NIST AI RMF — the GOVERN function
The GOVERN function cultivates a culture of risk management within the organizations that design, develop, deploy, evaluate, or acquire AI systems. GOVERN addresses organizational context, accountability structures, workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. It is cross-cutting and informs MAP, MEASURE, and MANAGE across the AI lifecycle. Organizations that skip GOVERN tend to operationalize technical controls without the policy and accountability scaffolding needed to sustain them under real-world pressure.