Assessments & audits

Turn principles into proof with a clear baseline and a credible path to improvement.

Online Responsibility Network helps organisations move beyond intent and into consistent, demonstrable practice. Our assessment approach benchmarks your maturity against a principle-based assurance framework, identifying what’s working, what’s missing, and what “good” looks like in your context.

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What you get

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A structured view of your current maturity

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Prioritised recommendations and an improvement plan

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Evidence you can share internally and externally

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Optional independent audit routes to validate progress

Why assessments matter now

Online responsibility is increasingly scrutinised by regulators, partners, advertisers, investors, and customers.

The question is no longer whether you have policies, but whether your governance, controls and outcomes stand up to scrutiny.

An Online Responsibility Network assessment gives you…

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Clarity

A shared understanding of your baseline maturity.

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Consistency

A repeatable approach across teams, regions and products.

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Confidence

Practical evidence to support risk, compliance, and brand trust.

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Momentum

A prioritised plan that’s realistic to deliver.

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Our approach

Online Responsibility Network assessments are built on a principle-based assurance framework designed to be practical, cross-sector and outcomes-focused.

1. Baseline assessment

A structured review of how your organisation currently manages online responsibility, mapped against relevant principles and controls. Designed to surface gaps, strengths and risk hotspots quickly.

2. Improvement plan

A clear set of recommendations, prioritised by impact and feasibility. This includes suggested owners, timelines, and evidence markers so progress can be tracked.

3. Ongoing re-assessment

Optional reassessments to show progress over time and demonstrate continuous improvement.

Independent audits

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For organisations that need stronger validation, Online Responsibility Network can support pathways to independent auditing to help evidence progress and strengthen external confidence.

Independent audit routes are useful when you need to:

  • demonstrate assurance to boards, partners or clients
  • support regulatory readiness
  • validate controls in higher-risk areas
  • build credibility for trust signals and public commitments


Note: Online Responsibility Network does not provide operational trust and safety services. Assessments and audits are designed to help members understand, evidence and improve their approach through clear, principle-based assurance.

What we assess

Assessments can be run holistically or focused on specific risk areas. Typical areas include:

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Governance & accountability

Ownership, oversight and decision-making.

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Risk management & controls

How risks are identified, mitigated and monitored.

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Policy-to-practice alignment

Implementation, training and escalation.

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Measurement & outcomes

What you measure, how you learn and what changes.

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Supply chain & partner expectations

Requirements, transparency and accountability.

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Incident readiness

Response plans, reporting and crisis governance.

Who it’s for

This work is most valuable for organisations that need a practical, evidence-led view across teams, including:

  • Platforms and digital services
  • Brands and advertisers
  • Agencies and adtech partners
  • Marketplaces and communities
  • Any organisation building trust as a commercial differentiator

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How it works

1. Scoping call

Agree goals, scope, stakeholders and timelines.

2. Evidence gathering

Documentation review and structured interviews.

3. Assessment output

Maturity view, risks and recommendations.

4. Improvement planning

Align owners, actions and evidence markers.

5. Optional audit route

Independent validation where needed.

Typical timeline: 2–6 weeks depending on scope and availability.

What success looks like

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A shared baseline that leadership and delivery teams recognise

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Fewer surprises during regulatory, partner or client scrutiny

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Practical improvements tied to measurable evidence

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A clearer story you can tell about trust and safety — grounded in proof