What is it?

Decision governance refers to the frameworks, processes, guidelines and responsibilities organisations put in place to ensure decisions are accountable and traceable.

Why does it matter?

Decision governance can help to ensure that individuals and teams make decisions that are transparent and consistent, and which align with the organisation’s goals and with regulation.

Hasn’t governance of some kind always been around?

Well, yes. However, as organisations face greater complexity, including economic uncertainty and heightened regulatory requirements, the need for consistency has increased.

Plus, the widespread adoption of agentic AI is making decision governance a bigger consideration for organisations. With enterprises increasingly adopting AI agents to conduct work autonomously, they need to know that those agents are carrying out tasks consistent with the organisation’s expectations.

How does this relate to research and insight?

Insight informs decision-making, and it can also inform decisions about how decisions are made. In other words, insight can shape both the decisions organisations make and the systems they use to make them.

Debrah Harding, managing director, MRS, said: “The increasing use of AI is making decision governance more important than ever. Research and insight have a critical role in providing the evidence needed to test assumptions, identify unintended consequences and support robust decision-making.

“Good decision governance ensures that both people and AI systems operate within clear frameworks of accountability, transparency and fairness, helping organisations build trust while delivering better outcomes for customers, citizens and wider society.”

• This series has also looked at agentic AI, digital twins and synthetic panels.