Forty questions to help boards and governance teams examine their preparation for the material controls declaration. Record what is established, what is in progress and where the evidence is still uncertain.
Free PDF · 38 pages · Readiness questionnaire
By Beyond Governance
- Work through six areas of readiness
- Record responses, supporting evidence and uncertainty
- Identify five questions that need priority attention
Download the readiness diagnostic
Preparing for an informed board assessment
For boards reporting against the UK Corporate Governance Code, Provision 29 asks for a declaration about the effectiveness of material controls at the balance sheet date. It applies to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2026, on a comply-or-explain basis.
The Provision 29 Readiness Diagnostic helps you examine the preparation behind that assessment. Its 40 questions cover responsibilities, the scope of material controls, evidence, testing, disclosure and the governance of the process. Use the responses and reflections to identify where further work or discussion is needed.
Six areas of readiness
Oversight and ownership
Consider how responsibilities are understood and how the board and relevant committees oversee preparation.
Material controls scope
Review the reasoning behind the controls included in scope and the board’s understanding of that assessment.
Documentation and evidence
Examine what supports the proposed assessment and whether the evidence can be found and explained.
Testing and assurance
Reflect on how controls are assessed and how findings and weaknesses are brought to attention.
Disclosure readiness
Consider the preparation needed to connect the board’s conclusion with the annual report disclosure.
Governance of the process
Review coordination, progress reporting and the arrangements for addressing unresolved matters.
Who the diagnostic is for
Board and audit committee Chairs, company secretaries, CFOs, and risk or internal audit leaders supporting a board that reports against the UK Corporate Governance Code.
A question from the diagnostic
“Could the board evidence, in the event of a failure, what it knew and when?”
Why download the diagnostic
It gives you a structured way to surface uncertainty and prepare a focused discussion. The final reflection asks you to select five priority questions, helping you decide where clearer evidence or an agreed next step is needed.
How to use it
Record Yes, In progress, No or Uncertain responses, together with notes on the evidence behind them. Interpret each answer in context. The questions are BG’s discussion prompts, and completing them does not provide a compliance score or audit opinion.
Read our explanation of Provision 29 and the Material Controls Declaration.
See the FRC’s UK Corporate Governance Code for the underlying requirements.
Download the Provision 29 Readiness Diagnostic
Identify the questions your team needs to resolve before the board reaches its assessment.
Button: Download the readiness diagnostic
Related resources
An Internal Audit Checklist for Corporate Governance
The Board Effectiveness Self Assessment
Further support
Explore our Provision 29 readiness support if your board needs help with its preparation.
