# What does your score mean?

**Add Q1–Q15 for a raw score out of 45. Then apply the mandatory gates below.** These bands are editorial routing thresholds, not probabilities of implementation success.

| Raw score | Readiness band | What it means in this rubric | Recommended next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| **0–14** | **Establish the foundations** | Too much of the buying brief is unowned, undefined or unsupported. | Approve a sponsor, first workflow and responsibility model. Use the **Minimum Viable GRC Scope Builder** specification to produce a scope charter before seeking comparable proposals. |
| **15–26** | **Build the buying case** | There is a credible problem, but suppliers would still need to make substantial assumptions. | Complete the **Requirements Scorecard**, **Migration Readiness X-Ray** and preliminary **TCO Calculator**. Limit supplier engagement to discovery against explicit questions. |
| **27–35** | **Prepare a controlled shortlist** | Much of the brief is documented, but material weaknesses need targeted attention. | Close failed gates, investigate the weakest domain and issue the same workflow requirements to each candidate. Prepare an **Integration Check** and buyer-specific **Demo Script**. |
| **36–45** | **Ready for rigorous supplier evaluation** | The buyer has assembled a strong evaluation brief and evidence base for the defined scope. | Run scenario demonstrations, technical proof, implementation scoping, reference checks and commercial due diligence. Use an **Operating Plan** and **Exit Planner** before final commitment. |

**Tool names identify recommended desk worksheets or outputs.** No landing-page availability is assumed; the evidence requirements in this quiz can be used to build them internally.

### Which mandatory gates override the score?

**If any listed question scores below 2, label the result “Readiness hold” and identify the failing gate.** You may continue research and bounded discovery, but this rubric does not recommend advancing to a scored shortlist or preferred-supplier decision until the gate is closed.

| Gate | Questions that must each score at least 2 | Required correction |
|---|---|---|
| Mandate and scope | Q1, Q2 | Establish accountable sponsorship and approve the first-release boundary. |
| Accountability and ongoing ownership | Q3, Q11 | Resolve process responsibilities and provide an operating owner with a funded sourcing plan. |
| Security preparation | Q7 | Approve workflow-specific security requirements and the due-diligence route. |
| Delivery capacity | Q10 | Allocate buyer-side work and document dependencies. |
| Affordability preparation | Q13 | Create the ownership-cost model and identify the funding route. |

**Illustrative result:** a team scores **39/45**, but Q7 scores zero because sensitive findings have not been classified. Its result is **“39/45 — Readiness hold: security preparation”**, not “ready to buy”. The next action is to approve the information-handling requirements, not to use the remaining points to offset the gap.

Closing a gate means producing the missing evidence and rescoring the question. It is not a verbal waiver. Any actual contractual or regulatory decision remains with the organisation’s authorised owners.