Skip to main content

Reviewing Audit Items

This guide covers the reviewer workflow for evaluating and deciding on recertification audit items.

Understanding Your Audit Items​

When a recertification cycle is populated, each resource in scope becomes an audit item. As a reviewer (typically a Data Steward), you are responsible for evaluating whether each resource should retain its current status.

Each audit item shows:

  • Resource name — The data product or access grant being reviewed, with a clickable link to its detail page
  • Resource type — The category of the resource (e.g., Table, Dashboard)
  • Status — Current decision state (Pending, Approved, Rejected, Expired)
  • Linked request — If a recertification request has been created, a clickable link to its details

Making Decisions​

Approving an Item​

If the resource is still valid and should retain its current classification and access, click Approve. The item status changes to Approved and no further action is required.

Rejecting an Item​

If the resource no longer meets requirements — for example, if access should be revoked, ownership should change, or the product needs reclassification — click Reject. Provide a note explaining the reason for rejection so that follow-up actions can be taken.

Creating Recertification Requests​

For items that require a formal review through the approval workflow, click Recertify on an individual audit item. This creates a recertification request that is routed through the cycle's configured workflow.

What Happens When You Recertify​

  1. A new request is created with the type recertification
  2. If the cycle has a title template, the request title is auto-generated using template variables
  3. If the cycle has a description template, the request description is rendered from the template
  4. The request is linked to the audit item — the item status changes to Requested
  5. The request enters the configured workflow for approval

Approval Sync​

When a recertification request is approved, the corresponding audit item is automatically marked as Approved. When a request is rejected, the audit item is marked as Rejected. This synchronization means the cycle detail page always reflects the true state of each review.

tip

You can click the request link on any "Recertified" or "Requested" audit item to view the full request details, including approval progress and comments.

Bulk Recertification​

Space Admins can use the Recertify All button to create recertification requests for all pending items at once. This is useful for large cycles where every item needs to go through the formal workflow. Individual items that already have a request or decision are skipped.

Tracking Progress​

Cycle Detail Page​

The cycle detail page shows an overview of review progress:

  • Total items — Number of audit items in the cycle
  • Reviewed — Number of items with a decision (approved, rejected, or expired)
  • Pending — Number of items still awaiting review

Audit Table​

The audit table lists every item with its current status, decision timestamp, and reviewer. Use this to identify which items still need attention and who has been making decisions.

After the Review​

Once all items have been decided, a Space Admin can mark the cycle as Completed. A completed cycle becomes read-only and serves as an auditable record of the review.

Items that were rejected during the cycle should be followed up on — this may involve revoking access, updating product metadata, or reassigning ownership depending on the cycle type.

Best Practices​

Review Promptly​

Complete your reviews before the cycle due date. Items left undecided past the deadline may be marked as Expired, which flags a gap in the audit trail.

Provide Notes on Rejections​

When rejecting an item, always include a note explaining why. This helps the resource owner understand what action is needed and creates a clear compliance record.

Use Recertification Requests for Formal Reviews​

For resources that require multi-step approval (e.g., high-criticality products), use the Recertify action rather than a direct approve/reject. This routes the decision through the workflow and creates a richer audit trail.

Coordinate with Space Admins​

If you notice resources that should not be in the cycle (e.g., test products, deprecated items), notify the Space Admin. They can adjust filters and re-populate to correct the scope.