Embedding the AIPGF in a UK University's Projects

AI Governance Framework Adoption

In June 2025, the SPO team obtained approval for adoption of the AI Project Governance Framework (AIPGF) as the cornerstone of their AI governance strategy for projects using AI tools. The team attended in-house training on the AIPGF and the SPO Director was appointed as the Project Sponsor. This activity at the SPO level sparked the need for the university to establish an AI Governance Board, which convened its first meeting in July 2025.

Independent Assessment

The SPO Director commissioned the university’s Internal Audit department to independently assess their governance maturity against the AIPGF Capability Maturity Model (AIPG-CMM). The audit benchmarked the university at AIPG-CMM Level 1.8: Ad-hoc; close to initialised.

Implementation: Integrating AI Governance into their Project Management Framework Prioritisation and Planning

The list of Internal Audit’s recommendations were prioritised, and action owners allocated. The target was to address the findings so that a follow-up audit would benchmark the university’s AI-assisted projects at Level 2.5 (Initialised-Standardised) by March 2026 and at Level 3 (Standardised) by the end of the semester in June 2026.

Project Governance Framework Integration

The SPO established a cross-functional working group, bringing together representatives from different departments to tailor the AI Project Governance Framework and integrate it within their Projects and Programmes Framework (PPF). The updated framework was named the PPF+AI and included additional AI governance templates in accordance with the guidance provided by the AIPGF. To reinforce an AI governance culture shift, the AIPGF Core Values were included as a footer on all PPF+AI documentation: Accountability, Sensibility, Collaboration, Curiosity, Continuous Improvement.

Training and Enablement

The university’s external project management trainer was engaged to deliver a series of “how to” AI governance workshops for teams already delivering AI-assisted projects, and create bite-size learning videos on how to apply the spirit of the AIPGF in the university’s  PPF+AI.

Pilot Project

One of the upcoming projects was a small six-week project to implement a bespoke student chatbot for library services. It was decided this would be a perfect pilot to test the PPF+AI framework. The project kicked off early September 2025. The project used AI tools to assist with project administration and drafting of project deliverables, such as drafting the Project Charter, curating data for the chatbot and drafting user acceptance test plans.

• The SPO (or PMO) as a Champion: The case study highlights the important role of the Strategic Programmes Office (often called Project Management Office) in driving the adoption of the AIPGF, with top-down executive support.
• The Importance of Tailoring: The case study demonstrates the adaptability of the AI project governance framework. The SPO did not mandate the AI governance framework separately to their existing project governance framework. Instead, they incorporated the AI project governance framework guidance within their mature project management framework.

• The Power of a Phased Approach: The SPO had a realistic target of getting to AIPG-CMM Level 2.5 by their next audit scheduled for March 2026. This gives time for training, certification and building AI governance as part of their project culture through the mandated PPF+AI framework.