Check that existing access still matches the work
For dataset owners and managers reviewing who can still open a dataset.
Fictional example: Northstar Analytics reviews who can read its Store Demand dataset, which holds weekly store-level demand history used for forecasting.
The review in brief
An access review asks one question about each person, group or service account on a dataset's access list: does their current work still need this access? Each entry ends with a retain, revoke or escalate decision, a one-line reason and a review date. The dataset owner keeps the record. The review does not change access itself; approved removals go to the access administrator. This example shows how the work is coordinated. Your organization's approved access-review practice decides scope, cadence and who may approve changes.
Two entries, two decisions
Example judgments from the Store Demand review on 14 March 2025. They show the reasoning, not completed actions.
| Details | Entry 1: Demand planner | Entry 2: Former project analyst |
|---|---|---|
| Access on the list | Read access to Store Demand | Read access to Store Demand |
| Current responsibility | Builds the weekly store forecast | Project ended in January; now on another team |
| Stated purpose still true? | Yes: forecasts use this data every week | No: no current task needs the dataset |
| Recommendation | Retain | Revoke |
| Reason in one line | Role and purpose unchanged since the last review | Assignment ended; access was only for that project |
| Next step | Record the decision; no change needed | Owner asks the access administrator to remove it |
How to run the review
1. Start from the authoritative access list
Use the list your organization treats as the source of truth, such as an export from the system that grants access. Note the date you pulled it, because the record should say which version you reviewed. Do not work from memory or an old spreadsheet.
2. Compare each entry with current responsibilities
For every person, group or service account, ask what work they do now and which task needs this dataset. Managers know current responsibilities; the dataset owner knows the business purpose of the data. Compare the two for each entry.
3. Resolve role changes before deciding
When a person has moved teams, changed projects or taken on new duties, ask their manager to confirm in writing what they now do. If the purpose is unclear, ask the dataset owner. Do not retain access just because nobody objected.
4. Decide retain or revoke, with a reason
- Retain when a current responsibility needs the access and the purpose is unchanged.
- Revoke when no current responsibility needs it, or the original purpose has ended.
- Escalate when you cannot tell, or the access is wider than the stated purpose needs. Use the decision route your organization has approved.
5. Record it and hand off changes
Write the review date, the entry, the responsibility checked, the decision, the reason and where the supporting evidence is kept. The dataset owner then asks the designated access administrator to make any approved removals. The review itself does not change access.
Example decision record: Entry 2
A fictional completed record for the revoke decision above. Use the same fields for each entry you review.
| Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Dataset | Store Demand (weekly store-level demand history), Northstar Analytics |
| Review date | 14 March 2025 (Q1 review) |
| Access list reviewed | Export dated 12 March 2025, 12 entries in total |
| Entry reviewed | Former project analyst, read access |
| Current responsibility | Moved to the Supplier Reporting team on 20 January 2025 |
| Stated purpose | Analysis for the Q4 assortment project, which closed in January |
| Recommendation | Revoke |
| Rationale | The project ended, and no current task on the new team uses Store Demand. The manager confirmed this on 13 March. |
| Evidence reference | 12 March access-list export; manager's 13 March confirmation message; both filed with this review |
| Decision made by | Store Demand dataset owner |
| Handoff | Dataset owner asks the access administrator to remove the entry and notes the date of that request |
Who does what
Three roles share the review. Your organization's own role names may differ.
Dataset owner
Owns the review and the decision record.
- Confirms the business purpose of the data
- Decides retain or revoke for each entry
- Files the record and evidence together
Manager
Clarifies what each team member does now.
- Confirms current responsibilities in writing
- Flags role changes since the last review
- Says whether a stated purpose still applies
Access administrator
Carries out access changes the owner has approved.
- Provides the authoritative access list
- Removes or changes access when asked by the owner
- Confirms back to the owner when the change is done
Situations reviewers ask about
A person moved teams but may still need the data. What do I do?
Ask their new manager to describe the task in writing. If a current task needs the dataset, retain the access and record that task as the purpose. If the manager cannot name one, revoke it. The person can request access again for any future need.
I cannot tell who an access entry belongs to.
Do not retain it by default. Ask the access administrator what the entry is and who requested it, then ask that person's manager or the dataset owner for the purpose. Record the entry as escalated until someone can name a current responsibility.
Should I record a retain decision as well as a revoke decision?
Yes. A retain decision with a date and reason shows the entry was checked against current work, not skipped. In the example above, the demand planner's retain decision takes one short record, like the revoke.
Where does the evidence go?
Keep it in the location your organization has designated for access-review records, and write that location and the file names in the Evidence reference field. If you do not know the location, ask your data governance or security contact before closing the review.