In the context of a CMMC Level 2 Assessment, assessors must evaluate the "Institutionalization" of practices, which includes the review of Policies. The validity of a policy document depends on the Organization Seeking Certification (OSC)'s internal governance and administrative procedures.
Internal Governance (The "Why"): CMMC does not dictate exactlyhowa company must authorize its policies (e.g., whether a signature must be refreshed immediately upon a personnel change). Instead, the assessor must verify if the document is considered "active" and "authoritative" by the OSC’s own standards.
The Role of the Assessor: As per the CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) and CCP training materials, an assessor cannot unilaterally declare a policy invalid simply because a signatory has left. The assessor must perform "more research" (typically through Interviews or examining Supplemental Documents) to determine the OSC's internal rules for policy management.
If the OSC's "Policy on Policies" states that a signature is tied to the individual, the document may be expired.
If the OSC's rules state that the authority is tied to the role/position (which is common in most corporate governance), the policy remains in effect until it is formally rescinded or updated.
Distinction from other options:
Option A is too restrictive; it assumes a universal rule that doesn't exist in the CMMC framework.
Option C is incorrect because a signatory (or formal approval)isoften what gives a policy its "authoritative" status in an audit; ignoring it would be a failure of the Examine method.
Option D is a common business assumption, but an assessor must verify this via the OSC's own procedures rather than assuming it is true for every company.
Reference Documents:
CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) v1.0: Section on "Examine" methods and evaluating evidence integrity.
NIST SP 800-171A: Discussion on "Organizational Policies" as assessment objects and the requirement for policies to be "established and maintained."
CMMC Level 2 Assessment Guide: Clarifies that policies must be "formally documented" and "representative of organizational requirements."
