How to streamline your assurance reviews

Program assurance reviews are an important part of any organisation’s quality control process. Reviews will help to ensure all elements of your program are running efficiently and any risks are identified before it’s too late. 

For anyone without digital assurance skills, it can feel a little overwhelming, especially for larger projects onboarding new technology. To help you, here’s a checklist that breaks down the four steps to undertaking a successful Global Gateway Assurance and Global Agile Assurance review. 

STEP #1 – The review initiation

This is an important step to ensure the review is well-defined and proper planning is undertaken for an efficient assurance review. 

In this first step of the process the assurance reviewer will work with the business owner or SRO to define the characteristics of the program or project. They will also discuss the timing and logistics of the assurance review and ensure they have all the necessary skills within the assurance team to complete it successfully. 

STEP #2 – The planning meeting

The next step in the assurance review process is the planning meeting and is aimed at ensuring the assurance reviewer is well prepared and has all the relevant information. In this meeting the business owner can discuss any key issues that are related to the program or project and brief the assurance reviewer on any relevant information. 

The digital assurance reviewer can also request any necessary documentation and schedule interviews with key stakeholders. The reviewer will discuss the agenda, any necessary resources and facilities and establish key protocols for the review process. 

STEP #3 – The onsite review

A critical step in the review process, the onsite review includes an examination of the requested documentation and interviews with the key program or project stakeholders. The initial stages of the assurance review are mainly used for conducting these interviews and reviewing documentation, while the later days are commonly used for report writing and finalising the findings. 

During the onsite review the assurance reviewer will constantly keep the business owner up-to-date on the daily findings, which can help them address any misunderstandings or concerns that arise and ensure issues or problems are identified early. 

STEP #4 – The review report

The review report summarises the findings and recommendations found by the assurance reviewer. It’s given to the business owner who will act upon the recommendations and advice handed down by the reviewer.

Within this report there’s also a comprehensive analysis of the evidence derived from the stakeholder interviews and other presented documentation. The findings are based on this evidence and provide action-orientated recommendations that are constructed to contribute to program or project success. 

The report includes an overall assessment of delivery confidence, giving an overarching picture of the program or project’s performance. It’s a valuable tool that can be used to improve the program/project. 

By following this structured process, including review initiation, planning, onsite review and report writing, an organisation can ensure they are conducting an effective assurance review with direction and focus. 

Digital assurance reviewer training with Global Digital Assurance

To help individuals and organisations obtain the skills to provide effective assurance reviews, Global Digital Assurance provides digital assurance accreditation that is suitable for a range of professionals and a variety of industries. Find out more and sign up for accreditation today.