Governance Maturity Model
A staged framework that assesses how advanced an organization’s AI governance practices are, from ad-hoc to optimized.
Definition
A diagnostic tool that evaluates governance capabilities—policy existence, role definition, tooling, metrics, and continuous improvement—across maturity levels (Initial, Managed, Defined, Quantitatively Managed, Optimizing). It helps organizations benchmark progress, set targets for capability-building, and prioritize investments in governance processes and technologies.
Real-World Example
A retail chain uses a five-level maturity model: at level 2 they have basic policies; at level 3 they introduce automated risk-assessments; at level 4 they integrate real-time governance dashboards; and they plan level 5 (continuous optimization) where guardrails adapt automatically to new threats. Quarterly self-assessments guide their roadmap.
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