> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.covianalytics.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Parent & Child

> Organise risks and controls into hierarchies to reflect how your framework is structured in practice.

## Overview

The Parent & Child feature lets you create hierarchical relationships between items in your framework. A parent control can have multiple child controls beneath it, and the same applies to risks. This mirrors how organisations typically structure their frameworks — a high-level group control that breaks down into specific operational controls performed by different teams or entities.

***

## When to use it

Use parent-child relationships when:

* A **group-level control** is implemented differently across entities or business units, and each entity has its own version
* A **strategic risk** breaks down into more specific operational risks that are owned by different teams
* You want to **roll up RAG ratings** from children to give the parent an aggregated view of effectiveness

***

## Setting it up

### Configuring parent-child in Administration

Before you can create hierarchies, the feature needs to be enabled and configured.

1. Go to **Administration** > [Configuration](/admin/configuration)
2. Select the relevant tab (e.g., **Controls** for control hierarchies)
3. Ensure the parent-child relationship option is enabled

### Creating a parent-child relationship

#### For Controls

1. Open the parent control's [Control Card](/controls/control-card)
2. In the **Basic Information** section, child controls appear as coloured cards beneath the instructions
3. When [creating a new control](/controls/new-control), you can assign it to a parent during the setup wizard
4. Use the **Filter Children** buttons (Red, Amber, Green, TBC, N/A) on the parent card to filter child controls by their RAG status

#### For Risks

1. Open the parent risk's [Risk Card](/risks/risk-card)
2. Child risks can be linked from the risk's relational information
3. The parent risk's scoring can reflect the aggregated position of its children

***

## How it works in practice

### Viewing the hierarchy

On a parent's card, child items appear as coloured tiles showing:

* The child's **name** and **reference number**
* The child's **owner**
* The child's **entity**
* A **RAG indicator** showing the child's current Design and Operational effectiveness

### Filtering children

The parent card includes filter buttons to narrow which children are displayed:

| Filter    | Shows                                                     |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Red**   | Children with a Red RAG rating — need immediate attention |
| **Amber** | Children rated Amber — at risk                            |
| **Green** | Children operating effectively                            |
| **TBC**   | Children not yet assessed                                 |
| **N/A**   | Children marked as not applicable                         |

### Impact on reporting

* The [Controls Dashboard](/controls/dashboard) can show aggregated parent-level views
* The [Export Center](/export/center) includes parent-child relationships in exported registers
* The [Tracks & Trends](/controls/control-card#tracks--trends) section on a parent's card reflects changes across the hierarchy

***

## Tips & Tricks

<Tip>
  Keep your hierarchy to two levels (parent and child). Going deeper adds complexity without much benefit — if you need a third level, consider whether the parent is too broadly defined.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  Use the **Filter Children** buttons on the parent card to quickly spot which entities or teams are underperforming. Red and Amber children are where your attention should go first.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  Deleting a parent does not delete its children — they become standalone items. Make sure to reassign or review orphaned children after removing a parent.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Parent-child relationships are separate from the risk-control linkage. A child control still needs to be linked to its relevant risks independently — it does not inherit the parent's risk associations.
</Note>