- Published
- 7 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 7 October 2026
Set the review boundary
Choose one safeguard and identify the objective it supports. State the process, period and question being reviewed. This checklist is a practice aid, not an audit opinion or a statement that an organisation complies with a law or standard.
In a fictional equipment process, the safeguard is an approval before equipment is issued. The question is whether the selected records show the required approval before issue during the chosen period.
Check the intended operation
Confirm where the requirement is documented and which version applies. Identify the role responsible for the step and any agreed exceptions. Record what should happen, when it should happen and what evidence should be retained.
A step that nobody owns may need clarification before its operation can be reviewed. Do not treat informal assumptions as an approved control design. Ask the responsible person to confirm the requirement.
Review authorised evidence
Use records you are permitted to access. State how examples were selected and what was examined. Record an observation precisely, including the relevant date and the comparison made. Keep sensitive information in the appropriate controlled system.
For the fictional example, compare the recorded approval date with the issue date. If the meaning of a timestamp is unclear, investigate it before drawing a conclusion.
Record exceptions and uncertainty
Describe an exception without exaggeration or blame. Separate the observed condition from the possible consequence. Ask whether missing information changes what can be concluded.
If one record lacks an approval entry, record that condition. Further work may be needed to establish whether approval happened elsewhere, whether the record is incomplete or whether the step was omitted. The checklist alone does not answer that question.
Agree the next step
End with the review result, unresolved questions and an agreed action. Identify who can authorise a change to the safeguard. Record an owner, date and follow-up method for each action.
Download the PDF for a printed review or the Word version for editing. Start with fictional records and keep the conclusion limited to the stated scope.
Source and practice note
APM governance guidance provides context for authority and accountability. The detailed review checklist is an original RDE exercise. This original RDE exercise uses fictional examples. Adapt it to your organisation, authority and specialist advice.
APM governance and accountability
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.
Download and complete the exercise
Download the editable Word document
Printable PDF and editable Word document. Version 2.0, 7 October 2026. Personal and internal organisational adaptation permitted with Jefferson Otonbara Imgbi author credit retained.