What is inside
Three tabs that refer to each other. Dropdowns keep values consistent, and dates that have passed turn red.
Answers
The questions you get again and again, the answer you have approved, its status, its owner and when you check it again.
Evidence register
Every document, record, setting or test result you can show. With type, version, owner, review date and whether you can share it.
Open items
What is not in place yet, who will fix it and by when. So there is never a yes without evidence.
How to use it
- 1
Register your evidence
Give each document, record or setting a code, such as BEL-01.
- 2
Approve your answers
Start with yes, no or partly. Link the evidence codes, with a section if useful.
- 3
Be honest about gaps
Where evidence is missing, don't answer yes: add an open item with an owner and a target date.
- 4
Review and reuse
Red dates show what needs attention. The next questionnaire starts from your approved answers.
What it is, and what it is not
It is
It is not
Downloads
Empty workbook
With guidance on the Start tab and example rows (codes starting with EX-).
Filled-in example
Voorbeeld Software B.V. (fictional), the same 15 questions as our example questionnaire.
Templates and format
The five document templates, the format description, the schema and the check script are on GitHub.
github.com/holdvero/open-evidence-pack →Rather have help?
The workbook is free and stays free. If you want someone to do the work, that is possible too.
Have a questionnaire to complete now?
We complete it based on your own documentation, with a source for every answer. €695 excl. VAT for up to 150 questions.
Get a fixed price →Getting the same questions again and again?
We keep your approved answers and evidence current, so you don't start from scratch each time. Custom pricing.
Discuss Evidence Maintenance →Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. You may use the workbook, adapt it and share it with your customers once filled in, also commercially. The licence is CC BY 4.0. If you republish the workbook itself, credit the source.
Is the Open Evidence Pack a standard?
No. It is a lightweight, practical format for supplier questionnaires. For formal, machine-readable descriptions of controls and assessments there is NIST OSCAL. Mapping to it is a goal for later, not a current feature.
Does the status ‘evidenced’ mean we are compliant?
No. A status says how well an answer is supported by evidence. It is not a certification and not a legal opinion. You remain responsible for what you send to your customer.
What is the hash in the evidence register?
A fingerprint of a file. A stored hash lets you later verify whether a file is identical to the version that was registered. It does not show that a control is effective. The field is optional.
Do I have to upload documents?
No. The workbook stays on your own computer. You point to where your documents are kept; the documents themselves do not go in.
Can I use it with other tools?
Yes. The same format exists as YAML and JSON, with a schema and a small check script that also reads the Excel workbook. Everything is on GitHub.