What this is
What is a management review?
What is a management review?
A review by top management, at planned intervals, of the management system's continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness, using defined inputs and producing defined outputs including improvement opportunities, changes to the system, and resource needs.
Why is it a decision requirement?
Because the standards specify outputs that are decisions rather than conclusions: opportunities for improvement, need for changes to the system, resource needs, and, in ISO 45001, any implications for the strategic direction. A review producing observations without decisions has not delivered the required outputs.
Scope
When is a management review record required?
This records the review itself. The information reviewed is generated elsewhere.
Use this template when
- Scheduled management review at planned intervals, typically annually or more often
- Additional review following a significant incident, change, acquisition or external finding
- Combined reviews across quality, safety, environment and other systems where they are integrated
- Reviewing the adequacy of resources and the need for changes to the system
- Recording decisions with owners, dates and the resources committed
Do not use it for
- Internal audit results and reports, which are an input to this review
- Performance data and dashboards, which are inputs rather than the review
- Corrective action tracking, which is a separate ongoing process
- Risk registers, which the review examines rather than contains
- Operational meetings, which address delivery rather than system effectiveness
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 45001 cl.9.3 requirements does this satisfy?
Management review is specified with unusual precision about both inputs and outputs.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | Top management to review the OH&S management system at planned intervals for suitability, adequacy and effectiveness | Header |
| ISO 45001 cl.9.3(a) | Status of actions from previous management reviews | Inputs reviewed |
| ISO 45001 cl.9.3(c) | Adequacy of resources for maintaining an effective management system | Decisions made |
| ISO 45001 cl.9.3(d) | Relevant communication with interested parties, and consultation and participation of workers | Inputs reviewed |
| ISO 45001 cl.9.3 outputs | Conclusions on suitability, improvement opportunities, changes needed, resources, and strategic implications | Outputs |
| ISO 9001 cl.9.3.2 | Inputs including customer satisfaction, process performance, nonconformity, audit results and supplier performance | Inputs reviewed |
| ISO 9001 cl.9.3.3 | Outputs including improvement opportunities, system changes and resource needs | Outputs |
| ISO 14001 cl.9.3 | Environmental management system review with its own specified inputs including compliance obligations | Inputs reviewed |
What it does not cover
- Internal audit reports, which are an input to the review.
- Performance dashboards, which supply information rather than constituting the review.
- Corrective action tracking, an ongoing process the review examines in aggregate.
- Risk and opportunity registers, which the review considers.
- Operational and production meetings, which address delivery rather than system effectiveness.
How to complete it
How to complete a management review record, step by step
Cover the specified inputs, contest the priorities, and record decisions with owners and resources.
It is a specified input in every version of the standard and it is the one most often skipped. Reviewing what was decided last time and what happened to it establishes immediately whether the review process has any effect, and a low completion rate is the most important finding available at the start of the meeting.
The requirement is a review by top management, not a report to them. Where the same person prepares the pack, presents it, answers the questions and writes the minutes, the review has been conducted by the management representative with senior people in attendance.
The prescribed outputs are decisions. A decision without an owner and a date is a sentiment, and a decision requiring resource without the resource committed is a deferral. The minutes should distinguish between what was noted, what was decided and what was funded.
ISO 45001 requires review of the adequacy of resources for maintaining an effective system. That is an uncomfortable question and it is the one the standard specifically obliges leadership to answer, which is why it is usually converted into a description of what resources exist rather than a judgement about whether they are enough.
What auditors find
Most common management review record findings
Management review findings concentrate on whether it is a review at all.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Status of previous actions not reviewed. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3(a) | A specified input and the fastest indicator of whether reviews produce change. |
| Outputs recorded as observations rather than decisions. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | The prescribed outputs are decisions; record owner, date and resource. |
| Top management not present, or present without deciding. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | The review is by top management, not to them. |
| Resource adequacy described rather than judged. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3(c) | Answer whether resources are adequate, which is what the clause asks. |
| Worker consultation and participation not among the inputs. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3(d) | An explicit ISO 45001 input frequently absent from reviews inherited from quality systems. |
| Specified inputs partially covered with no record of omissions. | ISO 9001 cl.9.3.2 | Cover all inputs or record why one was not relevant. |
| Review conducted at an interval that cannot respond to events. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | Planned intervals should suit the rate of change, and significant events warrant additional review. |
| Decisions made without any change in resource allocation. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | A decision requiring resource without the resource committed is a deferral. |
| Same improvement opportunities recorded across consecutive reviews. | ISO 45001 cl.10.3 | Recurrence indicates the review records intent rather than producing action. |
| Minutes do not distinguish noted from decided. | ISO 45001 cl.7.5 | Separate them; the record should show what leadership actually committed to. |
Case in point
Case in point: three years of the same slide
A manufacturer held annual management reviews with full attendance, complete input coverage and detailed minutes. The certification body raised no findings against clause 9.3 in three consecutive surveillance visits.
Reviewing three years of minutes together, the same improvement opportunity appeared each year: strengthening contractor management. Each year it was recorded as an opportunity, each year no owner was assigned, and each year the following review recorded it again without noting that it was a repeat.
The status of previous actions had been presented each year as a percentage completion figure covering actions that had owners. The recurring opportunity had never become an action, so it never appeared in that figure and was never recorded as outstanding.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
6 sections
- Reference
- CMP-014
- Archetype
- Review
- Record ID
- MRR-2026-000
- Scoring
- Not scored
- Direction
- n/a
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 45001 cl.9.3, ISO 9001 cl.9.3
- Links
- Links Objectives, Audits, KPIs
- Tags
- Governance, Review
- Sections
- 6
- Fields
- 58
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 6
Header
10 fieldsReview ID*
Auto sequence. Format MRR-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Review Period*
Meeting Date*
Standards Covered*
Decisions, Not A Slide Show
A management review that only presents numbers has not met the requirement. The output is decisions about resources, objectives and changes to the system, with owners and dates.
Attendance
3 fieldsTop Management Present*
The person accountable for the site must attend. Delegating it defeats the purpose and fails the clause.
- Yes3 pts
- Deputised1 pt
- No0 pts
Attendees*
Worker Representation*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Inputs reviewed
18 fieldsPrevious Review Actions*
- All reviewed3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- Not reviewed0 pts
Actions Closed Percent*
Action Log ID
Links to CMP-015 Log ID
Internal And External Issues*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Interested Party Needs*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Context Review ID
Links to CMP-017 Review ID
Performance Indicators*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Indicator Report ID
Links to CMP-016 Report ID
Objectives Progress*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Incidents And Ill Health*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Audit Results*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Compliance Evaluation*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Risk And Opportunity Changes*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Consultation And Participation*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Complaints And Customer Feedback*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Contractor Performance*
- Good3 pts
- Acceptable2 pts
- Poor0 pts
Resource Adequacy*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Continual Improvement Opportunities*
- Reviewed3 pts
- Briefly1 pt
- Not covered0 pts
Discussion and conclusions
6 fieldsSystem Suitable*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
System Adequate*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
System Effective*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Main Strengths
Main Weaknesses*
Significant Risks Accepted
Where the meeting decides to live with a risk, record it explicitly with who accepted it.
Decisions made
Repeats6 fieldsDecision*
Type*
Resource, objective change, system change, policy change, or risk acceptance.
Owner*
Due Date*
Resource Committed*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Added To Action Log*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Outputs
15 fieldsPolicy Change Required*
- No3 pts
- Yes1 pt
Objectives Revised*
- Yes3 pts
- No change needed3 pts
- Should have been0 pts
Resources Committed*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Decisions Recorded With Owners*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Minutes Circulated*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Communicated To Workers*
People who never hear the outcome stop believing the system does anything.
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Next Review Due*
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Chair*
Signature*
Compliance Lead*
Second Signature*
CMP-014 · record IDs look like MRR-2026-000 · Links Objectives, Audits, KPIs
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The review is where leadership decides. What fails is a presentation received and an opportunity recorded three years running.
Assembles the specified inputs including previous action status, and records outputs as decisions with owner, date and resource committed.
Compares consecutive reviews and flags items recurring without an owner, which is invisible within any single review.
Supplies the ISO 45001 specific inputs including worker consultation and participation, which quality-derived templates omit.
Connects resource adequacy discussions to competence gaps, which are a common and rarely quantified component of the answer.
This template lives in KnowComply — audit and governance. Audit programmes, legal register, management review, risk and certification.
Meet KnowComply→Glossary
Management Review Record definitions and key terms
- Top management
- The person or group directing and controlling the organisation at the highest level, whose review the clause requires.
- Suitability
- Whether the system remains appropriate to the organisation's context, purpose and strategic direction.
- Adequacy
- Whether the system is sufficient to meet requirements, including whether resources are enough.
- Effectiveness
- Whether the system is achieving its intended results, judged on outcomes rather than on activity.
- Specified inputs
- The information the standard requires the review to consider, listed explicitly in clause 9.3.
- Specified outputs
- The decisions the review must produce, including improvement opportunities, system changes and resource needs.
- Strategic implication
- An ISO 45001 output requiring consideration of what the review means for the organisation's direction.
- Action status
- What happened to decisions from previous reviews, a specified input and the clearest measure of review effectiveness.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about management review record
What makes a management review real rather than nominal?+
Whether anything moved. The prescribed outputs are decisions: improvement opportunities, changes needed to the system, resource needs and strategic implications. A review that covered every input, was fully attended and produced no decision has met the attendance requirement and not the output requirement.
What input is most often missing?+
The status of actions from previous reviews. It is specified in every version of the standard and it is the fastest available indicator of whether the review process has any effect. Where it is presented as a completion percentage, check whether items recorded as opportunities without owners are counted at all.
Does ISO 45001 differ from ISO 9001 here?+
It adds inputs the quality standard does not, notably consultation and participation of workers, and the adequacy of resources for maintaining an effective management system. Organisations that built their review from a quality system template frequently omit both, and the worker participation input is the one most often absent.
Who must attend?+
Top management, meaning those directing and controlling the organisation at the highest level. The requirement is a review by them rather than a report to them, and where the same person prepares the pack, presents it, answers every question and writes the minutes, the review has effectively been conducted by the management representative.
How can we tell if ours is working?+
Read the last three reviews together and identify items appearing more than once. Recurring improvement opportunities that never acquired an owner are the clearest evidence that the review records intention rather than producing action, and the pattern is invisible in any single review because each is closed when signed.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Management System Governance
Legal and Other Requirements Register
Lists every law, regulation, permit and commitment that applies to your operation
Compliance Obligation Assessment
Assesses how each legal requirement applies to you and what you do to meet it
Compliance Evaluation Record
Records the periodic evaluation of whether you actually comply with each obligation
Regulatory Change Record
Records a change in law or regulation and what it means for you
Regulatory Inspection Record
Records a visit by a regulator, including what was inspected, what was said and any orders issued
Management Review Action Log
Tracks the actions arising from management review through to closure
More in Management Review
Management Review Action Log
Tracks the actions arising from management review through to closure
Performance Indicator Report
Reports the leading and lagging indicators for the management system over a period
Context and Interested Parties Review
Reviews the internal and external issues affecting the organisation and the expectations of interested parties
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 45001:2018 clause 9.3, management review
- ISO 9001:2015 clauses 9.3.1, 9.3.2 and 9.3.3
- ISO 14001:2015 clause 9.3, management review
- ISO 45001:2018 clause 5.1, leadership and commitment
- ISO 19011:2018, guidelines for auditing management systems
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.