1. A method for evaluating a context-based policy, the policy having a set of attributes, the method being implemented in software logic executing on a hardware element, comprising: receiving an entitlement request; upon receipt of the entitlement request, and based at least on the policy, formulating a search query against an external data repository; executing the search query against the external data repository and, in response, receiving as a result a candidate set of one or more entitlement values; evaluating the entitlement request against the policy and the result of the search query to generate a response to the entitlement request.