Ongoing evaluation: outcomes
The team knows how to run the ongoing evaluation for bias and has the record to show it.
What clause 9.3.5 asks
The procedure ends with a team that knows how to keep evaluating the system for bias, and with a report and profile that show the routine in use. The document does not promise that the system stays free of bias. It promises a working method and a record of what it found.
Why it matters
The outcome is a capability with evidence, not a guarantee. A working procedure will sometimes find nothing, and that is a result if the monitoring was adequate. The record has to show what was watched and what was decided, so a reader can judge whether the absence of a finding is meaningful. A procedure that watches too little will produce a comfortable and empty record.
What good looks like
At the end of each cycle, write the outcome statement: what was watched, what was found and what was decided. Give it to the accountable owner. Review the procedure itself once a year, or after a significant change, to check that the monitored items still match the system and its context. Then update the plan and the profile.
Evidence an assessor asks for
The assessor will ask whether the absence of a finding is meaningful. The answer depends on what was watched, which is why the outcome statement matters.
- Outcome statement What was watched, what was found and what was decided
- Owner briefing The accountable owner's confirmation that they have seen the outcome
- Procedure review The annual or change-triggered review of the monitoring procedure
- Updated plan The revised monitoring list and recurrence after the review
Where it commonly fails
- The outcome is a claim that no bias exists
- The procedure is never reviewed
- The owner never sees the outcome
What to do before publication
Write the outcome statement every cycle, even when nothing was found.