- The artifact under review, at a specific version, with its document-control section filled in
- The library's review schedule, so the review happens on cadence rather than on memory
- Access to the evidence locations the artifact points at, so pointers can actually be followed
ATL-010RECORDEDITORIAL REVIEW COMPLETE
Artifact Review and Approval Record
A one-page standing record for reviewing any other artifact in the library: which artifact and version, who reviewed it, which checks were performed — currency, named ownership, example rows replaced, evidence pointers valid — and an explicit outcome with a next review date.
Using this artifact
Purpose, inputs, and completion
Purpose. A library of governance artifacts decays one unreviewed document at a time: a departed name here, a dead evidence pointer there, an example row nobody replaced. This record is the library's maintenance instrument — one page, completed at each review of any artifact, capturing exactly what was checked and what was decided. A stack of these records is the difference between a library that is maintained and one that merely exists.
When to use it. Complete one record per artifact per review, on the schedule each artifact's own document-control section declares. Perform the checks against the completed, in-use copy — not the blank template — and follow every pointer you are asked to verify. The outcome must be binary: approved, or changes required with a name and a date attached; a review that ends in 'mostly fine' has not ended.
- Identify the artifact and the exact version reviewed before performing any checks — a review of 'the latest copy' is a review of nothing in particular.
- Work through every check in the table, following evidence pointers to their destinations rather than taking them on faith.
- Record an explicit outcome: approved, or changes required with a named owner and a due date — nothing in between.
- Set the next review date from the artifact's own stated frequency and file this record alongside the artifact it reviews.
Keeping it honest
Evidence, validation, and failure modes
- A dated, signed review record for a specific artifact version
- A check-by-check trail showing the review examined substance, not just the cover page
- An outcome decision with the follow-up owner and date when changes were required
- Compare this record's 'version reviewed' against the artifact's own version history; a mismatch means the review examined a different document than the one in use.
- For one check marked pass, repeat it yourself — open the evidence pointer, check the owner against the staff list; if it fails on repeat, the review was a signature, not a review.
What looks done but is not
- Rubber-stamping: every check marked pass in two minutes, which this record makes visible through identical dates and empty note cells.
- Reviewing the template instead of the completed artifact — the structure is fine, and the stale names and dead pointers inside it go unexamined.
- 'Changes required' outcomes with no owner or due date, so the record documents that problems were noticed and nothing more.
Mapped relationships
Practices and requirements this artifact relates to
Brilliant at the Basics practices
NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2
NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3
Relationships are mapped support, not equivalence: completing this artifact documents work relevant to these requirements and does not by itself address any of them. Retention: Retain completed records for the life of the artifact they review plus two years; the review trail is what distinguishes a maintained library from a stale one.
Full document
Preview — exactly what prints
RECORD · EVIDENCE & ASSESSMENT READINESSv1.0 · REVIEWED 2026-08-06
Artifact Review and Approval Record
Brilliant at the Basics Resource Center · brilliantatthebasics.us · published by inDirectIT, Inc.
Independent educational material. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, approved by, or endorsed by the U.S. Department of War. Does not establish compliance, certification, or contractual standing.
Purpose
A library of governance artifacts decays one unreviewed document at a time: a departed name here, a dead evidence pointer there, an example row nobody replaced. This record is the library's maintenance instrument — one page, completed at each review of any artifact, capturing exactly what was checked and what was decided. A stack of these records is the difference between a library that is maintained and one that merely exists.
How to use it
Complete one record per artifact per review, on the schedule each artifact's own document-control section declares. Perform the checks against the completed, in-use copy — not the blank template — and follow every pointer you are asked to verify. The outcome must be binary: approved, or changes required with a name and a date attached; a review that ends in 'mostly fine' has not ended.
How to use this record
This is a standing record: keep blank copies with the library and complete one for every review event. It reviews any artifact — worksheets, registers, trackers, plans — because the checks below are about currency, ownership, and truthfulness, which every artifact shares. File the completed record with the artifact it reviews, so the artifact and its review history travel together.
Review the filled-in copy, not the template
The template is always fine; it was fine the day it was published. What decays is the completed artifact: the named people, the dates, the pointers, the rows. Every check below is aimed at the in-use copy.
Artifact identified
Identification
| Artifact reviewed (title and ID) | Version reviewed | Date of that version | Artifact's document owner | Reviewer (name and role) | Review date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Checks performed
Every row gets a result and, for anything other than a clean pass, a note. An empty note column across the board is itself a signal — see the failure modes.
The EXAMPLE row shows a completed check — record your own results against each listed check.
| Check | Result (pass / fail / n-a) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EXAMPLE: Evidence pointers valid — three sampled pointers followed to their destinations | Fail | EV-014's location moved in the July reorganization; index row not updated — change required below |
| Current: updated within the artifact's own review frequency | ||
| Owner is a named person still in the stated role | ||
| Example rows (EXAMPLE:) replaced with real content throughout | ||
| Evidence pointers resolve to artifacts that exist and are dated | ||
| Document-control section completed, including version history | ||
| No CUI, credentials, or sensitive detail entered where the artifact warns against it |
Outcome and next review
Binary outcome. An approval carrying unresolved changes is not an approval — it is a deferral wearing a signature.
Outcome
| Outcome (approved / changes required) | Changes required (summary) | Owner of the changes | Changes due by | Next scheduled review | Reviewer signature / initials and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
When changes are required, the artifact's owner — not the reviewer — carries them, and the record stays open until a follow-up entry confirms the changes landed. Only then does the outcome flip to approved, dated on the day it became true.
Document control, version history, and approval
An artifact without an owner, a review date, and an approval trail is a snapshot, not a record. Complete this section before the document is used, and update it at every review.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Document owner (named person) | |
| Suggested owner role | Compliance lead |
| Approval authority | Executive sponsor |
| Review frequency | Completed at every artifact review the library's cadences call for; the record format itself reviewed annually |
| Next scheduled review | |
| Storage location of the completed document | |
| Retention | Retain completed records for the life of the artifact they review plus two years; the review trail is what distinguishes a maintained library from a stale one. |
Version history
| Version | Date | Author | Summary of change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Review and approval
| Reviewed by | Role | Date | Signature / initials |
|---|---|---|---|
Complete this offline — and mind what you write down
Fill this in inside your own environment, not on any public website or unapproved cloud tool. A completed copy may reveal your security posture: never include CUI, export-controlled data, credentials or keys, unremediated vulnerability details, network diagrams, or customer-sensitive information beyond what the artifact strictly needs, and store the completed document with the same care as the systems it describes.
What completing this artifact does and does not do
This is independent educational material. Completing it documents your work and produces records a reviewer can examine — it does not, by itself, implement a safeguard, satisfy any NIST SP 800-171 requirement, establish compliance with DFARS or CMMC, or replace your own analysis within your defined system boundary. Requirement references are mapped relationships, not equivalence claims. Tailor every section to your technical, operational, contractual, regulatory, and safety requirements.