Approval is conditional on context
The original assessment is only reliable while the relevant facts remain materially the same. A change to purpose, model, supplier, data, autonomy, affected group or deployment can alter the risk even if the product name does not change.
Material-change triggers
Examples include a supplier changing retention or training terms, a pilot becoming customer-facing, a tool gaining production write access, a new vulnerable cohort being affected or an agent gaining autonomous tool access.
What should happen
The governance system should highlight affected assessment answers, rerun the applicable deterministic rules and require reapproval where the change alters the governance position. Historical decisions should remain intact rather than being rewritten.
Where Swell fits: the product turns these governance principles into a maintained register, explainable triage, evidence, approvals, review and board reporting. It does not replace legal, privacy, security or professional judgement.