ICS Evidence Inventory Checklist

If you had to prove your control system is well-governed, what could you actually produce?

Not what you think exists somewhere, but what you could put your hands on right now.

• A current alarm philosophy.
• As-built drawings that match what's in the field.
• A change log someone else could follow.
• A backup you've actually verified.

Most teams, when they really sit with that question, find more gaps than they expected.

This checklist gives you a practical starting point for finding them.

What's Inside

The ICS Evidence Inventory Checklist is a structured inventory of the documents, records, and artifacts that a well-governed ICS/OT control system should be able to produce. It covers 28 items across four categories, with space to record the status of each one, who owns it, and where it lives.

Section 1: Configuration Documentation (8 items) Alarm philosophy, tag naming standards, HMI design standards, setpoint registers, field device parameter sheets, PLC programming standards, user account registers, and bypass/override logs.

Section 2: Architecture Documentation (6 items) Network architecture diagrams, system interconnection maps, target architecture documents, platform lifecycle registers, remote access registers, and system ownership registers.

Section 3: Change Governance Records (8 items) Management of change procedure, change record log, emergency change register, contractor work package requirements, backup verification log, software/firmware version register, as-built drawing sets, and change approval authority matrix.

Section 4: Operational Reference Documents (6 items) Alarm response procedures, maintenance schedules, vendor support contacts, operator training records, known issues and workarounds log, and disaster recovery/restore procedures.

What to Do With Your Results Guidance for making sense of what you discover including why Partial items are often more important than Missing ones, how to prioritize gaps that affect daily operations, why ownership matters before you start filling gaps, and how to bring findings to leadership constructively.

Two Formats Included

This product includes both file formats so you can use whichever fits how you work.

Excel (.xlsx) — The working version. Includes a Status dropdown for each item (exists/partial/missing/N/A) with automatic colour coding, Owner and Target Date columns to assign accountability and track progress, a Summary tab that shows live counts by section and status, and a Guidance tab with advice on what to do with your results. Best for teams working through it together digitally and tracking it over time.

PDF (.pdf) — The printable version. Same content and structure, formatted for printing or sharing as a read-only reference. Best for tabletop discussions, printed handouts, or situations where you want something clean to mark up by hand.

Who This Is For

ICS/OT engineers, senior technicians, and anyone responsible for managing or maintaining a control system who wants a clear-eyed picture of where their documentation actually stands before a project, an audit, a system upgrade, or a key person's retirement forces the question.

This checklist is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a compliance instrument, an engineering standard, or a site-specific requirement. Every control system environment is different. This is a thinking tool, not an engineering deliverable. Users assume responsibility for adapting and applying this material to their contexts.