How to Support ISO 42001 Compliance in Confluence with Atlassian Marketplace Apps
If you’re responsible for compliance within your organization, or you’re just starting to explore an AI Management System (AIMS) in Confluence, we’ve got some tips for you around ISO/IEC 42001.
An international standard (and the world’s first of its kind), ISO 42001 has been designed to ensure ‘responsible development and use of AI systems’. It provides a structure to implement governance whilst welcoming innovation, and encourages organizations to balance risks alongside opportunities.
There are 10 clauses and numerous Annex A controls, so a lot to comb through. In this article, we’ll provide a high-level look at each clause and share how Confluence and some of the AppFox Marketplace Apps can support core principles.
Before we begin…
Please note that we are not legal experts here at AppFox. We’re highly knowledgable about Confluence, Atlassian Marketplace apps, and how these can support AI legislation and standards, like ISO 42001 – but this article is informational only. It does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a legal professional.
ISO 42001 clauses and key requirements
You might recognize the above list of ISO 42001 clauses, as they broadly mirror those found in other common ISO standards, such as 27001. This is by design, to ensure that ISO 42001 AI governance, documentation and processes can easily integrate with existing management systems.
1. Scope
This first clause does what it says on the tin really: It outlines the purpose of the ISO 42001 standard (to manage AI ethically and responsibly), what it covers (AI Management Systems) and who it is for (any organization using AI).
2. Normative references
This is an example of ISO 42001’s relationship with existing standards.
In the case of this clause, it’s referring to concepts introduced in other frameworks (such as ISO/IEC 22989:2022, which establishes AI terminology). This clause is important, as it aims to ensure that all stakeholders share consistent and universally agreed definitions around AI (and, as a result, truly understand the ISO 42001 requirements).
3. Terms and definitions
Again, in the pursuit of consistency and understanding, this clause provides key definitions. What is an ‘AI system’ in the context of this standard, for example.
4. Context of the organization
This is all about assessing, defining and documenting how AI is used within your organization. Who are your relevant stakeholders, and how do your AI systems impact them? What do you use AI for within your business? What other frameworks and regulations are relevant in your AI usage?
Spotlight on documentation: Workflows for Confluence
Documentation is key for compliance with ISO/IEC 42001. To evidence clause 4, for example, you’ll need to clearly document the context of your organization, and will need this work saved somewhere centrally.
Atlassian’s Confluence is ideal for this. A central, secure repository for your compliance documentation. But it’s not just about where you store your content, is it? It’s also about how you create it – and compliance documentation can take time and many eyes to get right.
Enter the Workflows for Confluence app:
- Quickly and easily build content approval and review workflows in Confluence.
- Ensure that your ISO 42001 compliance documentation is reviewed swiftly.
- Have confidence that content has flowed through all the required approval steps
- If ISO 42001 policy or definition documents need to be updated, or archived, you can set up automated workflows for these too.
- Eliminate manual email reminders, chasing approvers or querying the status of a document.
- Fast, intuitive and secure automation and workflow capabilities, to enhance your AI Management System and compliance measures.
As an Atlassian Marketplace app, Workflows for Confluence integrates seamlessly in Confluence – so you still benefit from that centralized experience. Try it today!
5. Leadership
Put simply, this clause states that responsible AI use and development needs to be led from the top down. This could include documenting clear AI governance policies, embedding internal education and awareness programs, allocating clear roles (such as an AIMS Manager, for example), cultivating a culture that respects the importance of ethical AI, and more.
6. Planning
Now we’re getting into the weeds a little more. This clause requires organizations to demonstrate that they have analyzed the potential risks of AI systems alongside understanding the opportunities it can bring, and how these can align to organizational goals. You’ll also need to include change management planning.
Significant documentation is key here. Documents required could include an AI Risk Criteria, a written AI System Impact Assessment, and clear AI Objectives.
Again, all content will need to be saved centrally, shared appropriately, and monitored for staff engagement.
Spotlight on secure document management: Compliance for Confluence
Earlier, we spoke about handling the flow of your document reviews, to ensure every policy or risk assessment has been approved and published appropriately.
Now, we’re looking at how to protect and secure your ISO 42001 documentation in Confluence.
With the Compliance for Confluence app, you can:
- Assign data classification levels to your content. From ‘public’ to ‘high-risk’, you can clearly signpost which pages are save to share, and which need to remain confidential.
- Take this a step further and automatically restrict user or use-group access based on data classification level.
- Audit user access and any changes made to ISO 42001 policy documents in Confluence.
- Identify sensitive data within your documentation – and protect it with automated sensitive data redaction.
Embed Compliance for Confluence for the peace of mind that even sensitive information in your AIMS documentation is secure from data mishandling, sharing or leaking.
Try it for free today from the Atlassian Marketplace!
7. Support
Do you have the resource, and competency, across your organization to support responsible AI usage and development?
For this clause, you may need to document and define how information needs to be communicated, commit to new hires (with AI governance expertise, perhaps), evidence regular staff/stakeholder training, and more.
Clause 7.5 specifically focuses on Documented Information. Again, for those of you familiar with other standards, like ISO 27001, these documentation requirements will come as no surprise. You should list all documentation within your AIMS, and pertaining to the ISO/IEC 42001 standard.
Now, the manual effort required to keep that documentation up to date, shared effectively, and protected adequately, might come as a suprise. Again, this is where Confluence and Marketplace apps (like Workflows for Confluence and Compliance for Confluence) can really lift that administrative burden. Keep your pages safe with data classification levels, support auditing requirements and protect sensitive data.
8. Operations
This covers operational planning and control, AI risk treatment, AI system impact, and more. Essentially, this clause centers on how you’ll actively address the risks, issues and changes that you’ve previously planned for.
This will take the form of documentation, but will need to be supported by clear processes. When your AI Management System is up and running, you’ll need to take action quickly, with clearly-defined and supported procedures.
9. Performance evaluation
You’ll need to set out how you plan to assess the performance of your AI systems. From defining relevant success metrics, to conducting mandated internal audits, it’s essential that you evidence how, why and when you’ll analyze and evaluate your system performance.
10. Improvement
Many of the principles within ISO/IEC 42001 point to the idea that AI is not something you can implement and then leaves.
Clause 10 requires you to plan for incidents or non-conformities around your AI systems and, crucially, to evidence how you’ll address them – with a focus on continued improvement and reducing recurrence.
Do you have the tools you need to comply with ISO 42001 and embed your AI Management System (AIMS)?
If not, perhaps it’s time to try Confluence – supported by Atlassian Marketplace apps like Compliance and Workflows for Confluence.
Documentation is the backbone of your AIMS, and also provides essential evidence to auditors. Ensure yours is approved, up-to-date and secure in Confluence, with the Workflows and Compliance apps.
Try them for free today, and discover how much easier your ISO 42001 compliance documentation could be!
