Open edX Vendor Evaluation Framework

Purpose

This directory contains reusable tools for evaluating Open edX hosting and implementation vendors. The materials here are methodology-focused and institution-agnostic — they can be applied to any new Open edX vendor selection process regardless of institution type or scale.

Contents

File	Purpose
01-requirements-gathering.md	Question bank for gathering institutional requirements before issuing an RFP or starting vendor outreach
02-scoring-framework.md	44-criterion weighted scoring matrix with category definitions and scoring guidance

How to Use This Framework

Step 1 — Requirements Gathering Work through the questions in 01-requirements-gathering.md with the institution's stakeholders before approaching vendors. These answers define the evaluation criteria that matter for this engagement.

Step 2 — Shortlisting Apply hard-filter criteria (US data residency, FERPA, WCAG, uptime SLA) to eliminate non-qualifying vendors. Reference the provider files in open-edx-provider-research/ for per-vendor notes.

Step 3 — Scoring Use the criteria and weights in 02-scoring-framework.md as a starting point. Adjust weights based on the institution's priorities identified in Step 1 (e.g., increase the weight on pricing criteria if budget is the primary constraint; reduce migration weight if migration is out of scope).

Step 4 — Procurement Reference See open-edx-provider-research/24-us-higher-ed-procurement-framework.md for a completed example evaluation against this framework, including vendor rankings, pricing benchmarks (March 2026), and US compliance assessment.

Framework Origin

This framework was developed through a structured vendor evaluation process conducted for a US higher education institution in March 2026. Institution-specific details have been removed; the methodology and criteria are general-purpose.