AI policy framework
Create practical organizational rules for approved and prohibited AI use.
GOVERNANCE / 06
Make responsible AI part of the operating model. Innovation with ownership, controls and review.
Northbound establishes practical governance around AI usage, systems and vendors so leadership can expand AI capability without losing visibility into data, permissions, accountability or risk.
Governance works best when it helps good AI move faster and weak AI stop earlier.
02 / WHAT NORTHBOUND EXAMINES
OwnershipNamed business and technical owners for material AI systems.
Use policiesClear expectations for employee AI use and sensitive information.
PermissionsAccess and authority matched to the system’s purpose and risk.
Vendor reviewData, security, retention and dependency considerations documented.
Human oversightApproval and escalation requirements defined for consequential use.
Lifecycle reviewSystems periodically reviewed for performance, incidents, change and retirement.
03 / COMMON USE CASES
What this capability can look like in practice.
These are representative patterns, not a prescribed technology stack. The right implementation depends on the business, systems, data and risk profile.
AI system register
Maintain visibility into systems, owners, providers, data, controls and review dates.
Vendor governance
Evaluate AI vendors against data, privacy, security and dependency requirements.
Shadow AI review
Understand where employees are already using AI outside formal processes.
Risk classification
Apply stronger controls to higher-impact systems and workflows.
Incident and review process
Define how problems are reported, investigated, corrected and learned from.
04 / MEASUREMENT
Measure the change in the business, not the novelty of the technology.
Northbound establishes the baseline before implementation and tracks the operating signals that determine whether the capability is actually creating value.
COVERAGEMaterial AI systems documented and owned
REVIEWSystems reviewed on schedule
INCIDENTSMeaningful failures and control breaches
COMPLIANCEAdherence to internal policy and approval rules
05 / ENGAGEMENT PATH
Move from clarity to controlled execution.
The scope expands only when the evidence supports it.
BASELINE
Understand current usage
Map systems, employee use, vendors, data and ownership.
DEFINE
Set practical controls
Establish policy, register, permissions, approval and review.
OPERATE
Govern continuously
Review systems as usage, models, vendors and risk evolve.
06 / CONTROL POINT
Responsible transformation is part of the design.
Northbound governance is operational guidance, not legal certification. Legal, privacy, security and regulatory requirements should be reviewed with the appropriate qualified advisors where needed.
See whether AI Governance belongs in your roadmap. Start with the business.
Use the Northbound assessment to show us where work is getting stuck and what outcome matters most.
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