Checklist for M365 Governance Readiness

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While sitting here working on a couple of deliverables and answering a question about Microsoft 365 governance, I started building a fairly comprehensive list of guidance and recommendations for organizations at the start of their information governance planning. I was expanding on each item, but realized that each item could be a standalone blog post…so here is the short version: just the list.

…and some idea of what I’ll be writing about in the coming weeks. 🙂

• Define clear goals and objectives for your information governance program, ensuring they align with overall business goals and objectives.
• Identify and involve relevant stakeholders, including IT staff, legal teams, compliance officers, and business leaders, to gather input and support.
• Develop a governance framework that outlines policies, procedures, and practices for managing information assets throughout their lifecycle.
• Conduct a data inventory to understand the types of data your organization handles, which is crucial for effective information governance.
• Prioritize your efforts based on risks and benefits associated with different types of data, focusing on high-risk data first.
• Consider automation to improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of information governance processes, reducing errors and freeing up staff time.
• Provide training and support to employees involved in implementing and using the information governance program, ensuring their engagement and success.
• Ensure that automated information governance processes align with overall business goals and objectives, keeping the program relevant.
• Assess and address any missing features or capabilities in information governance solutions, such as flexibility in data classification, advanced retention policy management, enhanced e-discovery capabilities, granular access controls, and integration with third-party solutions.
• Monitor compliance with regulations and policies related to data management and protection using automation, enabling timely identification of non-compliance.
• Use metrics to measure the success of information governance processes and their alignment with business goals, providing quantitative insights and performance tracking.
• Regularly review and update the governance framework to keep it relevant and effective, adapting to changing business needs and regulatory requirements.

Implementing information governance can be a complex and challenging process, but the list above is a solid outline of some of the top challenges. What am I missing? Is there anything within your own organizational planning that I should include? This is not meant to be a comprehensive list — I’m sure I’ll add to it over time.