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AI operating model
Template id: ai-operating-model Responsible skill: ai-strategy:ai-operating-model
Use this template to record how the organisation decides, builds, supports and owns the value of AI. The Centre of Excellence detail (services, intake, cadence) is designed by the ai-centre-of-excellence department and may extend section 6 of this template. Unknown facts stay marked [To confirm: ...]; never assume a role exists because the model needs it.
1. Context
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Organisation or scope | [To confirm: scope] |
| Edition | [To confirm: starter, scale or enterprise] |
| Archetype | [To confirm: archetype from the maturity assessment] |
| Number of business units | [To confirm: number] |
| Strategic outcomes served | [To confirm: outcome references] |
| Model owner | [To confirm: role] |
2. Chosen shape
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Shape | [To confirm: central, hub-and-spoke or federated] |
| Why this shape fits | [To confirm: rationale] |
| Shapes rejected and why | [To confirm: rationale] |
3. Ownership rules
These hold whatever the shape. Record any local refinement.
- The business owns outcomes, priorities, knowledge, adoption and benefits; IT and AI teams enable.
- Reviewer gates are run once and reused across units.
- Every live solution has a named owner and a support route.
- A maker never approves their own release at tier 2 or above.
Local refinements: [To confirm: refinements, or "none"]
4. Decision rights by risk tier
| Risk tier | Who decides it goes ahead | Who builds | Who supports once live | Who owns the value | Who can accept residual risk |
|---|
| 0 Individual productivity | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] |
| 1 Team or shared | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] |
| 2 Organisational solution | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] |
| 3 Business-critical | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] |
| 4 External or high-impact | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: executive role] |
5. Role catalogue
Describe roles by responsibility, not job title. Note where one person may hold several roles and where separation is required.
| Role | Responsibilities | Where it sits | Can combine with | Must be separate from |
|---|
| AI sponsor | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | [To confirm: roles] |
| Business owner | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | [To confirm: roles] |
| Knowledge owner | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | [To confirm: roles] |
| Solution owner | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | [To confirm: roles] |
| Maker | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | Reviewer of the same solution |
| Champion | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | Approver |
| Platform administrator | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | [To confirm: roles] |
| Reviewer | [To confirm: responsibilities] | [To confirm: location] | [To confirm: roles] | Maker of the same solution |
6. Centre of Excellence positioning
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Form (working group, core CoE team, hub with spokes) | [To confirm: form] |
| Enabling services the CoE provides | [To confirm: for example intake, standards, patterns, community, reviewer gates] |
| What the CoE does not do | Own business outcomes, act as a request queue, or replace business ownership |
| Reports to | [To confirm: forum] |
7. Support model
| Line | Who | What they handle |
|---|
| First line | [To confirm: for example service desk and Champions for guidance] | [To confirm: scope] |
| Second line | [To confirm: solution owner or maker] | [To confirm: scope] |
| Third line | [To confirm: platform team or partner] | [To confirm: scope] |
| Ownership transfer when an owner leaves | [To confirm: process] | [To confirm: what happens to orphaned solutions] |
8. Scenario walk-throughs
| Scenario | Decision | Builder | Support route | Value owner | Where it stalled, if anywhere |
|---|
| Fictional: a team wants a shared prompt library | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: finding] |
| Fictional: a department wants an agent over its policy documents | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: finding] |
| Fictional: a customer-facing assistant | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: route] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: finding] |
9. Current-to-target gaps
| Gap | Change needed | Owner | By when |
|---|
| [To confirm: gap] | [To confirm: change] | [To confirm: role] | [To confirm: date] |
10. Evolution triggers
| Trigger | Move to |
|---|
| [To confirm: for example a second business unit building agents, or the first tier 2 solution] | [To confirm: next shape or change] |
Credit: Template from CopilotForge by Simon Foote (https://github.com/SimonFoote-greensparx/CopilotForge), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Keep this credit when you share or adapt the template; in your own completed document you may keep it as a footer or remove it.
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