# AI governance charter

*An Enterprise Technology Association (ETA) template. A short charter that sets up an AI governance program people can work with: purpose, roles, decisions and a 90-day start.*

Used in: AI Governance and Security, AI Fluency: Advanced.

**Organization:** ____________________
**Executive sponsor:** ____________________
**AI governance lead:** ____________________
**Approved on:** ____________________

## Purpose

AI governance exists to let people use AI safely and well. A fast, clear approved path is the goal; a slow or unclear one drives shadow AI.

**Our purpose statement:** ____________________
**Scope (which teams, tools, uses):** ____________________

## The eight parts and their owners

| Part | What it answers | Owner | Current state (none, basic, working) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roles and accountability | Who decides, who owns, who is consulted? |   |   |
| AI use policy | What may people do, and what must they never do? |   |   |
| AI inventory | What AI is in use, including shadow AI? |   |   |
| Risk tiers | How much control does each use need? (low, medium, high) |   |   |
| Assessment and vendor review | Is this use, this data and this vendor acceptable? |   |   |
| Controls for assistants and agents | Identity, access, approvals, logging |   |   |
| Monitoring, audits and incident response | Is it working, and what happens when it fails? |   |   |
| Metrics, training and culture | Can leaders see it, and do people follow it? |   |   |

## Decision rights

| Decision | Accountable (one person) | Responsible | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approve a low-tier use |   |   |   |   |
| Approve a medium-tier use |   |   |   |   |
| Approve a high-tier use (accept high risk in writing) |   |   |   |   |
| Approve a new AI tool or vendor |   |   |   |   |
| Approve an agent action moving up a rung |   |   |   |   |
| Declare and close an AI incident |   |   |   |   |

Keep the person granting access separate from the only reviewer.

## Meeting rhythm and reporting

**Governance group members:** ____________________
**How often it meets:** ____________________
**What the board or leadership receives, and how often:** ____________________

## 90-day start

| Days | Goal | Key actions | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 |   |   |   |
| 31 to 60 |   |   |   |
| 61 to 90 |   |   |   |

## Review

**Next charter review date:** ____________________
**Signed (executive sponsor):** ____________________

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Enterprise Technology Association (ETA) | joineta.org | Free to copy and adapt for your team. Follow your organization's policies; where they differ from this template, your policies win.