What is a Critical Event Governance Review (CEGR)?
The Critical Event Governance Review (CEGR™) is a structured, system-level governance documentation review conducted following a significant operational event in environments where automated or AI-supported systems influence decision-making. CEGR examines how automated signals functioned within operational workflow and how governance structures operated in practice at the time of the event. The review is descriptive, not investigative.
Scope of Review
Automated Signal Function
How system outputs were generated and presented within workflow.
Human Interpretation & Decision Pathways
How personnel encountered and understood automated signals and exercised discretion.
Escalation & Communication Structures
Formal and informal escalation pathways during response.
Documentation & Record Integrity
How response actions were recorded and aligned with policy.
Governance Visibility Conditions
Where documentation supports clarity and where visibility gaps exist.
What Triggers a CEGR
A CEGR is activated following a significant operational event where automated systems influenced decision-making:
- Death in custody where monitoring or alert systems were involved
- Overdose during supervision where automated surveillance or detection systems were active
- Missed alert, where a system generated a signal that was not acted upon
- Violent event following an AI-informed release, classification, or supervision decision
- Emergency response failure in an automated monitoring environment
- Litigation-triggering events involving AI-supported decision-making
Deliverables
- Critical Event Governance Memorandum - Primary governance reconstruction document
- Executive Governance Summary - Leadership-facing translation of governance significance
- Documented Governance Conditions - System-level condition statements at time of event
- Implementation Integrity Observations - How automated systems functioned within operational context
- Institutional Documentation Recommendations - Non-prescriptive governance documentation improvements
Boundaries
CEGR does not:
- Conduct medical review
- Determine cause of death
- Assign fault or responsibility
- Issue compliance rulings
- Replace investigative processes
- Provide legal conclusions (unless separately contracted)
Its function is institutional governance documentation. The review is descriptive, not evaluative. It documents governance conditions, not conclusions.
Methodological Foundation
The CEGR methodology draws on clinical principles from EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a structured approach to reconstructing critical events from fragmented evidence. The same epistemological framework used to reconstruct what happened to a person applies to reconstructing what an AI system did to someone: working backward from outcomes to documented interactions to systemic pressures.
Request a CEGR
CEGR engagements are initiated by justice institutions, legal teams, oversight bodies, or court monitors following a significant operational event.
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