Audit an SOP by comparing its approved instructions with the requirements and evidence from actual work. Record each mismatch, identify its cause and have the responsible owner approve the correction. A skipped step may reveal a failed control; it is not automatically a step to remove.

Collect a useful sample

Identify the procedure, version, owner, scope and approval basis. Select permitted examples that represent the normal route and relevant exceptions: a rejected request, missing input, unavailable approver or changed system can expose gaps that a clean completion misses.

Record why you chose those examples. A small operational review is not statistical assurance that every run is correct. Protect customer and employee information in the working notes.

Compare instructions, requirements and work

Question Evidence to examine
Does the trigger still exist? Current form, queue, contract event or scheduled job
Can the assigned person perform the step? Actual role and permissions, including absence cover
Is an approval being bypassed? Required authority and decision record for the exact request
Does the output meet the requirement? Completed document, transaction, notification or handoff
Are exceptions handled? Stop condition, authorized decision and record of resolution
Can staff find the right version? Published location, linked forms and printed copies

Observe the work with someone who performs it. Separate unclear wording from missing access, unavailable resources, insufficient training or a disagreement about the process itself.

Use a gap record that leads to a decision

Here is an illustrative finding, not a report from a real office:

Field Example finding
Procedure and step FIN-003, invoice approval handoff
Expected Approved invoice reaches the payment queue with its approval record
Observed Email approval exists, but the queue has only the invoice PDF
Consequence Payment releaser cannot verify authorization from the queue
Proposed correction Link the approval record to the invoice before release
Decision owner Finance process owner
Retest Trace a permitted sample through approval, queue and release review

Do not mark the finding closed merely because someone edited the paragraph. Verify that the form, permissions, automation and training agree with the approved correction.

Resolve deviations without adopting every workaround

If staff consistently bypass a step, establish whether the step is obsolete, impractical or still required. Obtain the appropriate approval before removing or changing it. If continued use could produce an unacceptable result, the owner should issue an authorized interim instruction or suspend the affected route.

Choose the next review from change rate, consequence and applicable requirements. Update after a relevant change rather than waiting for a fixed calendar interval. Preserve the review date separately from the effective date of a revision.

EPA’s 2007 SOP guidance discusses review, approval, document control and archival in an environmental quality-system context. It is a useful governance reference, not an office-wide legal standard. Use SOP maintenance for the ongoing process and the maintenance log to record decisions.