The problem it solves

Objective Create rules, accountability and controls proportional to the context.

A policy does not demonstrate control. Control exists when it has an owner, evidence and a defined review.

Criteria vary by area, and when something goes wrong it is unclear who decides. AI systems already in use have no approved policy, inventory, risk classification or evidence to answer an audit, a funder or an oversight body.

Questions it answers

  • What controls and owners do we need?
  • What evidence must we produce, and who is accountable?
  • Which controls are proportional to our context?

Signs your organisation is at this stage

  • We already use AI with no policy, inventory or evidence to answer an oversight review.
  • We have to answer to an audit, a funder or an oversight body.

What AGORA does

  • Builds the governance model the organisation can sustain: policy, inventory, risk classification, roles and evidence.
  • Selects controls proportional to the context.
  • Drafts the policy and the responsibility matrix for approval.
  • Defines the evidence per control and the review cadence.

Deliverables

  • AI usage policy.
  • Systems inventory.
  • Risk classification.
  • Responsibility matrix (RACI or equivalent).
  • Controls with an owner.
  • Defined evidence.
  • Decision and review body.

The policy is drafted for approval: the organisation approves it.

Who needs to take part

  • Leadership, which approves the policy and the decision body.
  • The areas that take on the defined roles: risk, legal or compliance, technology and data.

The organisation approves the policy and takes on the defined roles. AGORA accompanies implementation and preparation for external reviews.

Indicative duration

Defined by scope, based on what the assessment recommends.

Exit criterion

  • An approved policy and a constituted decision body exist.
  • Every control has an owner, evidence and a defined review.

Next step

Not a compulsory process

You do not have to go through the six stages in order, or engage work at every stage. An organisation with systems already in production can come in at Govern or Operationalise; one that is just exploring usually starts by understanding and assessing.