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04 AdoptionMPA-RN-2026-002

The AI Plan Is Funded. Who Governs It?

The roadmap is approved and funded, yet the enterprise cannot produce the rules and evidence that govern it. Six terrains, each named for the question leaders must answer, and one ownership test show where capability is outpacing control.

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GOVERNANCE / OWNERSHIP

Funding does not fill the ownership gap.

One accountable owner

A person who answers for the terrain.

A rule in force

Scope and effective date; applied in the work.

Current evidence

A record, log or test that can be produced.

Apply all three to each material terrain. States do not average across terrains.

Confirmed absence: Not Cleared. Unresolved required evidence: Evidence Pending. Complete support: Cleared.
Read the diagram

One accountable owner: A person who answers for the terrain.; A rule in force: Scope and effective date; applied in the work.; Current evidence: A record, log or test that can be produced.. Apply all three to each material terrain. States do not average across terrains.

What you can do with it

Use the recommendations in your next decision.

  1. 01

    What do I do now?

    Convene one working session, chaired by the executive accountable for the AI roadmap, and run one AI workflow that is already live through the six terrains.

  2. 02

    How do I do it?

    Ask the six diagnostic questions in the note, one per terrain, and record the evidence produced or the reason it could not be. Apply the three-question ownership test to each terrain.

  3. 03

    Who should be involved?

    The executive accountable for the AI roadmap chairs. The finance, technology, data, security, and people leaders whose terrains are in scope attend. One accountable name per terrain leaves the room recorded.

  4. 04

    How do I choose?

    Each terrain resolves to Cleared, Evidence Pending, or Not Cleared. Scale only where every terrain the workflow touches is cleared, or where an accepted exception names the risk owner, the containment, and the deadline.

What it comes with

The research note names the six terrains and the ownership test, and specifies the one-page AI Governance Ownership Record a first working session produces: an accountable name, a rule in force, the evidence, a control state, and a re-examination date for each terrain.

  • Research note. The six terrains, the ownership test, and the record.

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