AI Strategy Development
Most institutions do not have an AI strategy. They have a collection of decisions made under pressure procurement choices, approved tools, and policy statements that do not hold up when a regulator or governing body asks what the institution’s position on AI actually is.
The gap between having an AI policy and having a coherent AI strategy is larger than most senior teams realise. A policy tells staff what they can and cannot do. A strategy tells the institution how it will make decisions about AI, how those decisions will be governed, and how it will demonstrate that governance is working.
Clark & Company works with senior leadership teams to build AI strategies that are grounded in the institution’s specific risk profile, aligned with data protection and information governance obligations, and owned at the right level of the organisation.
What an AI Strategy Should Do
An AI strategy is a governance document, not a technology document. It should tell your Board, your regulator, and your staff how the institution has decided to approach AI what it will use it for, what it will not, how procurement decisions will be made, how risks will be assessed, who is accountable for what, and what happens when something goes wrong.
Done well, it gives the institution a defensible position when a regulator asks and a practical framework when the next procurement decision arrives. Done poorly, it provides the appearance of governance without anything behind it.
What is Included
Risk and context assessment. A structured review of how your institution is currently using or planning to use AI, the regulatory obligations that apply, and the specific governance gaps an AI strategy needs to address.
Current governance review. A review of existing policies, procedures, and governance arrangements against the demands of your current and planned AI use. We identify what is working, what needs to change, and where the gaps are.
Strategy development. Working with your senior leadership team, we develop the AI strategy as a governance document covering institutional AI principles, risk appetite, procurement and due diligence framework, acceptable use, staff guidance, and accountability and oversight.
Governing body alignment. Where the strategy needs to be received and approved by your governing body, we support that process preparing the materials, attending the committee meeting where required, and ensuring the strategy is recorded as a governance act.
Written strategy document. Delivered as a professional document appropriate for formal governance approval, regulatory scrutiny, and staff communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should own the AI strategy?
The senior leadership team and governing body, not the IT department or a single AI champion. A strategy owned by one team or one individual is fragile. The engagement is designed to build ownership at the right level from the start.
How long does an assessment take?
AI strategy and data protection are closely connected but distinct. Many AI tools process personal data, which means UK GDPR, the ICO’s AI guidance, and DPIA obligations all apply. The AI strategy provides the overarching governance framework; data protection policies and DPIAs sit within it.
How long does development take?
Most strategies are completed within four to eight weeks, depending on the size of the institution and the availability of key stakeholders. We confirm the timeline at scoping.
Will this need updating as regulation changes?
Yes. The AI regulatory landscape is developing. The EU AI Act, ICO guidance, and sector-specific expectations from the are all evolving. A well-constructed strategy should be a living document, reviewed at least annually. Ongoing AI governance consultancy is available for institutions that want continuing support.
We are already using AI tools. Is it too late?
No. Most institutions come to this having already deployed tools. The strategy development process starts from where you are, not from a theoretical blank sheet. It addresses the governance position for tools already in use as well as those being considered.