NIST AI Risk Management Framework

NIST AI RMF implementation guide

The NIST AI Risk Management Framework provides a structured approach for managing AI risks. Whether voluntary or required for federal contracts, we help you implement Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage with clear processes and evidence.

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What is NIST AI RMF?

The NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0) is a voluntary framework published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations design, develop, deploy, and use AI systems responsibly and trustworthily.

Why this matters now: Executive Order 14110 (October 2023) made NIST AI RMF mandatory for federal agencies and increasingly expected for government contractors. It's becoming the de facto US standard for responsible AI.

Flexible

Adapt to any AI system or organization

Iterative

Continuous improvement throughout lifecycle

Complements EU AI Act compliance and aligns with ISO 42001 certification.

Who needs NIST AI RMF?

Federal agencies

Executive Order 14110 mandates NIST AI RMF adoption

Federal contractors

AI systems in government contracts must align with NIST AI RMF

Critical infrastructure

Organizations managing essential services with AI

Global enterprises

Seeking recognized AI governance standards

AI developers & providers

Building trustworthy AI products and services

Regulated industries

Financial services, healthcare, and transportation

How VerifyWise supports NIST AI RMF implementation

Concrete capabilities that address each function's requirements

AI system inventory and context mapping

Register every AI system with structured metadata covering intended use, stakeholders and operational context. The platform captures the information the Map function requires to establish system boundaries and document capabilities.

Addresses: Map function: Context, categorization, stakeholder identification

Risk identification and assessment

Identify AI-specific risks using structured assessment methods aligned with NIST trustworthiness characteristics. The platform tracks risk sources, potential impacts and generates the risk documentation the Measure function expects.

Addresses: Measure function: Risk analysis, impact assessment, trustworthiness evaluation

Governance structure and policy management

Establish AI governance committees, define roles and generate policies aligned with NIST AI RMF. The platform maintains accountability matrices and competency requirements that satisfy the Govern function.

Addresses: Govern function: Roles, policies, accountability, workforce competency

Risk treatment and mitigation tracking

Prioritize identified risks and track treatment implementation through resolution. The platform documents risk responses, residual risk acceptance and maintains the audit trail the Manage function requires.

Addresses: Manage function: Risk prioritization, treatment, residual risk documentation

Continuous monitoring and metrics

Track AI system performance against trustworthiness characteristics over time. The platform consolidates monitoring data, drift indicators and incident patterns for ongoing risk visibility.

Addresses: Measure function: Performance evaluation, continuous monitoring

Incident response and improvement cycles

Manage AI incidents with structured workflows and feed lessons learned back into risk assessments. The platform supports the continuous improvement cycle central to NIST AI RMF implementation.

Addresses: Manage function: Incident response, continuous improvement

All activities are tracked with timestamps, assigned owners and approval workflows. This audit trail demonstrates systematic risk management rather than documentation created after the fact.

Complete NIST AI RMF categories coverage

VerifyWise provides dedicated tooling for all 19 categories across the four functions

NIST AI RMF categories

Categories with dedicated tooling

100%

Coverage across all functions

Govern6/6

Culture, roles, policies, workforce, third-party

Map5/5

Context, categorization, capabilities, stakeholders, impacts

Measure4/4

Risk analysis, performance, trustworthiness, monitoring

Manage4/4

Prioritization, treatment, incidents, improvement

Built for NIST AI RMF from the ground up

Trustworthiness assessments

Evaluate all 7 characteristics with structured workflows

Generative AI Profile

Extended controls for LLMs and content generation systems

Federal compliance tools

Executive Order 14110 alignment and evidence packages

Multi-framework mapping

Crosswalk to EU AI Act and ISO 42001 requirements

Four core functions

NIST AI RMF organizes AI risk management into four interconnected functions

Govern

Establish and maintain AI risk management culture, governance structures, policies and processes.

Organizational context and risk culture
Roles, responsibilities and accountability
Policies, processes and procedures
Workforce diversity and competency
Third-party AI risk management

Map

Identify and document AI system context, capabilities, and potential impacts.

AI system context establishment
Categorization of AI systems
AI capabilities and limitations
Stakeholder identification
Benefits and risks documentation

Measure

Analyze, assess, and track identified AI risks using quantitative and qualitative methods.

Risk identification and analysis
Evaluation of AI system performance
Trustworthiness characteristics assessment
Impact assessment methods
Continuous monitoring approaches

Manage

Prioritize and act upon AI risks through mitigation, transfer, avoidance, or acceptance.

Risk prioritization and response
Risk treatment implementation
Residual risk documentation
Incident response planning
Continuous improvement

Seven trustworthiness characteristics

NIST AI RMF defines characteristics that AI systems should exhibit

Valid & reliable

AI systems perform as intended with consistent, accurate outputs.

Key considerations

• Performance metrics
• Validation testing
• Reliability monitoring

Safe

AI systems do not endanger human life, health, property, or the environment.

Key considerations

• Safety constraints
• Fail-safe mechanisms
• Risk mitigation

Secure & resilient

AI systems maintain confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Key considerations

• Cybersecurity controls
• Adversarial robustness
• Recovery capabilities

Accountable & transparent

Clear documentation and explanations of AI system decisions.

Key considerations

• Audit trails
• Explainability
• Documentation standards

Explainable & interpretable

AI decisions can be understood and explained to stakeholders.

Key considerations

• Model interpretability
• Decision documentation
• User communication

Privacy-enhanced

AI systems protect personal data and respect privacy rights.

Key considerations

• Data minimization
• Privacy by design
• Consent management

Fair with harmful bias managed

AI systems treat individuals and groups equitably.

Key considerations

• Bias detection
• Fairness metrics
• Demographic parity

More to explore

See the full NIST AI RMF →

24-week implementation roadmap

A practical path to NIST AI RMF adoption with clear milestones

Phase 1Weeks 1-4

Foundation

Establish AI governance committee
Define organizational AI principles
Create initial AI system inventory
Assess current risk management maturity

Phase 2Weeks 5-10

Risk mapping

Contextualize each AI system
Identify stakeholders and impacts
Document capabilities and limitations
Categorize systems by risk level

Phase 3Weeks 11-18

Risk measurement

Implement trustworthiness assessments
Establish performance metrics
Deploy monitoring solutions
Conduct impact evaluations

Phase 4Weeks 19-24

Risk management

Prioritize identified risks
Implement risk treatments
Establish incident response procedures
Create continuous improvement cycle

NIST AI RMF profiles

Tailored implementations for specific contexts and use cases

Foundation

AI RMF Core

Foundational framework for all organizations

Use case: General AI risk management implementation

Key components

GovernMapMeasureManage

Extended

Generative AI Profile

Extended guidance for GenAI systems

Use case: LLMs, image generation, content creation

Key components

Enhanced transparencyContent provenanceHuman oversight

How NIST AI RMF compares

Understanding the relationship between major AI governance frameworks

Aspect	NIST AI RMF	EU AI Act	ISO 42001
Scope	US-focused, voluntary framework	EU regulation with legal requirements	International certification standard
Legal status	Voluntary (mandatory for US federal)	Mandatory law with penalties	Voluntary certification
Approach	Risk-based, flexible implementation	Risk-tier classification system	Management system with controls
Focus	Trustworthiness characteristics	Compliance obligations by role	Continuous improvement (PDCA)
Structure	4 functions, 19 categories	4 risk tiers, role-based requirements	10 clauses, Annex controls
Certification	No formal certification	Conformity assessment required	Third-party certification available
Timeline	4-6 months typical implementation	Compliance by August 2025-2027	6-12 months to certification
Documentation	Risk documentation, impact assessments	Technical files, conformity declarations	AIMS policies, procedures, records
Best for	US market, federal contracts	EU market access	Global certification needs

Pro tip: These frameworks are complementary. NIST AI RMF provides risk methodology,ISO 42001provides operational structure, andEU AI Actcompliance ensures market access.

Discuss multi-framework implementation

Executive Order 14110

Federal AI requirements are here

President Biden's Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI (October 2023) mandates NIST AI RMF adoption across federal agencies and expects alignment from contractors.

Days for agency inventory

180

Days for risk assessment

365

Days for full compliance

Start federal compliance assessment

Policy templates

Complete AI governance policy repository

Access 37 ready-to-use AI governance policy templates aligned with NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act and ISO 42001 requirements

Govern function

• AI Governance Policy
• AI Risk Management Policy
• Responsible AI Principles
• Roles & Accountability Matrix
• Third-Party AI Policy
• AI Competency Framework
+ 4 more policies

Map & Measure

• AI System Inventory Policy
• Impact Assessment Policy
• Trustworthiness Evaluation
• Performance Monitoring
• Bias Detection & Fairness
• Explainability Standards
+ 5 more policies

Manage function

• Risk Treatment Policy
• AI Incident Response
• Continuous Improvement
• Model Retirement Policy
• Change Management
• Lessons Learned Process
+ 3 more policies

Browse all policy templates

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about NIST AI RMF implementation

For most private organizations, NIST AI RMF is voluntary. Executive Order 14110 made it mandatory for federal agencies and increasingly expected for federal contractors. Many regulated industries are adopting it as a best practice standard. See the official NIST AI RMF page for the complete framework.

While different in nature (voluntary framework vs. legal requirement), NIST AI RMF and EU AI Act share similar risk-based approaches. Organizations operating globally often implement both, using NIST AI RMF's structured approach to satisfy EU AI Act requirements as well.

NIST AI RMF is a US-originated risk management framework focused on trustworthiness, while ISO 42001 is an international standard for AI management systems with certification. They complement each other: NIST AI RMF provides risk methodology and ISO 42001 provides operational structure.

The 19 categories are distributed across four functions. Govern has 6 categories covering culture, roles, policies, workforce, third-party and organizational context. Map has 5 categories for system context, categorization, capabilities, stakeholders and impact documentation. Measure has 4 categories for risk analysis, performance, trustworthiness and monitoring. Manage has 4 categories for prioritization, treatment, incidents and improvement. The NIST AI RMF Playbook provides detailed implementation guidance for each.

A typical implementation takes 4-6 months depending on organizational size, AI system complexity and existing governance maturity. Organizations with established risk management programs can move faster. Federal agencies operating under Executive Order 14110 have specific timeline requirements.

Yes, all four functions (Govern, Map, Measure, Manage) should be addressed, but the depth of implementation depends on your AI risk profile. The framework is flexible and allows proportionate implementation based on context. Start with Govern to establish your organizational foundation.

NIST released a companion document specifically addressing risks unique to generative AI systems like LLMs. It extends the core framework with additional considerations for content provenance, hallucination risks and human oversight requirements. The Generative AI Profile is available on the NIST website.

Start with AI systems that have the highest potential impact on individuals or critical operations. Consider systems used in consequential decisions (hiring, lending, healthcare), systems with access to sensitive data, customer-facing AI and systems where errors could cause safety or financial harm. The Map function helps you categorize and prioritize systematically.

While NIST AI RMF is flexible on documentation format, you should maintain records of AI system inventories, risk assessments, trustworthiness evaluations, risk treatment decisions, incident logs and improvement actions. Documentation should demonstrate you have addressed each function's categories proportionate to your risk profile.

The Govern function includes third-party AI risk management as a core category. You should evaluate vendor AI practices, include AI governance requirements in contracts, monitor ongoing vendor performance and maintain documentation of vendor due diligence. This becomes especially important when using foundation models or AI-as-a-service.

Federal agencies increasingly require contractors to demonstrate AI risk management practices aligned with NIST AI RMF. Implementing the framework positions you for contract compliance and demonstrates responsible AI governance to government clients. Some agencies now include specific NIST AI RMF requirements in RFPs.

Yes, VerifyWise maps its governance controls to NIST AI RMF requirements. Our platform helps you document your AI systems, conduct risk assessments aligned with the four functions and generate evidence for audits and compliance reviews. We also provide crosswalks to EU AI Act and ISO 42001 for organizations implementing multiple frameworks.

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