Metric 0 Pre-Check
Before any GOV-10 lifecycle process proceeds, two gates must pass.
Gate 1 — GOV-02 AI Use Policy Is in Force
Confirm an active GOV-02 AI Use Policy exists and has been approved by the General Counsel or designated authority. The lifecycle cannot proceed without a governing policy framework: all use case definitions, scope constraints, and authorisation decisions operate within the policy’s boundaries. If failed: establish GOV-02 AI Use Policy before initiating any lifecycle stage.
Gate 2 — DAT-06 AI BoM Register Is Operational
Confirm the DAT-06 AI Bill of Materials register is active and accessible. The lifecycle is anchored in DAT-06 registration: every stage from Provisional through Retired is a DAT-06 lifecycle event. If the AI BoM register does not exist, the lifecycle has no operational home. If failed: establish DAT-06 AI BoM standard and register before initiating any lifecycle stage.
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1. Purpose
GOV-10 establishes the AI Lifecycle Operating Manual: the integration governance document that maps the complete journey of every AI tool used in the organisation from initial identification through evaluation, registration, authorisation, active deployment, periodic review, and eventual retirement.
The Legal AI Operating System governs AI tools through a constellation of purpose-built modules — DAT-06 for registration, GOV-08 for agentic authorisation, GOV-09 for evaluation, SUS-06 for retirement, STR-07 for incidents, USE-07 for Shadow AI conversion, TAL-06 for literacy, and MAT-01 for maturity. Each module governs one stage or domain of the AI tool relationship. GOV-10 provides the integration layer: the single document that sequences those modules into a coherent operational lifecycle, defines the governance gates between stages, specifies which stages differ by Agentic Tier, and gives the AI Governance Lead a consolidated view of every active, pending, and retired tool.
Without GOV-10, organisations operate individual governance modules in isolation, with no authoritative map of which stages must be completed in which order and which modules govern each transition. The result is lifecycle gaps — tools that have been registered but never formally authorised, tools that have passed evaluation but never received a GOV-02 policy entry, or tools that have been retired operationally but remain Active in the AI BoM. GOV-10 closes those gaps.
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2. Strategic Context
AI tool governance is not a single event but a lifecycle. The governance decision made at deployment — the evaluation verdict, the Panel authorisation, the use case scope — degrades over time as the underlying model changes, the regulatory environment shifts, and the organisation’s use of the tool evolves. A governance framework that only governs adoption, without governing the full lifecycle, creates an accumulating compliance deficit.
EU AI Act Article 9 imposes ongoing risk management obligations throughout the AI system lifecycle, not merely at deployment. ISO/IEC 42001 requires a continuous AI management system with defined processes for the full operational lifecycle. Professional conduct obligations under ABA Model Rules 5.1–5.3 require ongoing supervision of AI tools affecting client matters, not merely initial vetting.
GOV-10 gives practical operational form to these lifecycle obligations. The seven lifecycle stages and their governance gates are the mechanism by which the organisation can demonstrate, to any regulatory body or professional conduct authority, that AI tools are governed throughout their operational life — not merely assessed once and forgotten.
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3. Operating Principles
Principle 1 — One Lifecycle, One Register
Every AI tool has one and only one lifecycle record, anchored in its DAT-06 AI BoM entry. All lifecycle events — registration, authorisation, suspension, retirement — are recorded in that entry. Parallel or shadow lifecycle records are not recognised.
Principle 2 — Gates Are Not Optional
Each lifecycle stage has defined governance gates that must pass before the next stage begins. Proceeding without a passed gate is a governance failure, not a process variant. The AI Governance Lead is accountable for gate compliance.
Principle 3 — Tier Determines Track
The Agentic Tier classification of the tool (DAT-06 Field 15) determines which lifecycle track applies. Tiers 0–2 follow the standard track. Tiers 3–4 follow the agentic track, which includes additional evaluation requirements (GOV-09 Agentic Supplement), Panel authorisation (GOV-08), and continuous Mandatory Provisions. Tier classification is reviewed at every reauthorisation.
Principle 4 — No Unanchored Deployments
A tool is not deployed in the organisation’s governance framework until it reaches Active status in the AI BoM. A tool in Provisional status is under governance review, not approved for operational use. Operational use of a Provisional-status tool is a Class 6 Shadow AI event.
Principle 5 — Reauthorisation Is Mandatory
Active tools without current authorisation must move to Suspended status pending reauthorisation. There is no grace period and no informal extension. The reauthorisation schedule set at Stage 4 is binding.
Principle 6 — Retirement Completes the Record
Retirement is a governance milestone, not merely an operational event. Stage 7 must be completed with full DAT-06 deregistration and a DPS evidence package. A tool that is operationally discontinued without completing Stage 7 remains Active in the AI BoM — creating a governance record that does not reflect operational reality.
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4. Lifecycle Framework Overview
The AI tool lifecycle comprises seven stages, each with defined governance gates, responsible parties, and module cross-references.
Stage 1 — Identification and Use Case Definition
A business need for an AI tool is identified. The proposed use case is defined and assessed against the GOV-02 AI Use Policy scope. A preliminary Agentic Tier classification is made. The AI Governance Lead approves progression to evaluation.
Stage 2 — Technical Evaluation
The tool undergoes the GOV-09 AI Evaluation Harness. The evaluation produces a verdict (Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail) and an Evaluation Harness Report that feeds DAT-06 Field 10. Only tools achieving Pass or Conditional Pass proceed.
Stage 3 — Registration and Policy Entry
The tool is registered in the AI BoM (DAT-06, 22-field schema). A GOV-02 AI Use Policy entry is created. The tool moves to Provisional status. GOV-04 vendor due diligence data is incorporated.
Stage 4a — Standard Authorisation (Tiers 0–2)
The AI Governance Lead reviews the complete registration, confirms Tier classification, and issues a Standard Deployment Authorisation. The tool moves to Active status.
Stage 4b — Agentic Panel Authorisation (Tiers 3–4)
All five Mandatory Provisions (kill-switch, intervention log, scope limitation, escalation protocol, bias monitoring) are verified as operational. The GOV-08 Agentic Governance Panel convenes and, on unanimous approval, issues an Agentic Deployment Authorisation Certificate. The reauthorisation schedule is set. The tool moves to Active status.
Stage 5 — Active Deployment and Ongoing Oversight
The tool is deployed per its approved use cases and user groups. Ongoing monitoring is conducted per the Tier-specific schedule in the Lifecycle Governance Calendar. STR-07 incidents are reported as they arise. GOV-09 re-evaluation is triggered by qualifying events.
Stage 6 — Periodic Review and Reauthorisation
At the scheduled reauthorisation date (or on event-triggered review), the tool is re-assessed. Use cases are confirmed as current. If the model version has changed materially, GOV-09 re-evaluation is conducted. The Stage 4a or 4b authorisation process is repeated. Updated DAT-06 and GOV-02 entries are issued.
Stage 7 — Suspension and Retirement
The tool is retired, either through planned retirement (end-of-contract, consolidation, maturity uplift) or emergency retirement (critical incident, Shadow AI Tier 1 severity, GOV-08 Class A failure). The SUS-06 Technology Sunsetting Plan governs the retirement process. DAT-06 moves to Retired status. An AI BoM Deregistration Certificate is issued.