Governance Roles and Responsibilities Policy

The Governance Roles & Responsibilities Policy provides a comprehensive foundation for establishing, managing, and continuously improving the governance of information security within the organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS). Its core purpose is to define the model through which organizational roles, responsibilities, and authority are assigned and documented, enabling effective operation of the ISMS in full alignment with strategic business objectives, regulatory requirements, and international standards such as ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27002:2022. The policy ensures clear lines of accountability and decision-making authority by mandating formal definition, assignment, and documentation of all security-related governance roles. Executive management, the Information Security Steering Committee (ISSC), Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)/ISMS Manager, control owners, process and asset owners, security delegates, audit/compliance staff, and all employees have designated responsibilities. This structure is designed to reinforce strong segregation of duties, transparent escalation processes, and traceability of decisions, which collectively underpin effective risk ownership and regulatory compliance. At the core of operational implementation is the Roles & Responsibilities Register, a mandated, dynamic record that logs role titles, descriptions, assigned individuals or groups, levels of authority, interdependencies, and escalation pathways. All assignments require formal acknowledgment and are subject to annual review or updates triggered by organizational or functional changes. The policy also details how security roles can be delegated, conditions for delegation, and requirements for documentation to ensure accountability remains clear and uncompromised. Integration with other disciplines, including risk management, legal, IT, HR, procurement, and project management, is explicitly required to embed information security responsibilities into the organizational fabric and support whole-organization resilience. Key governance requirements specify structured escalation procedures, both operational and strategic, and define legal/regulatory reporting lines for incidents or breaches. Governance must remain adaptable: all exceptions, deviations, or temporary role changes must be justified, documented, risk-assessed, and formally approved. Compliance and enforcement are emphasized through mandatory audit and role validation activities. The policy calls for regular reviews by both the ISSC and internal audit, including verification of role assignments, segregation of duties, and control effectiveness. Escalation records and exception logs are scrutinized, supporting prompt identification and correction of governance gaps. Disciplinary actions are clearly articulated for any breaches or failures in assigned governance responsibilities, and whistleblower protections are included to ensure reporting of governance failures without fear of retaliation. The policy’s robust review and update cycle requires at least annual reassessment or sooner if significant organizational changes, regulatory updates, or audit findings arise. Change management, risk identification and treatment, and lifecycle management of all roles are managed through associated registers. Explicit linkages to related policies, such as those covering Information Security, Change Management, Risk Management, Personnel Lifecycle, and Audit & Compliance Monitoring, guarantee a unified and defensible ISMS governance structure. This document is indispensable for organizations seeking to demonstrate strong, auditable governance and to meet the traceability and accountability demands of regulatory and certification frameworks.