AI Governance Assessment and Roadmap Services

The Vendor is required to provide in its AI transformation journey, establishing foundational governance structures and integrating AI technologies across key operational areas.
- Building on this progress, the County now seeks to strengthen and mature its AI governance framework as the cornerstone of all future AI expansion.
- Recognizing that robust governance is the foundation of safe and responsible AI use, the County requires a comprehensive roadmap centered on the following governance priorities:
•    AI Policy and Standards Development: Refining and expanding enterprise-wide AI policies and standards that define acceptable use, risk thresholds, and compliance requirements.
•    Centralized AI Oversight and Accountability: Establishing or strengthening a dedicated AI governance body responsible for evaluating, approving, and monitoring AI initiatives.
•    Risk Classification and Ethical Review Processes: Implementing a risk framework that categorizes AI use cases by potential impact, particularly those affecting workforce decisions or resident services.
•    Human-in-the-Loop Decision Authority: Codifying governance requirements that preserve meaningful human oversight in AI-assisted workflows.
- Objectives:
•    Perform a Needs Assessment: Conduct structured interviews, facilitate working sessions, and evaluate current AI inventory to determine maturity, identify gaps, and assess risk.
•    Develop Recommendations: Develop recommendations for the establishment of an AI governance framework(s), a prioritized portfolio of use cases, workforce enablement strategies, and operational standards that support data governance, transparency, and compliance. 
•    Provide Implementation Plan: Develop a sequenced, milestone-driven implementation plan for enterprise and agency-level AI capabilities, including workforce and change management strategies, pilot planning, and technology/vendor recommendations.
- Needs Assessment:
•    Stakeholder Engagement and Interviews: Conduct structured interviews with County leadership, one (1) working session with the Department, and a working session with up to three (3) individual agencies as identified by County leadership.
•    Current State AI Inventory: Review existing AI tools, automated systems, and data-driven technologies currently deployed by Department and among the three (3) sample agencies, documenting their purpose, scope, and governance status.
•    Governance Maturity Assessment: Evaluate the strength and completeness of existing AI governance structures, policies, oversight bodies, and accountability mechanisms, against industry frameworks and best practices.
•    Workforce Efficiency Gap Analysis: Identify administrative burdens, repetitive processes, and operational inefficiencies where AI could meaningfully support or augment the existing workforce within Department and among the three (3) sample agencies.
•    Risk and Compliance Review: Assess current and potential AI use cases against applicable federal, state, and local regulations, data privacy requirements, and ethical standards, identifying compliance gaps and areas of elevated risk.
•    Data Readiness Evaluation: Examine the quality, accessibility, and governance of County data assets to determine readiness for expanded AI integration.
•    Peer and Benchmark Research: Review AI governance and enablement approaches adopted by comparable government jurisdictions to inform County-specific recommendations.
- AI Strategy Development:
•    AI Governance Framework Design: Develop recommendations for an enterprise-wide AI governance structure, including policy updates, risk classification tiers, oversight body charters, and both enterprise and agency accountability roles and responsibilities.
•    AI Use Case Prioritization: Identify and rank high-value AI opportunities for the enterprise and agency-unique opportunities (among the 3 sample agencies). Align use cases to workforce efficiency goals, applying a risk-benefit lens to determine which use cases are most viable, impactful, and governable.
•    Workforce Enablement Strategy: Recommend strategies for safely integrating AI into existing workflows including human-in-the-loop requirements, role-based training programs, and change management approaches that protect and empower County employees.
•    Bias, Fairness, and Equity Protocols: Recommend standards and auditing mechanisms to ensure AI systems are evaluated for algorithmic bias and that outcomes remain equitable for both employees, constituents, and partners.
•    Data Governance Recommendations: Propose enhancements to data stewardship, access controls, and privacy compliance protocols to support safe and responsible AI use at scale.
•    Transparency and Explain ability Standards: Recommend requirements for how AI systems must document, communicate, and justify their outputs to staff, leadership, and the public.
•    Incident Response and Monitoring Framework: Propose a continuous monitoring strategy with defined performance metrics, incident escalation procedures, and regular reporting cadences for County leadership.
- Implementation Planning:
•    Phased Implementation Roadmap: Develop a sequenced, milestone-driven plan that prioritizes foundational governance actions, followed by targeted AI deployments and longer-term capability maturation, organized across near-term, mid-term, and long-term horizons.
•    Governance Body Establishment and Activation: Provide detailed guidance for standing up or strengthening an AI oversight body, including membership, decision-making authority, meeting cadence, and review processes.
•    Policy and Standards Rollout Plan: Outline the steps required to finalize, adopt, and communicate updated AI policies and standards across all County agencies and departments.
•    Workforce Training and Change Management Plan: Design a plan to equip employees at all levels with the knowledge, skills, and support needed to safely and confidently work alongside AI systems, leveraging existing communication materials where appropriate.
•    AI Use Case Pilot Planning: Define the scope, success criteria, governance checkpoints, and evaluation approach for initial AI pilot deployments aligned to prioritized workforce efficiency opportunities.
•    Technology and Vendor Governance Guidance: Provide recommendations for evaluating, procuring, and managing AI vendors and tools, including contract provisions, performance standards, and compliance requirements.
•    Performance Metrics and Accountability Dashboard: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and governance metrics to track implementation progress, measure workforce impact, and demonstrate responsible AI use over time.
•    Continuous Improvement Mechanism: Establish a feedback loop and review cycle that allows the County to adapt its AI governance framework and implementation approach as technology, regulations, and organizational needs evolve.