AI Readiness Assessment & Governance Framework
Crown Corporation, National Infrastructure Investment Agency
Overview
A national infrastructure investment Crown corporation engaged Codeview Digital to assess their readiness for AI adoption and build the governance foundation required before any AI initiatives could proceed. The executive team had committed to an AI-forward strategy in their latest corporate plan, but internally there was no governance framework, no understanding of the federal Directive on Automated Decision-Making obligations, and significant anxiety among staff about what AI adoption would mean for their roles. Leadership needed an independent partner who understood government IT operations and could translate the federal AI strategy requirements into practical, right-sized governance for their organization.
The Challenge
The Crown corporation had board-level pressure to adopt AI but none of the foundational elements in place to do it responsibly or in compliance with federal requirements:
- Executive team committed to "AI-enabled operations" in the 2025-2028 corporate plan without assessing whether the organization had the data maturity, infrastructure, or governance to support it
- Zero awareness of obligations under the Directive on Automated Decision-Making. Two teams had already begun experimenting with AI tools for investment analysis with no impact assessment or approval
- No AI acceptable use policy, no guidelines for generative AI, and no risk classification framework. Staff were using commercial AI tools with sensitive financial data and no guardrails
- Data scattered across 14 disconnected systems with inconsistent quality, no data catalogue, and no data governance practice, making most AI use cases impractical without significant foundation work
- Staff anxiety running high after a poorly communicated board presentation implied AI would "replace repetitive roles," creating resistance and union concerns before any actual AI plans existed
- IT team of 8 people with no AI or data science expertise, unclear on their role in AI adoption and concerned about being expected to support tools they didn't understand
The Solution
AI Readiness Assessment
Conducted a structured assessment across 5 dimensions (data maturity, infrastructure and tooling, governance and policy, workforce capability, and strategic alignment), scoring each against a maturity model tailored to Crown corporation obligations. The assessment revealed the organization was at Level 1 (Initial) across 4 of 5 dimensions, providing leadership with an honest baseline that reshaped their adoption timeline from "this quarter" to a phased 18-month approach.
Algorithmic Impact Assessments
Completed Algorithmic Impact Assessments for the 4 highest-priority AI use cases, including the two investment analysis tools already in unauthorized use. Determined impact levels, documented required controls for each level, and prepared the materials for the organization's first submissions to the AI Register. The two unauthorized tools were formally assessed as Level 2, requiring controls that were not in place, providing the justification to pause, remediate, and relaunch properly.
AI Governance Framework & Policy
Developed the organization's complete AI governance package: acceptable use policy, generative AI guidelines aligned with TBS FASTER principles, risk classification framework with 4 tiers, approval workflow mapping to the Directive on Automated Decision-Making impact levels, and an AI ethics review checklist. All documents were written for a non-technical audience and approved by legal counsel, the privacy office, and the union.
Use Case Identification & Prioritization
Facilitated structured workshops with 6 business units to identify 22 practical AI use cases, then scored each on feasibility, risk, data readiness, expected impact, and alignment with the corporate plan. The scoring produced a ranked backlog: 8 use cases approved for immediate pilot, 9 flagged as viable pending data foundation work, and 5 deferred due to high risk or insufficient data quality.
AI Literacy & Change Management
Designed and delivered a 3-tier AI literacy program: executive briefings for the board and senior leadership, manager workshops covering governance responsibilities and approval workflows, and staff sessions explaining what AI means for their roles with clear messaging that addressed the anxiety created by the earlier board presentation. The union was included as a stakeholder throughout.
Data Foundation Roadmap
Produced a data readiness roadmap addressing the critical gaps blocking 9 of the 22 identified use cases. The roadmap covered data catalogue development, quality improvement priorities for the 4 highest-impact source systems, and a lightweight data governance practice appropriate for an 8-person IT team, focusing on what was achievable rather than what a large department would do.
Tech Stack
Project Details
Timeline
10 weeks (November 2025 to January 2026)
Market Value
$85,000
Results
- 22 AI use cases identified and scored, with 8 approved for immediate pilot, giving leadership a concrete, prioritized plan instead of vague AI ambitions
- 4 Algorithmic Impact Assessments completed including 2 retroactive AIAs for unauthorized tools already in use, bringing the organization into compliance with the Directive on Automated Decision-Making
- AI acceptable use policy and governance framework approved by legal, privacy, and union stakeholders, establishing the foundation for all future AI adoption
- Staff anxiety measurably reduced. Post-program survey showed 78% of staff felt "informed and confident" about AI's role vs. 23% at the start of the engagement
- Executive adoption timeline adjusted from "this quarter" to a phased 18-month approach based on honest readiness assessment, preventing premature investments in use cases the data couldn't support
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