Channel Governance Audit

Inspection template for auditing Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Viva Engage channels for ownership, naming compliance, membership, activity level, and sensitivity classification.

Audit Scope and Channel Identification

• Platform identified
  Select the collaboration platform being audited.
• Channel or community name recorded
  Enter the exact channel, team, or community name as displayed in the platform.
• Business purpose documented
  State the approved business purpose or intended audience for the channel.
• Audit date and inspector recorded
  Capture when the inspection was performed and who completed it.

Ownership and Administrative Control

• Named owner or primary admin assigned
  Confirm the channel has at least one named owner, admin, or moderator responsible for governance.
• Owner is active and reachable
  Confirm the listed owner can be contacted and is still active in the organization.
• Backup owner or delegate identified
  Confirm a backup owner or delegate is assigned for continuity if the primary owner is unavailable.
• Ownership reviewed within policy interval
  Confirm ownership has been reviewed within the organization's required governance cycle.

Naming and Structure Compliance

• Naming convention followed
  Confirm the channel name matches the approved naming standard for the platform and business unit.
• Channel name is clear and business relevant
  Rate whether the name clearly reflects the channel's purpose without abbreviations that obscure meaning.
• No sensitive data in channel name
  Confirm the channel name does not contain confidential project codes, personal data, or restricted terms.
• Archived or duplicate naming issue identified
  Confirm the channel is not a duplicate, obsolete, or incorrectly named copy of another active channel.

Membership and Access Control

• Membership aligns with approved audience
  Confirm members, guests, and followers match the approved business need for the channel.
• Unauthorized members or guests present
  Confirm there are no unauthorized users, external guests, or stale accounts with access.
• Access review completed recently
  Confirm a membership or access review has been completed within the required review period.
• Membership count recorded
  Enter the current number of members or participants in the channel.

Activity, Retention, and Sensitivity Classification

• Channel activity level is appropriate
  Rate whether the channel is active enough to justify remaining open and maintained.
• Inactive channel disposition defined
  Confirm inactive or low-use channels have a documented disposition such as archive, retain, or close.
• Sensitivity classification assigned
  Select the current sensitivity or information classification for the channel.
• Classification matches content handled
  Confirm the assigned classification matches the most sensitive information shared in the channel.