Documented information: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)
Documented information (French: information documentée) is information an organisation must control and keep up to date, whatever the medium: text, database, dashboard, video. In ISO 53001 the term covers both what describes the system and what proves the results obtained.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
In an ISO/UNDP 53001 audit
The auditor distinguishes two families: information maintained, such as the policy or the scope, and information retained as evidence, such as indicator results or meeting minutes. For both, the checks cover identification, approval, access, protection and version control.
An SDG dashboard that anyone can edit, with no history, undermines confidence in the figures it shows. Conversely, no manual is demanded: the standard lets the organisation decide how much documentation it needs. Subclause 7.5 of clause 7 of the ISO/UNDP 53001 standard frames the topic.
Maintained or retained
The distinction drives what the auditor asks for. Maintained information is checked for currency: is the version in use the approved one? Retained information is checked for integrity: has a record been altered after the event? For SDG data drawn from several systems, such as payroll, energy bills or supplier surveys, the auditor also checks how long it is kept, so that trends over the certification cycle can be traced.
See also
- Audit evidence: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)Audit evidence (French: *preuve d'audit*) is verifiable information, whether records, statements of fact or other material, relevant to the audit criteria.
- Process: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)A process (French: *processus*) is a set of related activities that uses inputs to deliver a result.
- Competence: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)Competence (French: *compétence*) is the demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve an intended result.
- ISO/UNDP 53001 clause 7: what the auditor checksISO 53001 clause 7 groups the support requirements: resources, competence, awareness, communication and documented information.