Scope items in an assessment
Summarize
Summary of Scope items in an assessment
In ServiceNow's Smart Assessment Engine, the scope of an assessment defines the specific record the assessment targets, such as a control, vendor, or entity. This "scope item" links the assessment to a single source record identified by a table and record (for example, the Vendor table and Acme Corp record). An assessment can have one or multiple scope items or none, and these determine what the assessment is about, distinguishing answers even when the same template is used.
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Scope items are assigned at assessment creation—typically via assessment triggers, Flow Designer actions, or API calls—and cannot be modified during the responder experience. They are not configured at the template level but set dynamically for each assessment instance.
Where Scope Items Appear
- Assessment header: Scope items appear as labels with the source table and record names alongside the assessment title and status.
- Navigation panel (combined assessments): Scope items help responders distinguish between assessments by appearing on assessment cards in stacked or tabbed layouts.
- Section viewer: Displays scope items in a tabbed layout to keep context visible while answering questions.
- Details/contextual sidebar: Shows a Scope card listing all scope items and additional reference information if configured, providing contextual breadcrumbs.
- Assessment task list: Shows scope item fields as columns to aid reviewers and assignees in triaging and prioritizing assessments.
If more than three scope items exist, additional items are summarized with a "+ N more" indicator, which opens a detailed popover for full visibility.
Setting and Managing Scope Items
Scope items are set when an assessment instance is created, using input parameters that specify the source table and record sys ID. Supported creation methods include assessment triggers and Flow Designer actions. Scope items are cascade-deleted when the related assessment is deleted.
Roles and Access
- Assessment administrators (snsmartasmt.assessmentadmin): Can view and modify scope items at the table level, mainly for configuration purposes.
- Responders (snsmartasmt.actor): Can view scope items on assigned assessments but cannot modify them.
- Assessment readers (snsmartasmt.assessmentreader): Have read-only access to scope items on assessments they can view.
- Reassign roles (snsmartasmt.reassign): Can view scope items while reassigning in-progress assessments.
Data Model Tables
Scope items are managed using two key tables:
- Scope item [snsmartasmtscopeitem]: Stores individual source records by table name and record sys ID.
- Assessment instance to scope item [snsmartasmtm2minstancescopeitem]: Links assessment instances to one or more scope items.
These tables enable precise tracking and management of the assessment context within the Smart Assessment Engine framework.
The scope of an assessment is the specific record that the assessment targets — such as a control, vendor, or entity. Scope items keep that record in view for responders and reviewers, and other SAE features use scope to behave intelligently.
Scope item overview
An assessment is never a questionnaire in the abstract — it is always completed about something specific. That "something specific" is the assessment's scope. A scope item is a pointer to a single source record. It is identified by a table (for example, the Vendor table) and a record on that table (for example, Acme Corp). An assessment can have one scope item, multiple scope items, or none.
Two assessments built from the same template can have completely different answers because they are scoped to different records. For example, a vendor security questionnaire scoped to Acme Corp and the same questionnaire scoped to Globex Inc share the questions but capture each vendor's own answers.
- The template
- Defines what to ask (questions, sections, instructions).
- The scope
- Defines about what to ask it (the source record).
- The responder
- Provides the answers.
Scope items aren't configured on a template or template category. Scope is assigned at the time the assessment is created — typically through an assessment trigger, a Flow Designer action, or a public API call. After an assessment is created, responders, reviewers, and administrators can view its scope items but can't add, change, or remove them from the responder experience.
Where scope items appear in the assessment
- Assessment header
- The header at the top of the assessment shows scope items inline alongside the assessment title and status. Each scope item is shown as a label (the source table name) and a value (the source record name).
- Navigation panel (combined assessments)
- The left navigation panel renders scope items on each assessment card so responders can distinguish constituent assessments. When assessments share the same template, scope items appear in a stacked layout. When templates differ, scope items appear in a tabbed layout.
- Section viewer
- The section viewer header displays scope items for the constituent assessment in a tabbed layout. This keeps the source record in view while responders answer questions.
- Details / contextual sidebar
- The Details section includes a Scope card that lists every scope item as a label-value pair. When reference fields are configured for a scope item, an additional reference information card appears. It surfaces the configured fields from the source record in a breadcrumb-style layout (for example, ).
- Assessment task list
- The list of assessments that a reviewer or assignee sees before opening any one of them surfaces scope item fields as columns on each row. This makes it easier to triage and prioritize work across many assessments without having to open each one.
In the assessment header, navigation panel, and section viewer, no more than three scope items are shown at a time. If an assessment has more than three scope items, the additional items are summarized as a + N more indicator. Selecting the indicator opens a tabbed popover that lists every scope item on the assessment.
Setting scope items on an assessment
Scope items are set when the assessment instance is created. The supported entry point is Assessment trigger or Flow Designer action. These pass scope items as an input parameter when triggering the assessment.
Each scope item is an object with a table value (the source table name) and a record value (the sys ID of the source record). Scope items are cascade-deleted when the assessment instance is deleted.
Roles and access
- sn_smart_asmt.assessment_admin
- Can view and modify scope items at the table level. Typically used by administrators who configure assessment triggers and Flow Designer actions.
- sn_smart_asmt.actor
- Can view scope items on assessments assigned to them. Scope items are read-only from the responder experience.
- sn_smart_asmt.assessment_reader
- Can view scope items on assessments that they have read access to. Scope items are read-only.
- sn_smart_asmt.reassign
- Can view scope items as part of the in-progress assessments that they reassign to another user.
Tables used by the scope feature
- Scope item [sn_smart_asmt_scope_item]
- Identifies a single source record by table name and record sys ID.
- Assessment instance to scope item [sn_smart_asmt_m2m_instance_scope_item]
- Links an assessment instance to one or more scope items.
For a full list of tables installed by Smart Assessment Engine, see Tables installed in Smart Assessment Engine.