For criterion validation purposes, i.e the demonstration that ESeC is a reasonable measure of the underlying concept of employment relations, the prototype ESeC matrix will be submitted to review at a consortium workshop at the end of month 6 (work package 4). Prior to the workshop, consortium members, all of them experts on SECs and their uses in both national and comparative research, will be supplied by UESSEX-ISER and WARWICK with the fullest possible brief about the proposed ESeC, including information drawn from work packages 2 and 3. This is crucial so that each expert, when examining the matrix allocations, has the correct allocation criteria in mind (rather than their own, possibly fallacious ones) and some idea of how the prototype ESeC discriminates key social indicators across EU states. Experts will then independently examine the matrix and supporting information and will flag any allocations they believe incorrect for their member state or for any other for which they have detailed knowledge. In these cases, they will be required to provide evidence in line with the allocation criteria. Eurostat and NSIs will also be supplied with the ESeC brief and will be invited to make comments prior to the conference. The outcome of these deliberations and discussions will be a revised prototype derivation matrix to be employed in the validation studies in step 4.