A Five-Step Checklist to Audit Your International Insurance Program

For any organization engaged in international work, the global landscape is constantly shifting, and so are your operations, personnel, and exposures. A stagnant or outdated insurance program can leave critical vulnerabilities that might only become apparent when a crisis strikes.

To safeguard your mission, your personnel, and your financial stability, conducting a regular, thorough audit of your international insurance program is indispensable.

Here is a 5-step checklist to guide this essential process:

Step 1: Conduct a Full Inventory of International Assets and Exposures

You cannot adequately insure what you don’t fully understand or account for. The first step in any audit is to get a precise, up-to-date picture of your global footprint.

What to do:

• Personnel: List every individual affiliated with your ministry working internationally. This includes U.S. expats, third-country nationals, local national staff, and all volunteers (short-term and long-term). Document their roles, locations, and the nature of their relationship with the organization (e.g., employee, volunteer, contractor).
• • Locations: Identify every country, region, and specific physical address where your ministry operates or has personnel. Be granular, as risks can vary significantly even within a single country.
  • Assets: Catalog all physical assets owned or regularly used by the ministry overseas, including buildings, vehicles, equipment, and significant personal property of your personnel that the ministry is responsible for.
  • Activities: Document the specific types of activities undertaken in each location, as certain activities (e.g., medical clinics, construction, youth programs) may carry distinct risks.

Why it matters: This comprehensive inventory forms the foundation for identifying all potential liabilities and ensuring no significant exposure is overlooked.

Step 2: Meticulously Review Your Existing Policies for Gaps and Limitations

With a clear picture of your operations, the next step is to scrutinize your current insurance documents. Do not assume; verify.
What to do:

• • Geographic Scope: For each policy (general liability, workers’ compensation, property, etc.), locate the “territorial limits” or “geographic exclusions” clauses. Confirm that all countries where you operate are explicitly covered, and understand any limitations for specific “high-risk” regions.
  • Personnel Definitions: Check how each policy defines “insured persons.” Does it cover all your employees, volunteers, and any genuine contractors working abroad?
  • Benefit Triggers: For critical coverages like medical evacuation or security evacuation, understand the precise conditions under which benefits are activated. Are security evacuations tied only to official government mandates, or do they offer broader triggers based on unfolding events.
  • Sub-limits and Exclusions: Identify any specific sub-limits (lower maximum payouts) for certain types of incidents or exclusions for particular perils (e.g., named storms in property policies, specific types of political violence).

Why it matters: This review helps uncover hidden vulnerabilities and ensures that the policy language aligns with your real-world operations and risk tolerance.

Step 3: Assess Key International Coverage Needs

Based on your inventory and policy review, evaluate whether you have the core international policies necessary to address global risks effectively.
What to do:

• • Foreign Voluntary Workers’ Compensation (FVWC): Do you have this for all eligible overseas employees?
  • Kidnap & Ransom (K&R): Is this in place, and does it include robust security evacuation benefits?
  • Foreign General Liability: Does your liability extend to incidents in all countries of operation?
  • International Property Insurance: Are your overseas assets protected against various perils?
  • Comprehensive Travel Insurance: Is this in place for all volunteers and short-term trip participants?
  • Global Health Insurance: Do long-term expats have adequate international health coverage?

Why it matters: This assessment ensures you are acquiring the essential “buckets of risk” transfer mechanisms to protect against common and potentially catastrophic international exposures.

Step 4: Educate Your Leadership and Field Personnel on Coverage and Procedures

Having excellent policies is only half the battle. Your team must know what coverage exists and, crucially, how to access it in an emergency.

What to do:

• • Disseminate Information: Create clear, concise summaries of your insurance program, highlighting what’s covered, for whom, and under what circumstances.
  • Emergency Contact Info: Ensure all field personnel have immediate access to emergency contact numbers for medical assistance, security crisis response, and organizational support. This could be a physical card, a digital document, or an app.
  • Response Protocols: Provide basic training on emergency response protocols, ensuring personnel know who to contact within the organization and what initial steps to take in a crisis (e.g., in a medical emergency or security incident).
  • Role Clarity: Ensure everyone understands their status (employee, volunteer, contractor) and how that impacts their coverage.

Why it matters: Knowledge and preparation empower your team, enabling swift and effective action when a crisis unfolds, potentially saving lives and mitigating damages.

Step 5: Establish a Schedule for Regular Program Review and Updates

An insurance program is not static. Continuous adjustment is critical for long-term protection.

What to do:

• • Annual Audit: Schedule a comprehensive review of your entire international insurance program at least once a year with your insurance representative.
  • Event-Driven Reviews: Trigger an immediate review if there are significant changes:
    • Expansion into new countries.
    • Addition of new programs or activities overseas.
    • Changes in the political or security landscape of the countries where you operate.
    • Significant changes in personnel numbers or classifications (e.g., converting contractors to employees).
    • Major incidents or claims experience.

Why it matters: Regular audits and timely updates ensure your insurance program remains aligned with your ministry’s evolving needs and the changing global environment, preventing costly gaps from emerging.

By committing to this 5-step audit checklist, your ministry can move from reactive uncertainty to proactive preparedness, securing its mission against the unpredictable challenges of international service.

For more information, you can find a video with Derek Gard, a former missionary, here.

You can also request a quote for your mission-sending organization here.