03.15.01 — (a) Develop, document, and disseminate to organizational personnel or roles the policies and procedures needed to satisfy the security requirements for the protection of CUI. (b) Review and update policies and procedures {{ insert: param, A.03.15.01.ODP.01 }}.

What this control requires

(a) Develop, document, and disseminate to organizational personnel or roles the policies and procedures needed to satisfy the security requirements for the protection of CUI. (b) Review and update policies and procedures {{ insert: param, A.03.15.01.ODP.01 }}.

Source: NIST SP 800-171 R3 §03.15.01 (official control text).

Why this matters

Every compliance framework begins with documented security policies and procedures because they establish the organization's security baseline and communicate expectations to employees, contractors, and third parties. Without written policies, security controls become inconsistent, accountability disappears, and auditors have no evidence that the organization consciously chose its security posture. This control requires both creation of comprehensive security documentation and a regular review cycle to keep policies current as threats, technology, and business operations evolve. Organizations that neglect this foundational requirement find themselves unable to demonstrate any other control is implemented systematically rather than accidentally.

What evidence assessors expect

Assessors typically look for: PDF, screenshot, CSV export. FORCE coaches you through the exact implementation steps and captures each artifact in-platform.