About assessment templates
This topic explains what assessment templates are and how they control the way Moody's for Compliance evaluates entities.
An assessment template is a reusable set of rules for evaluating an entity in Moody's for Compliance. It defines:
Which workflow blocks and steps run during an assessment
The order in which blocks and steps run
How the workflow branches when certain conditions are met, for example, when risk is high
Which outcomes are applied when the workflow reaches completion
You can apply the same assessment template to multiple entities so that each assessment follows a consistent, repeatable process.
To make changes to your assessment templates, contact the Client Service team.
Workflow definition
The workflow is the core of an assessment template, defining how the assessment moves from start to finish.
The workflow definition is stored in the assessment template as a JSON configuration that describes:
The sequence of blocks in the assessment
The steps within each block
Any decision points that affect what happens next
Which blocks are terminal blocks that set an assessment outcome
When an assessment is created from a template, the workflow defined in that template starts.
Workflow blocks
A block represents a distinct phase of an assessment. Blocks can be used to group related work together and provide a clear structure for both configuration and execution.
Common examples of blocks include Data collection, Screening, and Review.
Blocks run in sequence, unless the workflow logic specifies branching to a different block.
Blocks are also what users see as an indicator of assessment progress. The platform displays the current block name while the assessment is running.
Workflow steps
Each block contains one or more steps. A step is a single piece of work in the assessment, such as:
Getting data from an external system
Running a risk calculation
Performing screening checks
Asking a user to review or provide information using a form
Steps within a block run in order.
Some steps run automatically. Other steps require a person to review information or make a decision. When a manual step is reached, the platform creates a task, and the assessment pauses until the task is completed.
Workflow branching
Workflows can include branching, where the next block depends on the data or results produced earlier in the assessment. For example:
If an entity is identified as higher risk, the workflow may move to additional review blocks
If no issues are found, certain blocks may be skipped
This allows assessments to adapt based on discoveries made during the process, while still following a controlled template.
Workflow outcomes and terminal blocks
In a workflow, terminal blocks define when a workflow path ends and an assessment result is set.
An assessment template defines one or more terminal blocks. When the workflow reaches a terminal block, Moody's for Compliance applies the outcome mapped to that block.
Outcomes represent the assessment result at a specific point in time and are displayed to users in the platform.
Outcomes are defined independently of workflows. This means the same outcome, such as Passed, can be reused across multiple templates. You can also introduce more specialized outcomes where needed.
How assessment templates are used
Once created, an assessment template can be applied repeatedly to different entities.
When an assessment runs:
The platform creates a new assessment instance from the template.
The workflow runs block by block, executing the steps within each block.
If relevant entity data changes, affected blocks are rerun to keep the assessment up to date.
When a terminal block is reached, the mapped outcome is applied.
Each assessment runs independently, even when multiple assessments exist for the same entity.