AI governance templates

Which AI governance template do you need?

A useful AI governance template turns a recurring decision into a clear record: what is proposed, who owns it, what evidence exists and what happens next. A policy sets the rules; an intake form starts the review; an inventory keeps approved systems visible. They solve different tasks.

This guide brings together the library’s existing task collections and our free original policy draft. It is a selection guide, not a download bundle of third-party files. Publisher resources remain at the original source.

Choose editable fields when several people must update a record. Use a short checklist for a bounded review, a spreadsheet for comparable records and an official guide to understand the underlying context. Before adopting a publisher template, check its scope, access conditions and reuse terms. Free access does not automatically grant unrestricted reuse.

Build a small working set of templates

1. Begin with the decision. Write the task in one sentence: approve a pilot, compare vendors, prepare a purchase or assign ownership. Pick the row above that produces that record.
2. Set authority. Name the person who completes the record, the reviewer and the approver. Use the policy draft to agree the route; use a charter only when shared decision-making needs it.
3. Connect the records. Give the use case an identifier. Link its intake to assessment evidence, the buying decision and inventory entry so people do not have to copy the same context into unrelated files.
4. Run one real case. Ask a colleague to complete the form and explain the next action. Remove fields nobody uses; add a field only when a missing fact prevented a decision.
5. Maintain the outcome. Record conditions and a review trigger. A filled template is useful only while the underlying use, evidence and ownership remain current.

For a small team, we would start with a policy owner, an intake record and an inventory. Add a vendor evidence log when a supplier is involved. The objective is an understandable review route, not the largest possible template collection.

Example: a support assistant pilot

Illustrative only: A team wants draft replies for support staff, with no automatic sending. Its intake names the support lead, intended users and data. The supplier assessment records data-handling claims and test evidence. The procurement checklist identifies acceptance criteria and unresolved contract questions. The inventory links those records and notes that only the pilot is approved.

The policy identifies who may approve a wider rollout and how staff report a problem. A committee charter is needed only if that decision crosses responsibilities that the existing approval route cannot resolve. These records share a case identifier; they do not repeat the same long description in every file.

Questions about AI governance templates

Are these templates free?

This selection guide, our procurement and vendor question sets, and the original policy draft are free. Linked publishers control their own access and licensing. Some sources provide free guidance but sell the full standard or require registration.

Is a policy template the same as an AI governance framework?

No. A framework offers a broader structure for managing AI risk. A policy records your organization’s rules and responsibilities. Use relevant official guidance as context, then adapt the operational records to the actual work.

Will completing these forms establish compliance?

No. Records support review and accountability; they do not prove that a system satisfies applicable obligations. Have the relevant specialists review the use and evidence within their responsibilities.

What does the paid Starter Pack add?

It organizes the resource research process into a standalone guide, an editable evaluation worksheet and a filled example. It complements the free pages rather than selling access to their public source links.

Source context

NIST AI RMF Playbook: Govern ↗ is a background source for governance responsibilities and records. UK Guidelines for AI Procurement ↗ supplies public-sector buying context. The selection table, proposed working set and example are our editorial recommendations, not a reproduction of official templates.