Governance framework & guidance

What does Approval mean?

Approval is the point at which an authorised person decides whether an AI Use should be permitted to proceed. It records who decided what, based on what information and under what conditions.

Swell supports the decision by presenting decision-relevant context. The decision remains a human governance decision; Swell does not make it on the organisation’s behalf.

Approval readiness is different from Approval

Deterministic governance rules can establish whether required assessment information, residual-risk positions, Risk Acceptance decisions, Controls and specialist confirmations are sufficiently complete for a decision.

Readiness means the matter is ready to be considered. Approval is the authorised decision itself.

Approval and Risk Acceptance are different

Risk Acceptance asks whether a particular residual Risk is accepted. AI Use Approval asks whether the Use should proceed when its governance position is considered as a whole. An accepted Risk can still sit within a Use that is rejected for another reason.

Using Swell AI

What the approver sees

  • The AI Use and scope of the request.
  • Important assessment findings.
  • Current material Risks and residual Risk position.
  • Risk appetite position and required Risk Acceptance decisions.
  • Required Controls and specialist determinations.
  • Outstanding matters that remain relevant to the decision.

Approval outcomes

Swell supports Approved, Approved with Conditions and Rejected. A rationale is required so future users do not need to infer why a decision was made from a status badge alone.

Conditions are authoritative parts of the decision and can be connected into the Control lifecycle so they remain visible and accountable.

Approval history is preserved

Approval Decisions are historical governance evidence. Swell preserves the outcome, rationale, approver, authority, date, assessment context, Risk position and conditions applicable at the time rather than silently rewriting an old decision when circumstances change.

Material change may require a new governance cycle or new decision while preserving the original record.