Questionnaires

A questionnaire is structurally similar to an application but with unique qualities that enable you to better create and support risk assessment processes. A questionnaire targets an individual application, such as Assets, Vendors, or Business Processes, to assess those specific objects.

Questionnaires include questions (a field type specific to questionnaires) that users must answer and system-generated fields that calculate the progress, status, and scoring of individual questionnaire records. These system fields also enable you to assign submitters and reviewers for questionnaire records and to specify due dates.

Questionnaires are available for on-prem, hosted, and SaaS deployments.

Note: The Questionnaire feature is available only if your organization has licensed one or more use cases that contain questionnaires. Questionnaires can be configured to run on mobile devices if Archer is licensed for mobile questionnaires.

Question types

Type

Description

Attachment

Enable users to upload documents, pictures, diagrams, and other types of files to a questionnaire record to provide supporting information or evidence. You can specify the total number of files that can be uploaded (attached), as well as the size (between 1 and 100 MB) permitted for each file. You can also enable end users to keyword search into attached Microsoft Word and Excel, PDF, and text documents.

Cross-Reference

Enable users to associate records from other applications or questionnaires with a questionnaire record.

When you create a Cross-Reference question, a Related Records field is automatically added to the related application or questionnaire. Within an individual record in the related application or questionnaire, you can see all records that have been cross-referenced to that record.

Date

Enables users to either enter dates directly or click Calendar to select a date from the Date Range dialog box. You can also enable users to enter a time of day to associate with the date.

The Date question type also supports a default date value. The default date value is set when a questionnaire record is created. When configuring the default value, you can select to display the date of questionnaire record creation, a date that is a specific number of days after the date of record creation, or a static, specific date. You can also select to display no default value.

Numeric

Accepts both positive and negative values and, by default, accept values of any size. However, you can choose to apply minimum and maximum value constraints. You can also specify the number of decimal places permitted for the value.

Text

Accepts both alphabetic and numeric entries. It can be displayed to users in a single-line or a multi-line (scrolling) text area. If the question is configured as a text area, you can specify the height (in lines) for the control.

By default, entries in this question type are not restricted. However, when configuring this question type, you can choose to set a maximum character length for entries. In addition, you can restrict users from entering a value in the Text question that is identical to a value entered in another record within the questionnaire, thereby ensuring that all values in the Text question are unique.

Values List

Provide users with a list of predetermined values from which to choose. This field type can be expressed using one of several interface control types:

  • Drop-down
  • Radio buttons
  • Checkboxes
  • List box
  • Values pop-up

You can also add a numeric weight to a question and assign a numeric value to the individual selections available within the question. These numbers are used to compute the score for a questionnaire.

You can populate a Values List question with either a custom or a questionnaire values list. If you use a custom answer list, you must define the answers for the question. Custom answer lists cannot be reused to populate any other Values List question.

You can create questionnaire values lists that you can reuse for any Values List question within the questionnaire.

Question library

The Question Library is an application in Archer that stores assessment questions that you can reference and copy into a questionnaire. Each question is stored as an individual record, and each record contains information including the question and answer text as well as information necessary to display and score the question. Depending on the use cases that you have licensed, the Question Library contains a large set of pre-built questions by default. In addition, you can add new questions and store them in the Question Library.

When you create a questionnaire, you can copy any number of questions from the Question Library to the questionnaire. Once copied, you can modify and configure that question as needed, without affecting the original question record stored in the Question Library.

Questionnaire risk scoring

Question weighting is a numeric attribute that can be assigned to any Values List question.

The question weight is used to generate the question score. The score is determined by the following formula:

    [question weight] * [numeric value assigned to selected answer] = question score

or (for multi-select Values List questions):

    [question weight] * SUM ([numeric value assigned to selected answer1], [numeric value assigned to selected answer2]) = question score

Question scores are rolled up to determine an inherent score for the questionnaire. This score represents the natural risk associated with the target in absence of any remediation activities or changes in the environment.

Findings document incorrect answers to questions in a questionnaire. Findings are managed through the Findings application and can be automatically generated when findings rule criteria are satisfied. Users can also create findings manually. Using the Findings application, administrators can document, categorize, and remediate issues of non-compliance. Findings are not a required component of the assessment process, but by enabling findings, administrators can gain valuable insight into areas of non-compliance within their organization.

The risk that remains in a target after findings are remediated is the residual score. This score is calculated as Inherent Risk – Remediation Changes = Residual Risk. While inherent risk is calculated only once, residual risk changes over time as findings are remediated. The residual score is displayed in the Quantitative Summary in a questionnaire record, enabling end-users to monitor changes to the score over time.

System-generated questionnaire fields

When you create a questionnaire, system-generated fields are added to the questionnaire. You can configure the properties of some of these fields, while others must remain in their original state.

The following table shows the system-generated questionnaire fields.

Name

Field Type

Configuration

Description

% Correct

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The percent of Values List questions that were answered correctly rounded to the nearest whole number.

All Findings

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The number of findings related to the questionnaire record.

Campaign Name

Values List

Field access only

The name of the campaign to which the questionnaire record belongs.

Comments

Sub-Form

Fully configurable

A sub-form that captures comments made for individual questions.

Correct

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The number of Values List questions that were answered correctly.

Created By

User/Groups List

Fully configurable

The user who created the questionnaire record.

Created Date

First Published

Fully configurable

The date the questionnaire record was created.

Due Date

Date

Fully configurable

The date by which the questionnaire record should be completed and submitted.

Findings

Cross-Reference

Fully configurable

Findings associated with the questionnaire record.

Findings Generation Status

Values List

Fully configurable

The status of findings-generation activity for the questionnaire record.

History Log

History Log

Fully configurable

A history log that tracks the following fields: Due Date, Year, Quarter, Submitter, Submission Status, Submit Date, Reviewer Review Status, and Review Date.

Incorrect

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The number of Values List questions that were answered incorrectly.

Inherent Score

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The sum of all Values List question weighted scores.

Last Updated

Last Updated Date

Fully configurable

The date the questionnaire record was last updated.

Maximum Score

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The maximum potential score for the questionnaire, calculated by summing the question scores for every Values List question displayed in the questionnaire record.

Open Findings

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The number of findings related to the questionnaire record that have a status of "Open."

Overall Status

Calculated Values List

Fully configurable

The overall status of the questionnaire based on the Submission Status and the Review Status (values include In Process, Awaiting Review, Approved, and Rejected).

Progress

Calculated Text

Field access only

The number of questions that have been answered and the total number of questions in the questionnaire record, for example, "13 of 30."

Progress Status

Calculated Values List

Field access only

Percent of the questionnaire record that is complete rounded to the nearest 20% (values include 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%).

Quantitative Summary

Calculated Text

Field access only

The results of the completed questionnaire in an HTML table with the following information grouped by category: correct questions, incorrect questions, percent correct, inherent score, residual score, and open findings.

Note: This field will only be populated if you enable findings for the questionnaire.

Quarter

Values List

Fully configurable

The calendar quarter of the assessment.

Questionnaire ID

Tracking ID

Fully configurable

The unique tracking ID for the questionnaire record.

Questions Scored

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The number of Values List questions in the questionnaire record.

Queue Status

Values List

Fully configurable

Tracks the success or failure of findings generation for a questionnaire.

Remediation Score

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The maximum potential score for all findings that are closed, calculated by subtracting the score for each incorrectly answered question from the maximum possible score for each of those questions, and then adding the resulting values together. For example, you have a question that was incorrectly answered, resulting in a score of 1. If the questions were answered correctly, the score would have been 5. The difference is 4. If you have five questions that follow this same pattern, and the finding for each of these questions is closed, your remediation score would be 20.

Residual Score

Calculated Numeric

Field access only

The remaining inherent risk after the closure of some or all of the findings associated with the questionnaire record.

Review Date

Date

Fully configurable

The date the completed questionnaire record is reviewed.

Review Status

Values List

Fully configurable

The review status of the questionnaire (values include Awaiting Review, Approved, and Rejected).

Reviewer

User/Groups List

Fully configurable

The user who is responsible for reviewing the questionnaire record once it is submitted.

Submission Status

Values List

Field access only

The submission status of the questionnaire (values include In Process, Submitted, and Re-Submitted).

Submit Date

Date

Fully configurable

The date the completed questionnaire record is submitted.

Submitter

User/Groups List

Fully configurable

The user who is responsible for answering the questions in the questionnaire record.

Target

Cross-Reference

Fully configurable

The specific target of the assessment, located in your target application.

Year

Values List

Fully configurable

The year of the assessment.

Assessment process

The following phases provide a general overview for building and delivering an online questionnaire to assess risk within your organization.

Assessment Phase

User

Details

Creating and Configuring Questions

Configuration Administrator/Admin

Create new questions or import your existing questions through the Question Library application. When configuring your questions, do the following:

  • Select the appropriate question type to ensure the correct data is collected.
  • Determine the weighting of individual questions.
  • Include the appropriate answer selections and determine the correct answer to the question.
Building Your Questionnaire

Configuration Administrator

Build your questionnaire according to requirements outlined by your organization by doing the following: 

  • Create your questionnaire and select the application that contains the targets that you want to assess, such as applications, facilities, or vendors.
  • Copy your questions from the Question Library and edit them as needed.
  • Define rules to determine the questions that are displayed based upon the properties of the specific target.
  • Enable the automatic generation of Findings records for incorrectly answered questions.
  • Create an assessment campaign to launch the questionnaire to the appropriate end users.

Assessing Your Target

End-users

Users complete their assigned assessments through the Archer web-based interface. While assessing a target, the end user can include question-specific comments to support their answers, attach supporting evidence, and delegate additional users to an assessment as needed.

Evaluating Findings

End-users

When users complete their assigned questionnaire records, they can view reports to determine the risk associated with specific targets. With the Findings feature enabled, Archer automatically generates Findings records for each incorrectly answered question to identify areas of noncompliance.

Resolving Issues of Non-Compliance

End-users

To help resolve issues of non-compliance, the Exception Requests and Remediation Plans applications are tied to Findings. In addition, as findings are discovered, you can assign, track, and manage open and completed activities associated with specific findings through the Task Management application.

Who can work with questionnaires?

Through an access role, you must have the following rights:

  • Configuration administrator of the questionnaire.
  • The appropriate CRUD access role settings to the Administration | Application Builder | Manage Questionnaires page.

Full editing rights, as controlled by the access role, include: