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FS Foundation Setup
Implementation Services · Workstream 1

Give AI governance a home, an owner, and a cadence.

Foundation Setup establishes clear, accountable ownership of AI governance and the structure through which decisions are made. Without this, every other implementation workstream fragments and stalls. The audit consistently finds it is the first thing that needs to exist.

What we set up

The structure
governance lands on.

Designed so the committee's work is recorded and repeatable rather than living in meeting notes. Governance 1st provides the operating backbone once established.

1

Accountable owner

A single senior executive answerable for AI governance: the CISO, General Counsel, CHRO, or a designated AI governance lead.

2

Chartered committee

Defined membership across security, legal/compliance, HR, IT, data, and the business, with explicit decision rights and escalation paths.

3

Scope and decision rights

What the committee approves, what it is consulted on, and where authority sits for sanctioning tools, use cases, and exceptions.

4

Operating cadence

Meeting rhythm, standing agenda, intake process for new AI use requests, and reporting lines to executive leadership and the board.

5

Connection to risk appetite

Decisions aligned to the organization's stated risk tolerance so approvals are consistent rather than ad hoc.

6

Capability metrics

Coverage, cycle time on requests, gap-closure rate — so governance can be managed, not just performed.

What you receive

A governance capability
that runs.

Foundation Setup is typically the first workstream because everything else needs an owner to land on.

Next step

Stand up the structure.

A scoping conversation about who would own AI governance, what the committee should cover, and how to launch the operating cadence.

Evidence-based, not assertion-based
Powered by the Governance 1st platform
Findings to roadmap, with owners and dates