STAGE 14 / 16 · ACT 5 · Sustain

Assurance and control effectiveness

Check whether controls work in practice. Assurance evaluates evidence of control effectiveness, identifies findings and updates the understanding of residual risk. Material findings can send the work back to treatment planning.

What to do at this stage

  1. 01

    Choose evidence that demonstrates actual operation, including samples, observations and tests.

  2. 02

    Evaluate effectiveness against agreed criteria and record the limitations of the evidence.

  3. 03

    Assign findings and revisit treatment decisions where protection is weaker than assumed.

Questions to work through

  • What evidence shows the control working?
  • Is the sample sufficient for the claim being made?
  • Which findings change our view of residual risk?
AN EXAMPLE IN PRACTICE

An access review should examine whether inappropriate permissions are detected and removed, as well as whether a review procedure exists.

A common trap

The presence of a policy establishes intent; it does not by itself establish operating effectiveness.

When the work needs to return

Suggested resources

Selected for their likely use at this stage. Resource associations are guidance, not a compliance crosswalk.

Keep the whole life cycle in view

These practical prompts are editorial guidance for the navigator. Consult the published SRMBOK life cycle guide and charts for the full method. About this edition and its sources.

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