infrastructure, GoBD, NIS2, BSI GS++, DSGVO, Application Understanding |
| Concepts | V7GUID, Evidence Chains, Cryptographic Evidence Chain, Deterministic Branching |
| Components | GCDMS, GCPN, GCUCB, GCEP, GCSYNC, GCAL |
| Techniques | OSCAL, OPA/Rego, GPG Signing, uuidV7, Git as IdP |
| Processes | SME Onboarding, Compliance City, Tenant Isolation, .gitcover/ Structure, Issue Archival, Audit Readiness, GoBD Year-End Closing, NIS2 Risk Analysis, AI Server Integration, Share Frontends |
| Templates | OSCAL Catalog Template, OPA Policy Template, V7GUID Schema, DMS Container Template |
| Governance | GCC Articles of Association, Community Rules, Amendment Process, Versioning |
Note: The non-profit sponsor GitCover Commons gUG (GCC), its Articles of Association, donations, and activities are documented on the GCC page. The GCBoK itself is the knowledge and reference work.