ddq

DDQ is an acronym with multiple meanings, depending on context. The most widely used sense appears in finance, procurement, and risk management, where DDQ stands for due diligence questionnaire.

Due Diligence Questionnaire (DDQ) is a document used by buyers, banks, asset managers, and other institutions to collect information about a prospective vendor, counterparty, or target company. The purpose is to assess risk, regulatory compliance, financial health, and internal controls before entering a business relationship or transaction. Typical content includes corporate structure and ownership, financial statements, regulatory licenses, anti-corruption policies, sanctions screening, data privacy practices, information security controls, business continuity planning, insurance, and ongoing litigation. The process generally involves sending the DDQ to the party in question, reviewing the responses, requesting clarifications if needed, and using the findings to decide whether to proceed, negotiate terms, or require remediation. Benefits of this approach include standardized risk assessment, auditability, and a more efficient due diligence workflow; limitations can include incomplete or outdated information, potential bias in self-reporting, and the need for ongoing updates as conditions change.

Other uses: DDQ is also encountered in other specialized domains, where the exact meaning is context-specific and not universally standardized. In those cases, the acronym typically denotes a domain-specific questionnaire or qualification document. If you encounter DDQ, it is best to consult the surrounding materials or the issuing organization to determine the intended meaning.