Heads Up!
This feature is currently available only specific policies for the following frameworks: ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA. To know more, contact your CSM.
The effort estimate quantifies the amount of effort required to implement or complete a policy. This helps to:
Prioritize and allocate resources more effectively
Assign appropriate tasks based on the effort required and team capacities
Balance workload across team members
Set realistic timelines for compliance projects
Report progress to stakeholders more accurately
By default, Scrut provides an effort estimate for each policy, helping you prioritize tasks and allocate resources effectively. It's important to keep in mind that these estimates are benchmark figures based on the average implementation effort required for each policy. If you find that the default estimates do not align with your specific needs or circumstances, you can modify them, as required.
Effort Estimate Levels
Scrut categorizes effort into three levels:
Low: Easy to implement, minimal configuration or steps required
Medium: Moderate complexity, requires multiple steps or configuration across several resources
High: Complex implementation, extensive configuration, or affects multiple systems
How To View Effort Estimates for Policies
Click on the Effort Estimate column on the Policy table in the All Policies page. This allows you to sort your policies by effort level.
Navigate to your desired policy and look for the Effort Estimate field on the policy details page.
How to Set Policy Effort Estimates
For a Single Policy
Sign in to Scrut, and click Compliance → Policies on the left navigation panel.
Go to the All Policies tab and select the policy you want to set the effort estimate for.
Use the Effort Estimate dropdown and set the desired level.
For Multiple Policies
You can also set effort estimates for multiple policies simultaneously:
Go to the All Policies tab and select the policies you want to set the effort estimate for.
Click the Edit button at the top of the Policies table.
Click the dropdown next to the Effort Estimate field.
Choose the desired level from Low, Medium, or High.
Click Save to complete the bulk assignments.
Note:
If you wish to retain the existing values for fields like Department, Recurrence, Entities, and Relevance, simply leave them unchanged. Scrut will only update the fields you've modified in this window, ensuring that the other values remain intact.
FAQs
1: Is it mandatory to add the effort estimate for all policies?
No, it's optional. However, setting effort estimates helps with better planning and prioritization.
2: Can I edit the effort estimate at any time?
Yes, you can edit the effort estimate at any time by opening the policy and updating the field.
3: What if I'm unsure which level to choose?
Start with your best estimate. You can always adjust it later. If you're between two levels, consider starting with the higher effort level to avoid underestimating the work required. Use these guidelines to select the appropriate effort estimate:
Choose Low When:
Implementation takes less than 30 minutes
Requires 1-3 simple steps
Affects a single system or setting
Can be completed by one person without coordination
Choose Medium When:
Implementation takes several hours
Requires 4-10 steps or configuration changes
Affects multiple resources but within a single system
May require coordination with one other team
Choose High When:
Implementation takes more than multiple days
Requires complex multi-step processes
Affects multiple systems or requires migration
Requires coordination across multiple teams or vendors
May cause downtime or require careful planning
4: Do effort estimates affect compliance status?
No, effort estimates are purely for planning and do not impact whether a policy is compliant or non-compliant.
5: Can I filter or sort policies by effort level?
Yes. Use the filter and sort icons in the policy table to narrow to policies with a specific effort level.