Maturity Assessment: Introduction and Overview

The SAGE-AI Maturity Assessment is designed to help educational institutions evaluate their current state of AI governance and identify areas for improvement. This assessment tool offers several key benefits:

  • Holistic Evaluation: Provides a 360-degree view of an institution's AI governance practices across ten critical pillars.
  • Benchmark Progress: Allows institutions to measure their progress over time and compare their maturity levels to peers.
  • Identify Gaps: Highlights areas that need attention, helping institutions prioritize their improvement efforts.
  • Strategic Planning: Informs strategic decision-making around AI initiatives and resource allocation.
  • Risk Mitigation: Helps institutions identify and address potential risks associated with AI implementation.
  • Continuous Improvement: Encourages a culture of ongoing evaluation and refinement of AI governance practices.

Introduction to the 10 Pillar Assessments

The SAGE-AI Framework consists of ten pillars, each representing a crucial aspect of AI governance in education. Each pillar has its own maturity assessment:

Each pillar assessment contains 8 questions scored on a scale of 0-2 points, resulting in a maximum score of 16 points per pillar.

Collating Results into an Overall Maturity Score

To calculate the overall maturity score:

  1. Complete all ten pillar assessments.
  2. Sum the scores from each pillar assessment.
  3. Divide the total by 160 (the maximum possible score across all pillars) and multiply by 100 to get a percentage.

The resulting percentage corresponds to one of four overall maturity levels:

  • Nascent: 0-25%
  • Emerging: 26-50%
  • Established: 51-75%
  • Transformative: 76-100%

Understanding Maturity Levels

The SAGE-AI Maturity Assessment categorizes institutions into four distinct levels of maturity in AI governance. These levels represent a progression from initial ad hoc efforts to fully integrated innovative practices. Understanding these levels helps institutions gauge their current status and plan for future development. Each level builds upon the capabilities of the previous one, reflecting an institution's growing sophistication in AI governance.

  • Nascent (0-25%): Institutions at this level are in the early stages of AI governance. They may have some isolated AI initiatives but lack comprehensive governance structures.
  • Emerging (26-50%): These institutions have begun to formalize AI governance practices but may lack consistency or depth across all areas.
  • Established (51-75%): Institutions at this level have well-developed AI governance practices across most areas, with consistent implementation and clear processes.
  • Transformative (76-100%): These institutions are at the forefront of AI governance in education, with innovative practices that are fully integrated across the institution and potentially influential in the broader education community.

Finding the Right Maturity Level

It's important to note that achieving the highest maturity level (Transformative) across all pillars may not be necessary or appropriate for every institution. The goal should be to find the right maturity level that aligns with your institution's size, resources, mission, and stage in the AI journey.

Factors to consider when determining your target maturity level include:

  • Institutional Size and Complexity: Larger, more complex institutions may require higher maturity levels across more pillars.
  • AI Integration Level: Institutions heavily reliant on AI may need higher maturity in certain pillars.
  • Resource Availability: Available human and financial resources will influence achievable maturity levels.
  • Regulatory Environment: Some institutions may need higher maturity in compliance-related pillars due to specific regulations.
  • Strategic Priorities: Align maturity goals with your institution's strategic focus areas.

Remember, the SAGE-AI Maturity Assessment is a tool for continuous improvement. Regular reassessment and incremental progress towards appropriate maturity levels for each pillar should be the goal, rather than striving for the highest level across all areas immediately.

By thoughtfully applying the SAGE-AI Maturity Assessment, institutions can develop a tailored approach to AI governance that best serves their unique needs and context.

Maturity Assessments