39 free AI governance templates for security and GRC teams

Free AI Governance& Policy Templates

Editable policies, risk assessments and vendor checklists for security, IT and governance teams.

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DOCXPolicies

AI Acceptable Use Policy Template

Data classification matrix (Public/Internal/Confidential/Restricted)
Approved vs prohibited tools framework
New tool approval request process

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Governance & ReportingDOCX

AI System Inventory Template

A practical template for cataloging AI tools, embedded AI features, custom models, automations, and AI agents. Track owners, data sources, risk tier, controls, and audit evidence.

Includes

Single source of truth for AI usage
Risk tiering (Low/Med/High/Critical)
Data flow + subprocessor tracking
Controls + evidence fields for audits
Review cadence + last review date

Risk & AssessmentDOCX

Bias Testing and Fairness Guide

A practical guide to testing AI systems for bias and fairness. Covers metrics, test design, documentation, and remediation - built for security, risk, and compliance teams.

Includes

Fairness testing checklist
Suggested metrics and reporting structure
Audit-ready documentation guidance
Remediation and regression monitoring

Vendor & ProcurementDOCX

AI Vendor Contract Clauses

Pre-drafted contract clauses for AI vendor agreements covering data usage, training restrictions, audit rights, incident notification, change management, and liability.

Includes

Training-on-your-data restriction
Retention/deletion SLAs
Audit rights and evidence
Incident notification window
AI change management terms
Liability/indemnity prompts

Governance & ReportingDOCX

Model Documentation Template

A structured template for documenting AI models: intended use, training data, evaluation, limitations, controls, monitoring, and change management.

Includes

Consistent model documentation
Bias/fairness + security testing fields
Monitoring + audit trail fields
Change management + rollback plan

Security & Incident ResponseDOCX

AI Agent Deployment Checklist

A pre-deployment checklist for AI agents that take autonomous actions across your systems. 40+ items across security assessment, permissions scoping, guardrails, monitoring, and incident response.

Includes

40+ pre-go-live checklist items
Least-privilege permission scoping
Prompt injection + guardrail controls
Kill switch + incident response checks
Sign-off table for accountable owners

Security & Incident ResponseDOCX

AI Incident Response Playbook

A complete playbook for detecting, classifying, containing, and recovering from AI security incidents - data leakage, prompt injection, AI agent compromise, and model manipulation.

Includes

4-level severity classification
Containment + evidence preservation steps
Internal, customer + regulator comms templates
NDB / GDPR notification timing guidance
Three worked AI incident scenarios

Compliance & RegulatoryDOCX

EU AI Act Risk Classification Template

Classify every AI system you use or build against the EU AI Act's four risk tiers. Includes a decision tree, a system register, and the obligations that apply to each tier.

Includes

Four-tier classification decision tree
System register for your AI portfolio
Per-tier obligations + compliance actions
Annex III high-risk use case reference
Audit-ready classification rationale

Compliance & RegulatoryDOCX

ISO 42001 Gap Analysis Template

Assess your readiness for ISO 42001 AI Management System certification across all clauses (4-10). Rate maturity, capture evidence, identify gaps, and build a remediation roadmap.

Includes

Covers ISO 42001 Clauses 4-10
Four-point maturity rating scale
Evidence + gap action columns
Remediation roadmap with owners + dates
Audit-ready readiness assessment

PoliciesDOCX

AI Acceptable Use Policy Template

A comprehensive template for establishing AI usage guidelines across your organization. Covers approved tools, data classification rules, prohibited activities, security requirements, IP considerations, and enforcement procedures.

Includes

Data classification matrix (Public/Internal/Confidential/Restricted)
Approved vs prohibited tools framework
New tool approval request process
Employee acknowledgment form
Regulatory compliance mapping section
Customizable for any industry

Risk & AssessmentDOCX

AI Risk Assessment Checklist

A structured checklist for evaluating your organization's AI risk posture across 7 critical domains. Score your compliance, identify gaps, and prioritize remediation with built-in risk scoring.

Includes

53 assessment items across 7 security domains
Built-in scoring with risk level guide
Data security & privacy evaluation
Shadow AI discovery assessment
Vendor risk management section
Compliance & regulatory mapping

Security & Incident ResponseDOCX

Shadow AI Incident Response Plan

A complete incident response plan template specifically designed for Shadow AI security incidents. Covers detection through recovery with severity levels, communication plans, and post-incident review procedures.

Includes

4-level severity classification system
5-phase response process (Detect → Contain → Investigate → Recover → Review)
Internal & external communication matrices
Evidence preservation checklist
Post-incident review framework
Contact list template

Vendor & ProcurementDOCX

AI Vendor Security Evaluation Scorecard

A weighted scoring framework for evaluating AI vendors across 5 security domains: data security, access control, compliance, AI-specific security, and operational security. Includes recommendation matrix and risk identification.

Includes

35 evaluation criteria across 5 security domains
Weighted scoring system (customizable)
Approval/rejection recommendation matrix
AI-specific security evaluation section
Risk identification and remediation tracking
Suitable for procurement and vendor management teams

PoliciesDOCX

AI Data Classification Guide

A practical guide defining what data can and cannot be used with AI tools. Includes 4-level classification system, decision flowchart, common scenarios, and file upload rules, the essential reference for every employee.

Includes

4-level data classification with AI-specific rules
Visual decision flowchart for quick reference
Prompt content rules table
File upload classification guide
5 real-world scenarios with decisions
Exception process template

Governance & ReportingDOCX

AI Governance Committee Charter

A complete charter template for establishing an AI governance committee with defined roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes, meeting cadence, and success metrics.

Includes

7 required committee member roles defined
5 key responsibility areas with checklists
Decision-making and escalation processes
Monthly and quarterly reporting templates
Success metrics and KPIs
Meeting cadence and quorum requirements

Training & EnablementDOCX

Employee AI Training Acknowledgment Form

A structured acknowledgment form confirming employees have completed AI training and understand key policies. Includes role-specific sections for managers, developers, customer-facing, and HR roles.

Includes

Training completion tracking
Key principles acknowledgment checklist
Role-specific sections (Managers, Devs, Customer-facing, HR)
Signature and manager confirmation
Annual renewal tracking table
Covers data protection, approved tools, security, compliance

Risk & AssessmentDOCX

AI Governance Maturity Assessment

Evaluate your organization's AI governance maturity across 5 pillars: Policy & Strategy, Risk Management, Security & Technology, Compliance & Legal, and People & Culture. Includes improvement roadmap template.

Includes

30 capabilities across 5 governance pillars
5-level maturity model (Initial → Optimized)
Gap analysis and evidence tracking
Improvement roadmap template (Quick wins → Long-term)
Benchmarking against maturity levels
Suitable for board-level reporting

Vendor & ProcurementDOCX

AI Tool Approval Request Form

A structured request form for employees to submit new AI tool adoption requests. Covers business justification, data assessment, security questions, integration requirements, and multi-level approval workflow.

Includes

Structured business justification section
Data classification impact assessment
Security questionnaire for vendor evaluation
Multi-level approval workflow (Manager → Security → Committee)
Post-approval deployment checklist
Priority levels with SLA timelines

Governance & ReportingDOCX

AI Governance Monthly Report Template

A comprehensive monthly reporting template for AI governance teams. Covers tool inventory, security incidents, compliance status, training metrics, risk dashboard, and executive recommendations.

Includes

Executive summary with key metrics
Shadow AI activity tracking table
Security incident log and metrics
Regulatory compliance status dashboard
Training and awareness metrics
Risk dashboard with trend indicators

Vendor & ProcurementDOCX

AI Vendor Security Questionnaire

A comprehensive security questionnaire with 68 questions across 8 domains for evaluating AI vendors. Includes scoring guidance, risk rating framework, and documentation checklist, the essential tool for procurement and security teams assessing AI vendor risk.

Includes

68 questions across 8 security domains
Built-in 0-5 scoring with risk rating framework
AI model security section (prompt injection, bias, red-teaming)
Subprocessor and third-party risk management
Data retention and deletion assessment
Reviewer recommendation matrix with remediation tracking

Training & EnablementDOCX

AI Change Management Plan

A structured change management plan for rolling out AI tools and policies across your organization. Covers stakeholder analysis, communication strategy, training rollout, resistance management, and success measurement.

Includes

Stakeholder analysis and impact assessment
Phased rollout timeline with milestones
Communication plan with templates
Training and enablement schedule
Resistance management strategies
Adoption metrics and success criteria

Vendor & ProcurementDOCX

AI/ML Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

A ready-to-use data processing agreement template tailored for AI and machine learning vendors. Covers data processing terms, sub-processors, cross-border transfers, breach notification, and GDPR/CCPA compliance clauses.

Includes

GDPR and CCPA-aligned clauses
AI-specific data processing terms
Sub-processor management framework
Cross-border transfer mechanisms (SCCs)
Data breach notification procedures
Audit rights and compliance verification

Training & EnablementDOCX

AI Tools Employee Onboarding Guide

A step-by-step onboarding guide for new employees on approved AI tools, security practices, and company AI policies. Includes quick-start guides, do's and don'ts, and a first-week checklist.

Includes

Tool-by-tool setup and access instructions
Security do's and don'ts quick reference
Day 1-30 AI onboarding checklist
Common use case scenarios with examples
Policy acknowledgment integration
Manager verification checkpoints

Governance & ReportingDOCX

AI Ethics Review Board Charter

Establish an AI Ethics Review Board with this comprehensive charter template. Defines mission, membership criteria, review processes, ethical principles, escalation procedures, and reporting requirements.

Includes

Mission and scope definition
Board membership and selection criteria
Ethical review submission process
Decision-making framework with principles
Escalation and appeal procedures
Annual ethics report template

Governance & ReportingDOCX

AI Governance Executive Briefing Template

A concise executive briefing template for presenting AI governance status, risks, and recommendations to C-suite leadership and board members. Designed for quarterly board presentations.

Includes

One-page executive summary format
AI risk heatmap visualization guide
Compliance and regulatory scorecard
Budget and investment recommendations
Strategic roadmap with quarterly milestones
Board-ready presentation structure

Risk & AssessmentDOCX

AI Model Validation Checklist

A thorough validation checklist for AI and ML models before production deployment. Covers bias testing, performance benchmarks, security validation, explainability checks, and ongoing monitoring requirements.

Includes

Model performance benchmarking criteria
Bias and fairness testing checklist
Security and adversarial robustness checks
Explainability and interpretability assessment
Data quality validation steps
Production deployment readiness gate

Training & EnablementDOCX

Enterprise Prompt Engineering Guidelines

Security-focused prompt engineering guidelines for enterprise teams. Covers safe prompting practices, data leakage prevention, prompt injection awareness, output validation, and approved prompt patterns for common business tasks.

Includes

15+ approved prompt templates by use case
Data leakage prevention rules
Prompt injection awareness section
Output validation and review checklist
Department-specific prompt guides
Banned patterns and common mistakes

Compliance & RegulatoryDOCX

AI Regulatory Compliance Tracker

Track compliance across major AI regulations including the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, and US state AI laws such as Texas TRAIGA and Colorado SB 26-189. Includes requirement mapping, gap analysis, and remediation tracking.

Includes

EU AI Act requirement mapping with post-omnibus deadlines
NIST AI RMF alignment tracker
ISO 42001 controls checklist
US state AI law tracking (TX, CO, IL, CA, UT, NYC)
Gap analysis with remediation priorities
Evidence documentation framework

Security & Incident ResponseDOCX

AI Security Audit Checklist

A comprehensive security audit checklist for assessing AI systems and tools across your organization. Covers access controls, data protection, model security, API security, logging, and incident response readiness.

Includes

60+ audit items across 6 security domains
Evidence requirement for each item
Access control and authentication checks
Data protection and encryption validation
API security and rate limiting assessment
Logging, monitoring, and alerting review

Vendor & ProcurementDOCX

Third-Party AI Risk Assessment

Assess and manage risks from third-party AI integrations and embedded AI features in SaaS tools. Covers shadow AI discovery, data flow mapping, contractual requirements, and ongoing monitoring procedures.

Includes

Third-party AI feature discovery checklist
Data flow mapping for AI integrations
Contractual AI clause requirements
Risk scoring and prioritization matrix
Continuous monitoring procedures
Remediation and opt-out tracking

Risk & AssessmentDOCX

AI Impact Assessment Template

Assess the impact of an AI system on the people it affects, covering EU AI Act Article 27 FRIAs, algorithmic impact assessments, and voluntary reviews. Includes a screening questionnaire, rated risk register, and approval sign-off.

Includes

Screening: when an assessment is required
EU AI Act Article 27 FRIA coverage
Rated risk register with worked examples
Human oversight and mitigation tracking
Consultation record and approval sign-off

Compliance & RegulatoryDOCX

NIST AI RMF Gap Analysis Template

Assess your AI risk management against all 19 categories of NIST AI RMF 1.0 (GOVERN, MAP, MEASURE, MANAGE). Rate maturity, capture evidence, and build a prioritized remediation roadmap.

Includes

Covers all 4 functions and 19 categories
Four-point maturity rating scale
Evidence, gaps, actions, and owner columns
Generative AI Profile (NIST AI 600-1) overlay
One-page scoring summary
Prioritized remediation roadmap

Risk & AssessmentXLSX

AI Risk Register Template

A working Excel register for AI risk: 30 pre-loaded risks across data leakage, shadow AI, vendors, model behavior, and agentic AI, with 5x5 scoring and automatic color-coded ratings.

Includes

30 pre-loaded AI risks in 8 categories
5x5 likelihood and impact scoring
Automatic inherent + residual scores
Dropdowns for category and status
Color-coded risk thresholds
XLSX primary, DOCX also included

Risk & AssessmentDOCX

Shadow AI Employee Survey

Survey your workforce about real AI usage with a no-blame amnesty framing. 30 ready-to-use questions plus an analysis guide and a simple shadow AI exposure score.

Includes

Ready-to-send amnesty introduction message
30 questions across 8 sections, types marked
Multi-select lists of common AI tools
Data-classification and account-type questions
Red-flag patterns and exposure score guide
Worked example with filled summary table

Compliance & RegulatoryDOCX

AI Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) Template

A GDPR Article 35 DPIA built for AI systems. Screen whether a DPIA is required, document training and inference data flows, and assess risks to data subjects with pre-seeded AI risks, mitigations, and sign-off records.

Includes

Article 35(3) and EDPB nine-criteria screening
AI triggers: training, automated decisions, monitoring, RAG
Training vs inference data flow mapping
Ten pre-seeded risks to data subjects
Mitigation and residual risk tracking
DPO consultation and sign-off records

Training & EnablementDOCX

Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness Checklist

A seven-phase readiness checklist for deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot safely. 57 evidence-backed items covering licensing prerequisites, oversharing cleanup, Purview controls, pilot design, and go/no-go gates before rollout.

Includes

57 checklist items with why-it-matters and evidence columns
Permission sprawl and sharing-link cleanup workflow
Purview DLP, sensitivity label, and audit logging steps
Go/no-go gate tables before pilot and broad rollout
Pilot metrics worksheet with baselines and targets
Exception register and post-deployment review

Security & Incident ResponseDOCX

OWASP LLM Top 10 Security Checklist

A practical security review checklist covering all ten OWASP Top 10 risks for LLM applications, from prompt injection to unbounded consumption. Built for teams shipping LLM features and teams assessing vendor AI products.

Includes

All ten OWASP LLM risks (2025 edition) in plain English
66 review items tagged Build, Buy, or Both
Evidence-to-collect list for every risk
Scoping register for built, bought, and embedded AI
Summary scorecard with severity, status, and owner
Beyond-the-top-10 notes on agentic risks and monitoring

PoliciesDOCX

AI Meeting Assistant Policy Template

Set the rules for AI notetakers, meeting bots, and built-in meeting AI like Zoom AI Companion and Teams Copilot. Includes consent and disclosure rules, prohibited meeting types, data retention, and ready-to-use disclosure scripts.

Includes

Approved vs prohibited tools register
All-party consent rules by jurisdiction
Prohibited meeting types (legal, HR, M&A, board)
Copy-paste disclosure scripts
Uninvited bot response steps
Retention, sharing, and deletion rules

Compliance & RegulatoryDOCX

ISO 42001 Statement of Applicability Template

Document all 38 ISO 42001 Annex A controls: applicability, justification, implementation status, evidence, and owner. Includes worked justification examples and a version-control and approval block.

Includes

All 38 Annex A controls (A.2 to A.10)
Justification guidance with worked examples
Implementation status and evidence columns
Coverage summary across nine control areas
Version-control and approval block
Common audit findings to avoid

Training & EnablementPPTX

AI Security Awareness Training Deck

A 28-slide PowerPoint training that teaches employees to use AI safely: shadow AI, data rules, safe prompting, AI phishing, and deepfakes. Full speaker notes and a knowledge check included.

Includes

28 slides with full speaker notes
Traffic-light data classification rules
Safe prompting do's and don'ts
AI phishing and deepfake awareness
Four-question knowledge check
PPTX deck plus DOCX handout

Get all 39 templates in one ZIP. Policies, registers, checklists and rollout plans.

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The eight AI governance templates security teams reach for first

Build your foundation, then add the vendor checks your team needs.

AI governance foundation

AI policy templateDefine approved tools, data handling rules, employee responsibilities, and enforcement paths for enterprise AI use. The starting point for every AI governance programme.AI governance templateEstablish the committee that owns AI approvals, exceptions, audit evidence, and policy updates. Defines roles, decision-making authority, and reporting cadence.AI risk assessment templateScore AI tools, agents, and workflows across 7 domains: data privacy, model risk, security, compliance, operational, ethical, and vendor risk.AI system inventory templateBuild the inventory layer for AI tools, embedded AI features, custom models, automations, and agent workflows. The source of truth for any governance programme.

AI vendor risk management

AI vendor evaluation template100-point weighted scorecard for evaluating AI vendors across data security, access control, compliance, AI-specific security, and operational security.AI vendor security questionnaire68 questions across 8 security domains with built-in scoring and risk rating. The essential tool for procurement and security teams assessing AI vendor risk.AI third-party risk assessmentAssess risks from third-party AI integrations and embedded AI features in SaaS tools. Covers data flow mapping, contractual gaps, and monitoring procedures.AI vendor contract clausesPre-drafted contract clauses covering training restrictions, data retention, audit rights, incident notification, and liability for AI vendor agreements.

Editions

Industry and regional editions

Adapted versions of our most-used policies, rewritten for specific jurisdictions and professions rather than lightly find-and-replaced.

AI Acceptable Use Policy (Australian Edition)

Privacy Act and APP alignment, OAIC guidance references, and notifiable data breach duties, written for Australian organizations.

View template

AI Policy for Law Firms

Client confidentiality, legal professional privilege, court disclosure duties, and matter-related AI use rules for legal practices.

View template

Complete AI governance library

Get all 39 templates in one ZIP

Policies, registers, checklists and rollout plans, ready to customise.

46 files (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX)
677 KB total
Updated September 2026
NIST AI RMF · ISO 42001 · EU AI Act aligned

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