AI Governance

Knowledge Bundle: Public-Sector AI Readiness Concept ID: government:ai_governance Concept Type: Governance Framework Status: Draft Audience: Public agencies, department leaders, IT teams, legal counsel, procurement staff Steward: OKF Expert AI Use: Human-reviewed Last Reviewed: June 2026

AI governance is the set of policies, roles, decision-making processes, safeguards, and accountability measures that guide how an organization selects, uses, monitors, and retires artificial intelligence tools.

For public agencies, AI governance should protect public trust, support lawful decision-making, reduce avoidable risk, and ensure that human officials remain accountable for important outcomes.

Without governance, AI adoption can become fragmented.

Different departments may use different tools, upload sensitive information without clear rules, rely on unverified outputs, or make decisions without consistent oversight.

A governance framework helps an agency create shared expectations before problems emerge.

• Executive sponsorship
• Clear ownership of AI tools and use cases
• Approved and prohibited uses
• Data handling rules
• Human review requirements
• Risk assessment procedures
• Procurement and vendor review standards
• Training requirements
• Documentation and record-retention expectations
• Periodic review of deployed AI systems

• Who can approve a new AI tool or use case?
• What information may staff enter into AI tools?
• Which uses require legal, privacy, security, or procurement review?
• When must a human validate AI-generated content?
• How will the agency document AI-assisted decisions?
• What happens when a tool produces inaccurate, biased, or unsafe output?

• AI Risk Assessment
• Approved AI Use Cases
• AI Procurement
• Staff AI Training
• Return to Public-Sector AI Readiness