A plainspoken walkthrough so you’re not caught off guard

If the phrase “3PAO assessment” makes your palms sweat, take a breath. You’re not alone.

The world of FedRAMP and cloud compliance is full of acronyms, documentation demands, and gray areas. But when it comes to what a 3PAO assessment actually is and how to survive one without losing sleep, we’ve got you.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the full process, from prep to paperwork to the real-life humans who’ll show up asking questions. If you’ve been wondering, “What is a 3PAO assessment?” or what it means for your team, this is your starting line.

First Things First: What Is a 3PAO?

A 3PAO is a Third Party Assessment Organization. These are independent firms authorized by the federal government (specifically by FedRAMP and the General Services Administration) to assess how well your cloud service meets federal security requirements.

Their job? Put your system under the microscope and verify that it’s secure, well-documented, and operating the way you say it is. If you’re aiming for FedRAMP authorization, a 3PAO is the one who signs off that your system is good to go.

Think of them like the trusted inspector before you list your compliance house on the federal market. Not there to nitpick, but definitely not there to let stuff slide either.

Before the 3PAO Shows Up: How to Prep Like a Pro

The actual assessment is just one part of the story. Long before your 3PAO sets foot (physically or virtually) in your environment, there’s some housekeeping to do.

Here’s what that looks like:

✅ Finalize Your System Security Plan (SSP)

Your SSP is the holy grail of documentation. It outlines exactly how your system works, how you handle data, what controls you have in place, and how you mitigate risks.

Make sure:

• It’s thorough and up-to-date
• It matches the actual system architecture
• Everyone who touches the SSP knows it inside and out

If your SSP says one thing and your tech stack says another? The 3PAO will spot it—and flag it.

✅ Lock Down Roles and Responsibilities

Before the 3PAO arrives, your team should know who owns what. Who’s handling access controls? Who speaks to incident response? Who’s your go-to for audit logs?

Assign clear leads for every control family (hello, NIST 800-53), and prep them to speak to their sections.

✅ Clean Up Known Issues

If there are things still being remediated, like open POA&Ms (Plans of Action and Milestones), make sure you’ve documented:

• What the issue is
• What you’ve done so far
• What’s left and when it’ll be done

Transparency goes a long way. The 3PAO doesn’t expect perfection, but they do expect honesty.

What You’ll Need to Show: Evidence, Evidence, Evidence

Here’s the blunt truth: saying “we do X” isn’t enough. You have to prove it.

During a 3PAO assessment, you’ll need to provide evidence for how your controls are implemented and working in real life. That means:

Artifacts

Things like:

• Policies and procedures
• Diagrams of your system architecture
• Training records
• Change management documentation

Screenshots and Logs

3PAOs love screenshots with metadata. (Seriously, don’t crop them.) Expect to share:

• Audit logs
• Access control settings
• System configurations
• Encryption settings

Demonstrations

Be ready to walk through parts of your environment live. That might include:

• Showing how MFA is enforced
• Proving that backups are encrypted and restorable
• Walking through your incident response process
  
  

You don’t have to be flashy, you just have to be accurate.

Common Pitfalls and How to Dodge Them

Even well-prepared teams can get tripped up during a 3PAO assessment. Here are a few pain points we’ve seen (and helped our clients avoid):

1. Control Owners Are MIA

If the 3PAO asks a question and your team can’t answer it because the person responsible isn’t in the room, that’s a red flag. Make sure everyone knows when they’re needed and is ready to jump in.

2. Policy ≠ Practice

It’s one thing to say you do quarterly vulnerability scans. It’s another to show the scan results for the past year. Your policies, procedures, and actual operations should match. If they don’t, fix it before the 3PAO points it out.

3. Evidence Is Sloppy or Missing

Organize your evidence ahead of time. Use clear labels. Don’t make your assessor dig through folders named “Misc.”

Bonus tip: if your evidence lives in multiple places, build a crosswalk to connect the dots. You’ll save everyone time and look buttoned-up doing it.

4. You Waited Too Long to Ask for Help

One of the biggest mistakes? Thinking you can do this solo. Even the most seasoned security teams benefit from a second set of eyes. Especially when the stakes are this high.

So… What Happens After the Assessment?

Once your 3PAO has done their digging, they’ll produce a Security Assessment Report (SAR). This report includes:

• A summary of their findings
• Any vulnerabilities they discovered
• Your POA&M for issues that aren’t fully resolved

This is the document FedRAMP uses to decide whether you’re ready to move forward in the authorization process. No pressure, right?

The good news: if you’ve prepped well, stayed organized, and kept the lines of communication open, the SAR won’t come with any nasty surprises.

TL;DR: Your Quick 3PAO Checklist

Before the assessment:

• SSP finalized and aligned with reality
• Control owners briefed and ready
• Policies + real-life practice match
• Evidence labeled, organized, and complete

During the assessment:

• Be responsive and transparent
• Have SMEs ready to answer technical questions
• Provide proof, not just promises

After the assessment:

• Review your SAR carefully
• Build out or update your POA&M
• Follow up with your 3PAO if anything’s unclear

Let’s Make Your 3PAO Assessment a Non-Issue

You don’t have to go it alone. Whether you’re gearing up for your first 3PAO assessment or you’ve been through a few and still dread them, we’re here to help you tighten things up before the real show begins.

Want a second set of eyes before your 3PAO gets involved?

Schedule a pre-audit call and we’ll walk through your readiness, flag the red flags, and help you prep like a pro.

No chaos. No drama. Just a clear path forward.