ISO 37004-2023 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 37004:2023 — Governance of organizations — Governance maturity model — Guidance. This International Standard provides guidance for evaluating governance conditions and the application of governance principles, and it defines a governance maturity measurement framework, an associated maturity scale and a governance maturity model to support consistent assessment and improvement of organizational governance.

Abstract

This document describes the concept of governance maturity and how it can be measured. It gives guidance on evaluating the establishment of governance conditions and the application of governance principles with consideration of ISO 37000 key aspects of practice, and provides tools to help organizations of any type or size assess governance maturity and identify improvement priorities.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: 3 November 2023.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 03.100.02 (Governance and ethics).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2023).
• Number of pages: 22 pages.

Scope

ISO 37004:2023 is applicable to all types and sizes of organizations and provides guidance to evaluate how governance conditions are established and how governance principles are applied. It sets out a measurement framework and maturity scale that organizations can use to assess governance maturity, support benchmarking, and prioritise governance improvements in line with the ISO 37000 governance guidance.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition and concepts of governance maturity and maturity levels.
• A governance maturity measurement framework and associated maturity scale.
• A governance maturity model describing attributes, indicators and practices across maturity levels.
• Guidance on evaluating governance conditions and the application of governance principles (aligned with ISO 37000).
• Recommendations for using maturity assessment results for benchmarking, reporting and continuous governance improvement.
• Applicability guidance for organizations of different sizes and sectors.

Typical use and users

Boards of directors, governance committees, senior executives, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) teams, internal auditors, external consultants, regulators and organisations seeking to benchmark or improve governance practices. The standard is used for diagnostic maturity assessments, benchmarking across units or organisations, governance improvement planning and supporting governance reporting to stakeholders.

Related standards

ISO 37000 (Governance of organizations — Guidance) — primary companion guidance; standards on compliance and management systems such as ISO 37301 (Compliance management systems) and ISO 37001 (Anti-bribery management systems) can be relevant where governance assessment intersects with compliance and anti‑corruption controls. Relationship to other governance, risk and management-system standards should be considered when integrating maturity assessment into broader assurance programmes.

Keywords

governance maturity, governance model, maturity assessment, governance framework, ISO 37000, governance principles, benchmarking, governance improvement, governance measurement, organisational governance

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 37004:2023 is guidance on governance maturity modelling and measurement — it defines a framework, maturity scale and model to help organisations assess and improve governance.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the concept of governance maturity, how to measure it, how to evaluate governance conditions and the application of governance principles, and how to use assessment results for improvement and benchmarking.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Boards, governance and compliance professionals, internal auditors, consultants and regulators — any organisation seeking structured assessment and improvement of governance practices.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — ISO 37004:2023 was published in November 2023 and is the active guidance document for governance maturity modelling as of its publication.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO governance family of documents and is aligned with ISO 37000 (Governance of organizations — Guidance); it is intended to be used alongside related governance and management standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Governance maturity, maturity model, governance measurement, ISO 37000, governance framework, benchmarking, governance improvement.