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.

Christian Buckley

Christian is a Microsoft Regional Director and M365 Apps & Services MVP, and an award-winning product marketer and technology evangelist, based in Silicon Slopes (Lehi), Utah. He is a startup advisor and investor, and an independent consultant providing fractional marketing and channel development services for Microsoft partners. He hosts the weekly #CollabTalk Podcast, weekly #ProjectFailureFiles series, monthly Guardians of M365 Governance (#GoM365gov) series, and the Microsoft 365 Ask-Me-Anything (#M365AMA) series.