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Control 4.3: Site and Document Retention Management - Verification & Testing

This playbook provides verification and testing guidance for Control 4.3.


Test Procedure

Step 1: Verify Site Lifecycle Policies

  1. Navigate to SharePoint Admin Center > Policies > Site lifecycle management
  2. Verify inactive site policy exists and is enabled
  3. Check site ownership policy configuration
  4. Review policy notification settings

Step 2: Verify Organization Settings

  1. Navigate to Settings in SharePoint Admin Center
  2. Verify OneDrive retention setting matches requirements
  3. Review version history settings

Step 3: Test Policy Operation

  1. Review the notification queue for policy actions
  2. Verify notifications are being sent to site owners
  3. Confirm policy actions execute as configured

Expected Results Checklist

  • Inactive site policy configured and enabled
  • Site ownership policy configured (recommended)
  • Notification templates customized appropriately
  • OneDrive retention set per requirements
  • Policy actions align with governance requirements

Verification Evidence

Evidence Type Location Retention
Policy configuration screenshots Site lifecycle management 1 year
Policy execution logs Site lifecycle management Per policy
Retention settings screenshot Settings page 1 year
Site disposition records Governance documentation 6 years

PowerShell Validation Commands

# Verify retention policy status
Get-RetentionCompliancePolicy -Identity "FSI-Agent-Knowledge-Retention-7Years" |
    Select-Object Name, Enabled, Mode, DistributionStatus

# Check retention rule configuration
Get-RetentionComplianceRule -Policy "FSI-Agent-Knowledge-Retention-7Years" |
    Select-Object Name, RetentionDuration, RetentionComplianceAction

# Verify label publication status
Get-RetentionCompliancePolicy -Identity "FSI-Retention-Labels-Policy" |
    Select-Object Name, Enabled, PublishComplianceTag

# Check for policy distribution errors
Get-RetentionCompliancePolicy | Where-Object { $_.DistributionStatus -ne "Success" } |
    Select-Object Name, DistributionStatus, DistributionResults

Zone-Specific Verification

Zone 1 (Personal Productivity)

  • Baseline retention policies applied where applicable
  • Exceptions documented for personal agents
  • Minimal scope beyond user's own data

Zone 2 (Team Collaboration)

  • Agent knowledge sources follow retention rules
  • Identified owner and approval trail
  • Configuration validated in pilot environment
  • Evidence of label/policy assignment retained

Zone 3 (Enterprise Managed)

  • Strictest retention configuration enforced via policy
  • Changes controlled (change ticket + documented testing)
  • Evidence retained (screenshots/exports/logs)

Compliance Attestation Template

# Retention Management Compliance Attestation

**Control:** 4.3 - Site and Document Retention Management
**Attestation Date:** [Date]
**Attested By:** [Name/Role]

## Policy Status

- [ ] Inactive site policies configured
- [ ] Site ownership policies configured
- [ ] Retention labels published
- [ ] Zone-specific policies applied

## Evidence Collected

| Item | Date Collected | Location |
|------|---------------|----------|
| Policy screenshots | [Date] | [Path] |
| Export of retention configuration | [Date] | [Path] |
| Site retention mapping | [Date] | [Path] |

## Findings

[Document any gaps or issues identified]

## Remediation Actions

[Document any required remediation]

## Sign-Off

Attested By: _________________ Date: _________
Reviewed By: _________________ Date: _________

Back to Control 4.3 | Portal Walkthrough | PowerShell Setup | Troubleshooting


Updated: January 2026 | Version: v1.2