Framework
Strategy-Execution Gap Diagnostic Framework
Identify where and why strategic intent dissolves in operations.
Back to the library
ToolAdvanced
AI Governance Audit Grid
A protocol to distinguish displayed governance from actual governance.
AI Governance Audit Grid
This tool confronts what's written (charters, processes, org charts) with what actually happens when decisions need to be made.
The principle
For each question, assess the gap between:
- What is displayed (documents, communications, org charts)
- What actually happens (recent decisions, real arbitrations)
Key questions
On decision power
| Question | Displayed | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Who can launch an AI project? | ||
| Who can stop it? | ||
| Who arbitrates resource conflicts? | ||
| Who carries accountability if it fails? |
On bodies
| Question | Displayed | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Does the AI committee actually meet? | ||
| Does it decide, or does it validate? | ||
| Are decisions followed by action? |
On counter-powers
| Question | Displayed | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Who can say no to the ExCom? | ||
| Are risks genuinely debated? | ||
| Is ethics a topic, or an alibi? |
Interpretation
- Small gap: Coherent governance
- Medium gap: Façade governance
- Large gap: Fictional governance
"A governance audit isn't a compliance exercise. It's a truth exercise."
Related resources
Framework
AI Organizational Maturity Matrix
A tool to assess where your organization actually stands in its capacity to absorb AI.
Guide
Middle Manager AI Survival Guide
How to navigate contradictory directives when you're in the middle.