Approval evidence packs
Last checked 2026-11-13
When an auditor, regulator, buyer or new project manager asks how an approval was obtained, the answer should take minutes, not a week of searching inboxes.
What goes in an evidence pack
As submitted
The exact files lodged, the form or portal summary, the lodgement receipt and reference number, and the fee receipt.
Who and when
Who prepared, reviewed, signed and lodged the application, and the date of each step.
Correspondence
Every request for information, your response as sent, and any meeting notes with the authority.
The decision
The approval, permit or licence as issued, with its conditions and expiry.
Conditions
The conditions register and the evidence that each condition was met, with who certified it.
Changes
Any modification applications and internal change approvals that affected the approval.
A simple structure in SharePoint
A plain folder structure works better than an elaborate one. For each approval:
- 01 Submitted: the files as lodged, never edited after lodgement.
- 02 Correspondence: requests and responses, named by date.
- 03 Decision: the approval as issued.
- 04 Conditions: the register and evidence, one subfolder per condition.
- 05 Working: drafts, kept apart from what was actually sent.
- Index: an Excel sheet or SharePoint List of every item, with date, author, version and status.
An AI worker can create the structure, file emails and attachments into it as they arrive, and keep the index up to date. It can also check the pack and report gaps, such as a request for information with no response on file, or a condition marked complete with no evidence.
Versions, dates and who did what
The most common failure in an approval record is not knowing which version was actually sent. Three habits fix most of it:
- Freeze what was sent. Copy the lodged or sent version into the submitted or correspondence folder and do not edit it again. Drafts stay in the working folder.
- Add, don't overwrite. When something changes, add a new version and a new index entry. In US FDA-regulated settings, 21 CFR Part 11 ยง11.10(e) puts it this way: "record changes shall not obscure previously recorded information". It is a good rule even where Part 11 does not apply.
- Record people, not just dates. The index records who prepared, approved and sent each item.
SharePoint's own version history helps, but it records edits, not decisions. The index records the decisions. Each approval guide on this site ends with this pack: permits and licences, environmental approvals and development approvals.
What stays with a person
- What the record must contain, and for how long. This depends on your approvals, industry and jurisdiction.
- Signing off. A responsible person confirms the pack is complete before a project closes or an audit.
- Certifying compliance. Evidence that a condition was met is confirmed by the person responsible for it.
- Releasing the pack. Deciding what to give an auditor, buyer or regulator stays with you.
Before you start
Approval files hold drawings, site details, personal information about neighbours and staff, and sometimes commercially sensitive designs. Before you point any AI tool at them, check your own obligations:
- Privacy and data location. The Everything runs against your own Microsoft 365 tenant, but its AI processing uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI and OpenAI, and its privacy policy says those providers may process information outside your country. If a contract, a client or a regulator restricts where your data goes, settle that first.
- Record keeping. Some approvals, conditions and industries carry their own rules on what you must keep and for how long. The AI helps you keep the record; it does not decide what the law requires you to keep.
- Certifications. The Everything does not claim SOC 2, ISO 27001 or any other certification. If your procurement or quality system requires one, it is not a fit for that requirement.
- Retention. Check whether your industry or approval sets a retention period before you archive or delete anything.
Your data is not used to train AI models, and if you cancel, your files stay where they always were, in your Microsoft account.
Questions people ask
Is SharePoint version history enough?
It records edits to files, which helps. It does not show which version was lodged, who approved it or why. Keep an index alongside it.
Can the AI file emails into the pack automatically?
It can file correspondence it finds in the mailboxes it has access to and update the index. Check the index regularly, especially for items received outside email.
How long should we keep an approval record?
That depends on your approvals, industry and jurisdiction. Check your obligations; the AI does not decide retention periods.
Where is the evidence pack stored?
In your own Microsoft 365, usually SharePoint. If you cancel The Everything, your files stay in your Microsoft account.
Try an AI worker on your next application
The Everything works inside your Microsoft 365 and Teams. It gathers, checks and drafts; you approve, sign and lodge. $400 AUD a month plus GST per company, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card.
See how The Everything works