Copilot lane • Governance baseline
Copilot governance baseline.
A compact, board-readable baseline to answer: what is allowed, who owns it, how it is controlled, and what counts as proof.
Public intake = non-confidential. For a scoped engagement, use the intake endpoint below.
Baseline components
Six components that typically satisfy leadership, audit, and client review questions.
1) Decision scope
What “Copilot adoption” means in this environment.
- Enabled surfaces (M365 experiences; Copilot Studio/custom copilots if present).
- Intended users and business use-cases (high-level, non-confidential).
- Boundaries: what must be restricted or postponed.
2) Ownership model
Named owners for decisions, controls, and evidence.
| Area | Owner | Accountability |
|---|---|---|
| Enablement & change control | IT / M365 admin | Access, rollout, configuration baselines |
| Data boundaries & policy | Security / Compliance | DLP/labels posture, boundary rules, exceptions |
| Business use & adoption | Business owner | Approved use-cases, training, internal comms |
| Evidence readiness | Shared | Signals, retention, export steps, audit responses |
3) Boundaries
Practical “red-lines” that reduce oversharing and sensitive-data mishandling.
- High-risk domains: HR, finance, legal, client/regulated data (context-dependent).
- Prompt/content red-lines (policy-level, not content review).
- Exception handling: who can grant, how to log, how to expire.
4) Control set
Controls that typically matter to boards and auditors.
- Access and group posture (least privilege, broad group review).
- Connector/extension posture (allowed vs restricted).
- Change control and break-glass rules for high-risk actions.
5) Evidence readiness
What counts as proof and how it is exported.
- Signals: usage, admin changes, key events (availability depends on tenant posture).
- Retention posture and export steps.
- Minimum evidence set for “board / audit / client questions.”
6) Operating cadence
How governance stays current after initial adoption.
- Quarterly evidence refresh (delta report) for posture changes.
- Connector/extension review cadence.
- Exception review and expiry checks.
Related deep dives:
Oversharing paths · Evidence readiness · Connectors & extensions · Procurement pack
Oversharing paths · Evidence readiness · Connectors & extensions · Procurement pack