[Sec: UNCLASSIFIED-GOVERNMENT-INTERNAL-USE-ONLY]

Assurance Review Terms of Reference

<insert name of project>

[Delete all blue textwith completion of template.

This document is a template of a Gated Review - Terms of Reference. The template includes instructions to the author, boilerplate text, and fields that should be replaced with the values specific to the project.

  • Blue italicised text enclosed in square brackets ([text]) provides instructions to the document author, or describes the intent, assumptions and context for content included in this document.
  • Blue regular or italicised text enclosed in angle brackets (<text> / <text>) indicates a field that should be replaced with information specific to a particular project.
  • Text and tables in black are provided as boilerplate examples of wording and formats that may be used or modified as appropriate to a specific project. These are offered only as suggestions to assist in developing project documents; they are not mandatory formats.]

Program name / <Insert program name> OR<insert Not applicable>
Program assurance level / insert assurance level> or <insert ‘not applicable’ / Date last profiled / <insert date last profiled > or <insert ‘not applicable’>
Project name / insert projectname, if applicable>
Project assurance level / insert assurance level> / Date last profiled / <insert date last profiled
Date of last review / <insert date of last review> / Type of last review / insert type of last assurance review>
E.g. Gateway review 2
Agency / insert agency name>
Senior Responsible Owner/ Project Executive / insert name of SRO or Project Executive name and contact details.>
PMO / PDO contact details / Name: / Telephone:
Email:
Purpose of document
The purpose of this document is to clearly state the Terms of Reference for the review.The extent of the Terms of Reference will determine the scope of the review and the time, effort and expertise required to conduct the review. If the SRO/Project Executive requires a specific element to be examined it needs to be clearly stated within the scope.
Review type
[The author is to detail the review type i.e. Assurance Review Gate 3 - Investment Decision or External Health Check – Financial review. This should be extracted from the initiative's assurance plan.]
<insert detail of review type>
Scope of the review
[The scope could be a simple as “in accordance with standard Assurance Review Gate 3” or include additional requirements such as particular attention required to benefits predicted and their potential achievability. The scope must be as detailed as necessary in order to obtain the desired results from the review.]
<insert scope of the review>
Results of last review (if applicable)
[Summary of key results and/or status from last report.Previous assurance reports will need to be made available to the review team as standard practice]
<insert summary from last applicable review/s – e.g. last health check, technical review
Identified concerns/issues
[Concerns and/or issues must be outlined in this section, including issues identified during last review yet to be addressed.Other concerns not identified during reviews may also be included here.For example ‘There is some concern that benefits claimed under this project that are to be realised by other agencies may not be achieved due to agencies not signing up to benefits.’]
<Include any particular concerns or issues that warrant more detailed investigation as part of the review.>
Background history
[This information may be extracted from the Program Plan or Project Initiation Document (PID). This information is to be brief but to provide enough context regarding the program or project.]
<Briefly describe background and/or current history of program or project.>
Timing of the review
[This section is to outline the required start date and/or end date of the review. This is to assist with the coordination and appointment of a review team.]
<Requested timing for the review, covering review life cycle from planning to delivery of final report.>
Security / confidentiality
[This section is to outline whether there are any specific security or confidentiality concerns where reviewers will need a higher than normal information access clearance. If there are requirements it must state whether just the Review Team Leader or the whole team would need the clearance.]
<Outline any specific security or confidentiality requirements required for review.>
Documentation
[This section is to outline what documentation as a minimum will be provided to the review team. Note: the review team has permission to request additional documentation for examination, for example, project risk register, project contract with supplier, benefits maps.]
<Detail documentation that will be available for the review (this can be provided as an appendix).>
Review approach
[A review other than a standard gated review/health check outline detail/s of review here.If the standard gated review approach is required, then insert ‘not applicable’.]
<Outline any specific requirements for the review approach.>
Interviewees
[This would be the minimum list of people to be viewed as the review team may request additional interviewees. As a guide, it would be expected that interviews would be 1 hour duration per interviewee.]
<Specify the list of people to be interviewed as part of the review.>
Delivery and report briefing
[This section must clearly state who will own the report, as the review team are to deliver the report to this person. If a PowerPoint briefing or other additional briefing material is required in addition to the actual report this must also be stated.]
<Outline who the report is to be delivered to and any specific briefing requirements.>
SRO / Project or Program Executive Signature
<Name of Officer> / Agency PMO/PDO Signature
<Name of Officer>
<Position, Business Unit>
<Department> / <Position, Business Unit>
<Department>
Date: 201x / Date: 201x

[Note:Endorsement by SRO or a Program or Project Executive for a project is required as these would be the normal positions requesting reviews.

Endorsement by the PMO/PDO(or similar support construct) ensures that a quality check has been conducted on the Terms of Reference and is in accordance with the assurance plan of the initiative.If this signature block is not required, please delete.

If other signature blocks are required, please feel free to add them. ]

[Sec: UNCLASSIFIED-GOVERNMENT-INTERNAL-USE-ONLY]