Foundation Pack
Meetings and Decisions
Cadence, quorum rules, agenda templates, decision-making processes, and record-keeping for AI Council meetings.
Meeting Cadence
| Meeting Type | Frequency | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full council | Fortnightly or monthly | 60–90 min | Review cases, set policy, discuss emerging issues |
| Triage huddle | Weekly (optional) | 30 min | Chair + 1-2 members route incoming cases |
| Champion briefing | Monthly | 30 min | Share updates, gather feedback from champion network |
| Executive briefing | Quarterly | 30 min | Report to sponsor on inventory, decisions, risks, and program health |
Quorum
A quorum requires a majority of voting members (typically >50%) including the chair or deputy chair. Decisions made without quorum are advisory and must be ratified at the next quorate meeting.
Decision-Making
Preferred: Consensus with Fallback
- The chair presents the case and recommendation
- Members discuss, raise concerns, and propose conditions
- The chair tests for consensus: "Does anyone object to this recommendation?"
- If consensus is reached, the decision is recorded
- If consensus cannot be reached, the chair calls a vote (simple majority)
- Dissenting views are recorded in the minutes
Decision Options
| Decision | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Approved | Use case meets policy requirements and may proceed |
| Approved with conditions | Use case may proceed once specified mitigations are in place |
| Deferred | More information is needed before a decision can be made |
| Escalated | Case exceeds the council's authority or risk appetite (referred to executive sponsor) |
| Not approved | Use case does not meet requirements and may not proceed in its current form |
Agenda Template
AI Council Meeting, [Date]
1. Apologies and quorum check
2. Minutes of previous meeting (approval)
3. Actions arising (status update)
4. New cases for review
a. [Case name] , [Presenter], [Tier level]
b. [Case name] , [Presenter], [Tier level]
5. Policy or standards updates
6. Emerging risks or incidents
7. Any other business
8. Next meeting dateDecision Log
Every decision should be recorded with:
- Case ID and name
- Date of decision
- Decision (approved / approved with conditions / deferred / escalated / not approved)
- Conditions (if any)
- Rationale: which principles, risks, or evidence informed the decision
- Assigned actions and owners
- Review date (when the decision should be revisited)
Minutes
Meeting minutes should be concise and focus on decisions and actions, not discussion transcripts. Distribute within 48 hours of the meeting.