Set up attestations

Published

April 11, 2025

Enable model owners and validators to step through the attestation process required by your organization.

flowchart LR
    A["**Add attestation**"] --> B["**Configure**<br>• Attestation period<br>• Custom fields<br>• Questionnaire template"]
    
    O["**Optional**<br>• Test<br>• Edit<br>• Remove"]
    B -.-> O
    
    click A "#add-attestations" "Go to Add attestations section"
    click B "#configure-attestations" "Go to Configure attestations section"
    click O "#test-attestation-schedules" "Go to Test attestation schedules section"

The steps required to set up attestation

Setting up attestations involves adding an attestation, configuring the attestation period, adding custom fields, and editing the questionnaire template. Optionally, you can also execute the attestation schedule to test the process, and edit or remove attestation periods.

Prerequisites

Add attestations

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations.

  3. Click Add New Attestation.

  4. Enter a name for the attestation.

  5. Enter a description.

  6. Click Add Attestation.

  7. Configure the attestation.

Configure attestations

Add attestation periods

Attestation periods are typically scheduled quarterly or annually and should be configured to align with regulatory or internal review cycles:

Tips
  • Avoid overlap — Only one attestation period can be active at a time.
  • Schedule individually — You cannot schedule recurring attestation periods.

Attestation periods reflect the time zone of the user setting up attestation and they trigger in the time zone of the model owner.

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations and then click an attestation to configure.

  3. Click Add Attestation Period.

  4. Enter a name for the attestation period, such as Quarterly attestation.

  5. Set the start date for the attestation period.

  6. Set the end date when the attestation period ends.

  7. Click Add Period.

When the attestation period begins, the system triggers the process automatically. Model owners are then notified via a banner on their dashboard prompting them to complete the attestation questionnaire.

Add attestation fields

By default, attestations include the model name. Add additional model inventory fields as needed:

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations and then click an attestation to configure.

  3. Under Relevant Attestation Fields, drag model inventory fields between columns:

    • Model Inventory Fields — Available fields from the model inventory
    • Relevant Attestation Fields — Selected fields to display in model snapshots

  4. Optional: Reorder the fields to change how they display in the attestation.

Edit questionnaire templates

Attestation questionnaires should confirm that key controls, governance processes, and documentation requirements have been followed.

Tip

Work with your model risk management team to create a template that accurately reflects your organization’s attestation requirements.

How do I create meaningful attestation questionnaires?

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations and then click the attestation you want to configure.

  3. Under Questionnaire Template, click the template area to edit. You can add rich text fields such as:

    • Instructions
    • Links to guidelines
    • Checkboxes
    • Lists
    • Other custom elements

    An animation of the questionnaire template editor showing the process of adding a question about documentation of compliance to the template with the instructions to confirm that required documentation, such as model documentation, validation reports, and change logs, has been completed.

    A screenshot of the questionnaire template editor

  4. After you complete your edits, click Save.

The attestation questionnaire is now ready to be be used in future attestation instances, to be completed by model owners and reviewed and signed off by validators.

Test attestation schedules

Not normally required

These steps are optional and not required to set up attestation — perform only under the direction of ValidMind.

For testing purposes only, you can trigger the attestation process:

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations and then click the attestation to test.

  3. Under Scheduling, hover over an attestation period.

  4. When appears, select Execute Schedule.

  5. Click Confirm.

After executing the schedule, the dashboard of the model owner displays a banner notification that the attestation is ready to be completed.

Edit attestation periods

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations and then click the attestation period to edit.

  3. Under Scheduling, hover over an attestation period.

  4. When appears, select Edit.

  5. Make changes to one of the following:

    • Name
    • Start date
    • End date

  6. Click Save Period.

Edits to an attestation period will be effective for future occurrences but do not affect previous or in-progress attestation periods.

Remove attestation periods

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

  2. Under Workspace Settings, select Attestations and then click the attestation to remove.

  3. Under Scheduling, hover over an attestation period.

  4. When appears, select Remove.

  5. Click Delete to confirm the removal.

Removing an attestation period is permanent

This action cannot be undone and prevents the attestation period from being triggered in the future. The history of previous attestation periods is unaffected by this action.