AI GOVERNANCE
Once your team is using AI, someone needs to know how.
An AI use policy your team can actually follow, a simple way to vet new tools, and someone keeping it current as usage changes.
Most organizations don’t have an AI problem yet. They have an AI question nobody has answered: what’s allowed, what isn’t, and who decides. Governance answers it in plain language, without slowing anyone down.
- Written AI use policy
- Tool request & vetting
- Ongoing review
- Sized by user count
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Three parts, working together
Governance isn’t a document you file away. An AI policy on its own goes stale within months. Pairing it with a clear way to handle new tools and a regular check on how things are going is what keeps it useful.
01 · POLICY CREATION
An AI use policy written for your organization
I start from what I know about how your organization works, not a generic template. The result is short enough that people will actually read it, and specific enough to answer real questions.
COVERS
- Which AI tools are approved
- What data stays out of them
- When output needs a human review
- Who to ask when someone isn’t sure
02 · TOOL REQUESTS
A clear way to vet new tools and processes
New AI tools appear every month, and staff will find them. Rather than saying no by default or ignoring them, there’s a simple way to ask, and I review each request against your AI use policy before it’s adopted.
COVERS
- A simple request process for staff
- Where the tool stores your data
- Whether it fits the policy as written
- A clear yes, no, or yes-with-conditions
03 · ONGOING REVIEW
Someone checking in as usage changes
Policies go stale the moment a new tool shows up or a team finds a new way to use the ones they have. Regular review keeps the policy matched to how people are actually working.
COVERS
- How AI is being used in practice
- New risks and new features
- Policy updates when things change
- A short summary for leadership
WHERE THIS USUALLY STARTS
“So what should people not be doing with this?”
I’ve noticed that question tends to show up a few weeks into training, once people are actually using AI and the boundaries start to matter.
Sometimes it shows up earlier, when someone pastes client information into a free chatbot, or a manager realizes half the team is using tools nobody approved.
Governance works best alongside Training, because I already understand how your organization works. But if you’re asking that question now, it’s a perfectly good place to start.
STRUCTURE
Sized to how many people are using AI
Each tier starts with a heavier setup phase, where the policy gets written, then moves to lighter ongoing review. Fees are part of the free consult, once I understand your organization well enough to scope it.
1–15
USERS
Small
Small teams and single-department organizations, where usage is easy to see end to end.
- Policy built around a contained user base
- Setup scoped to your structure, not just headcount
- Light, periodic review
MAIN FOCUS
Getting the AI use policy right.
16–50
USERS
Medium
More teams, more varied use cases, and more for the policy to account for.
- Setup covers departmental differences
- Review scales with the larger user base
- Same policy-plus-oversight structure
MAIN FOCUS
Oversight, since usage varies more.
51+
USERS
Large
Available for larger organizations. At this size, it’s worth talking through fit directly first.
- Setup and oversight sized to complexity
- Scoped in conversation
MAIN FOCUS
Confirming fit before scoping.
SETUP PHASE
The heavier part, where the policy gets written, the tool request process is set up, and everything is matched to how your organization works.
ONGOING PHASE
Lighter and regular: reviewing tool requests, checking how usage is going, and updating the policy when something changes.
RANGES, NOT HARD CUTOFFS. NEAR A BOUNDARY? WE’LL FIND THE RIGHT FIT IN THE CONSULT.
HOW IT STARTS
From first conversation to working AI use policy
There’s no separate sales process for governance. It starts with the same free consult as everything else.
01
Free consult
We talk through how AI is being used today, what’s worrying you, and which tier fits.
If you’re not ready for governance yet, I’ll say so.
NO COST
02
Policy setup
I write the policy around your organization and set up a simple process for tool requests.
You review a draft before anything is final.
ONE-TIME
03
Ongoing oversight
New tools get vetted and usage gets reviewed on a regular schedule.
The policy gets updated as things change, so it stays in use rather than on a shelf.
ONGOING
Most organizations pair governance with monthly training. Training builds the habits; governance sets the boundaries. Each one makes the other easier, because people learn the tools inside rules they already understand.
A few things people ask
No. Governance works best alongside Training, because I already know how your organization works, but it can be a starting point on its own.
No. I’m not a lawyer. The policy is a practical, operational document about how your people use AI day to day. If your organization has specific legal or regulatory obligations, I’ll flag where they come into play, and it’s worth having your lawyer review the final version.
It accounts for it, but it isn’t a compliance review. The policy flags where Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA, and Alberta’s PIPA for private-sector organizations here) affects how AI tools handle personal information, so those questions get asked before data goes in. If you need a formal legal opinion, I’ll point out where to bring in your lawyer or privacy officer.
The policy also reflects the generative AI privacy principles that Canada’s privacy regulators, including Alberta’s, published in 2023.
Usage gets checked on a regular schedule during the ongoing phase, and the policy itself gets a full review at least once a year. If a new tool is approved or the way people work changes, it’s updated then rather than waiting for the annual review.
They send a short request through the process we set up. I look at where the tool stores your data, whether it fits the policy, and what it would be used for, then come back with a clear yes, no, or yes with conditions.
Whatever your organization uses or is considering: Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and the smaller tools that tend to show up on their own.
NEXT STEP
Wondering where the lines should be?
That’s a good reason for a free consult. We’ll talk through how AI is being used today and whether governance makes sense yet.