AIMS Audit Prep (ISO 42001)
Operational playbook for ISO 42001:2023 AI Management System (AIMS) audit preparation. Whether targeting initial certification, surveillance audit, or annual internal audit.
When to use this skill vs. iso42001-ai-management:
- This skill: audit imminent; need readiness sprint
- iso42001-ai-management: building AIMS from scratch; multi-quarter program
When to use this skill
| Situation |
Skill applies |
| ISO 42001 Stage 1 audit scheduled |
Yes — documentation review prep |
| Stage 2 (onsite/operational) audit |
Yes — operational evidence sprint |
| Annual surveillance audit |
Yes — surveillance prep |
| Internal AIMS audit |
Yes — internal audit playbook |
| AI Impact Assessment for new system |
Yes — scripts/ai_impact_assessment_checker.py |
| Building AIMS from scratch |
Use ra-qm-team/iso42001-ai-management |
ISO 42001 audit structure
Stage 1 (documentation review)
- Auditor reviews AIMS documentation (typically 1-3 days)
- Confirms scope, applicability, key documents present
- Identifies gaps before Stage 2
- Typically 2-3 weeks before Stage 2
Stage 2 (operational assessment)
- Auditor onsite (or remote) verifies AIMS operating effectively
- 3-10 days depending on scope + system count
- Walkthroughs, interviews, evidence sampling
- Conclusion: certification recommended (subject to non-conformity closure) or not
Surveillance audits
- Annual; reduced scope vs initial
- Typically 1-3 days
- Focus on high-risk areas + changes since prior audit
Re-certification (year 3)
- Full audit; similar to initial
- Typically every 3 years
AIMS audit-prep sprint
4-week sprint (mature AIMS, surveillance audit)
Week 1: Internal audit + gap analysis
Week 2: Remediation + AI inventory refresh
Week 3: Documentation review + walkthrough rehearsal
Week 4: Auditor onsite
8-week sprint (Stage 1 + Stage 2 initial certification)
Weeks 1-3: AIMS documentation completion (Annex A controls coverage)
Weeks 4-5: Stage 1 audit + gap closure
Weeks 6-7: Stage 2 operational evidence prep + mock walkthroughs
Week 8: Stage 2 audit
ISO 42001 clauses + Annex A controls
Clauses (4-10): management system
| Clause |
Topic |
| 4 |
Context of the organization |
| 5 |
Leadership |
| 6 |
Planning (including AI risk + AI objectives) |
| 7 |
Support (resources, competence, awareness, communication, documentation) |
| 8 |
Operation (AI lifecycle, supplier relationships) |
| 9 |
Performance evaluation (monitoring, internal audit, management review) |
| 10 |
Improvement (nonconformity, continual improvement) |
Annex A controls (10 areas)
| Annex A area |
Topics |
| A.2 |
Policies related to AI |
| A.3 |
Internal organization |
| A.4 |
Resources for AI systems |
| A.5 |
Assessing impacts of AI systems |
| A.6 |
AI system lifecycle |
| A.7 |
Data for AI systems |
| A.8 |
Information for interested parties |
| A.9 |
Use of AI systems |
| A.10 |
Third-party relationships |
Critical audit areas
AI Inventory + Impact Assessments
| Item |
Evidence |
Common gap |
| Complete AI system inventory |
Inventory document |
Shadow AI not captured |
| AI Impact Assessment (AIIA) per system |
Per-system AIIA |
Skipped for "low-risk" systems |
| AIIA reviewed periodically |
Review records |
One-time only |
| Risk classification of systems |
Per system |
Not documented |
AI Policy + Governance
| Item |
Evidence |
Common gap |
| AI policy approved + dated |
Signed policy |
Not signed / stale |
| AI ethics principles |
Documented principles |
Generic; not actionable |
| AI governance body |
Charter / minutes |
Not formalized |
| Roles + responsibilities |
RACI |
Not defined |
AI Lifecycle Management (Annex A.6)
| Item |
Evidence |
Common gap |
| AI development lifecycle defined |
Process documentation |
Not formalized |
| Data quality controls |
Per system |
Generic only |
| Model validation procedures |
Per system |
Validation skipped |
| AI system testing |
Per system |
Inadequate testing |
| Deployment controls |
Per system |
No controls |
| Operational monitoring |
Per system |
Drift not monitored |
| Decommissioning procedures |
Per system |
Not defined |
Data Governance (Annex A.7)
| Item |
Evidence |
Common gap |
| Data sources documented |
Per system |
Vague |
| Data quality assessed |
Quality metrics |
Not measured |
| Data lineage tracked |
Documentation |
Untracked |
| Sensitive data protection |
Controls |
Insufficient |
Third-party AI (Annex A.10)
| Item |
Evidence |
Common gap |
| Third-party AI inventory |
List |
Incomplete |
| Vendor due diligence for AI |
Per vendor |
Generic IT only |
| Contract terms for AI vendors |
AI-specific clauses |
Standard MSA only |
Clarify First
Before running the audit-prep, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the readiness assessment.
Quick start
- Run readiness score:
python3 scripts/aims_readiness_score.py --config aims-controls.yaml
- Check AIIA per system:
python3 scripts/ai_impact_assessment_checker.py --aiia system-aiia.yaml
- Pick sprint length based on score
- Execute sprint per references/iso42001-aims-readiness-checklist.md
Common AIMS audit findings
- AI inventory incomplete — shadow AI not captured
- AIIA missing for systems that look "small" but have impact
- AI lifecycle process not implemented (designed only)
- Data governance generic — not AI-specific
- Performance monitoring missing — drift not detected
- AI policy stale — written before current AI deployment
- Third-party AI vendors not assessed
- Continual improvement not evidenced
Tooling
| Script |
Purpose |
scripts/aims_readiness_score.py |
Score AIMS readiness per clause + Annex A area |
scripts/ai_impact_assessment_checker.py |
Validate AI Impact Assessment completeness |
References
- iso42001-aims-readiness-checklist.md — punch list per clause + Annex A
- aims-internal-audit-playbook.md — internal audit execution playbook
Related skills
ra-qm-team/iso42001-ai-management — deep ISO 42001 AIMS program management
ra-qm-team/eu-ai-act-specialist — EU AI Act regulatory companion
ra-qm-team/audit-prep/ai-act-readiness — AI Act audit-prep variant
ra-qm-team/audit-prep/compliance-readiness — multi-framework readiness
1---
2name: aims-audit
3description: >
4 ISO 42001 AI Management System (AIMS) audit-prep playbook. Use when an ISO 42001
5 certification audit is scheduled (Stage 1 or Stage 2), when a surveillance or
6 internal AIMS audit is due, or when preparing an AI Impact Assessment (AIIA).
7license: MIT + Commons Clause
8metadata:
9 version: 1.0.0
10 author: borghei
11 category: compliance
12 domain: ra-qm-team
13 updated: 2026-05-27
14 tags: [iso42001, aims, ai-management-system, audit-prep, certification, ai-governance, ai-impact-assessment]
15---
16
17# AIMS Audit Prep (ISO 42001)
18
19Operational playbook for ISO 42001:2023 AI Management System (AIMS) audit preparation. Whether targeting initial certification, surveillance audit, or annual internal audit.
20
21When to use this skill vs. iso42001-ai-management:
22- **This skill**: audit imminent; need readiness sprint
23- **iso42001-ai-management**: building AIMS from scratch; multi-quarter program
24
25---
26
27## When to use this skill
28
29| Situation | Skill applies |
30|-----------|---------------|
31| ISO 42001 Stage 1 audit scheduled | Yes — documentation review prep |
32| Stage 2 (onsite/operational) audit | Yes — operational evidence sprint |
33| Annual surveillance audit | Yes — surveillance prep |
34| Internal AIMS audit | Yes — internal audit playbook |
35| AI Impact Assessment for new system | Yes — `scripts/ai_impact_assessment_checker.py` |
36| Building AIMS from scratch | Use `ra-qm-team/iso42001-ai-management` |
37
38---
39
40## ISO 42001 audit structure
41
42### Stage 1 (documentation review)
43
44- Auditor reviews AIMS documentation (typically 1-3 days)
45- Confirms scope, applicability, key documents present
46- Identifies gaps before Stage 2
47- Typically 2-3 weeks before Stage 2
48
49### Stage 2 (operational assessment)
50
51- Auditor onsite (or remote) verifies AIMS operating effectively
52- 3-10 days depending on scope + system count
53- Walkthroughs, interviews, evidence sampling
54- Conclusion: certification recommended (subject to non-conformity closure) or not
55
56### Surveillance audits
57
58- Annual; reduced scope vs initial
59- Typically 1-3 days
60- Focus on high-risk areas + changes since prior audit
61
62### Re-certification (year 3)
63
64- Full audit; similar to initial
65- Typically every 3 years
66
67---
68
69## AIMS audit-prep sprint
70
71### 4-week sprint (mature AIMS, surveillance audit)
72
73```
74Week 1: Internal audit + gap analysis
75Week 2: Remediation + AI inventory refresh
76Week 3: Documentation review + walkthrough rehearsal
77Week 4: Auditor onsite
78```
79
80### 8-week sprint (Stage 1 + Stage 2 initial certification)
81
82```
83Weeks 1-3: AIMS documentation completion (Annex A controls coverage)
84Weeks 4-5: Stage 1 audit + gap closure
85Weeks 6-7: Stage 2 operational evidence prep + mock walkthroughs
86Week 8: Stage 2 audit
87```
88
89---
90
91## ISO 42001 clauses + Annex A controls
92
93### Clauses (4-10): management system
94
95| Clause | Topic |
96|--------|-------|
97| 4 | Context of the organization |
98| 5 | Leadership |
99| 6 | Planning (including AI risk + AI objectives) |
100| 7 | Support (resources, competence, awareness, communication, documentation) |
101| 8 | Operation (AI lifecycle, supplier relationships) |
102| 9 | Performance evaluation (monitoring, internal audit, management review) |
103| 10 | Improvement (nonconformity, continual improvement) |
104
105### Annex A controls (10 areas)
106
107| Annex A area | Topics |
108|--------------|--------|
109| A.2 | Policies related to AI |
110| A.3 | Internal organization |
111| A.4 | Resources for AI systems |
112| A.5 | Assessing impacts of AI systems |
113| A.6 | AI system lifecycle |
114| A.7 | Data for AI systems |
115| A.8 | Information for interested parties |
116| A.9 | Use of AI systems |
117| A.10 | Third-party relationships |
118
119---
120
121## Critical audit areas
122
123### AI Inventory + Impact Assessments
124
125| Item | Evidence | Common gap |
126|------|----------|------------|
127| Complete AI system inventory | Inventory document | Shadow AI not captured |
128| AI Impact Assessment (AIIA) per system | Per-system AIIA | Skipped for "low-risk" systems |
129| AIIA reviewed periodically | Review records | One-time only |
130| Risk classification of systems | Per system | Not documented |
131
132### AI Policy + Governance
133
134| Item | Evidence | Common gap |
135|------|----------|------------|
136| AI policy approved + dated | Signed policy | Not signed / stale |
137| AI ethics principles | Documented principles | Generic; not actionable |
138| AI governance body | Charter / minutes | Not formalized |
139| Roles + responsibilities | RACI | Not defined |
140
141### AI Lifecycle Management (Annex A.6)
142
143| Item | Evidence | Common gap |
144|------|----------|------------|
145| AI development lifecycle defined | Process documentation | Not formalized |
146| Data quality controls | Per system | Generic only |
147| Model validation procedures | Per system | Validation skipped |
148| AI system testing | Per system | Inadequate testing |
149| Deployment controls | Per system | No controls |
150| Operational monitoring | Per system | Drift not monitored |
151| Decommissioning procedures | Per system | Not defined |
152
153### Data Governance (Annex A.7)
154
155| Item | Evidence | Common gap |
156|------|----------|------------|
157| Data sources documented | Per system | Vague |
158| Data quality assessed | Quality metrics | Not measured |
159| Data lineage tracked | Documentation | Untracked |
160| Sensitive data protection | Controls | Insufficient |
161
162### Third-party AI (Annex A.10)
163
164| Item | Evidence | Common gap |
165|------|----------|------------|
166| Third-party AI inventory | List | Incomplete |
167| Vendor due diligence for AI | Per vendor | Generic IT only |
168| Contract terms for AI vendors | AI-specific clauses | Standard MSA only |
169
170---
171
172## Clarify First
173
174Before running the audit-prep, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
175
176- [ ] **Audit type and stage** — Stage 1 documentation review, Stage 2 operational, surveillance, or internal (sets sprint length and whether the focus is documentation or operational evidence)
177- [ ] **AIMS maturity** — mature system vs building from gaps (picks the 4-week vs 8-week sprint)
178- [ ] **AI systems in scope** — which systems and how many (drives the AIIA count and Annex A coverage)
179
180Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the readiness assessment.
181
182## Quick start
183
1841. **Run readiness score**: `python3 scripts/aims_readiness_score.py --config aims-controls.yaml`
1852. **Check AIIA per system**: `python3 scripts/ai_impact_assessment_checker.py --aiia system-aiia.yaml`
1863. **Pick sprint length** based on score
1874. **Execute sprint** per [references/iso42001-aims-readiness-checklist.md](references/iso42001-aims-readiness-checklist.md)
188
189---
190
191## Common AIMS audit findings
192
193- **AI inventory incomplete** — shadow AI not captured
194- **AIIA missing** for systems that look "small" but have impact
195- **AI lifecycle process** not implemented (designed only)
196- **Data governance generic** — not AI-specific
197- **Performance monitoring missing** — drift not detected
198- **AI policy stale** — written before current AI deployment
199- **Third-party AI vendors** not assessed
200- **Continual improvement** not evidenced
201
202---
203
204## Tooling
205
206| Script | Purpose |
207|--------|---------|
208| `scripts/aims_readiness_score.py` | Score AIMS readiness per clause + Annex A area |
209| `scripts/ai_impact_assessment_checker.py` | Validate AI Impact Assessment completeness |
210
211---
212
213## References
214
215- [iso42001-aims-readiness-checklist.md](references/iso42001-aims-readiness-checklist.md) — punch list per clause + Annex A
216- [aims-internal-audit-playbook.md](references/aims-internal-audit-playbook.md) — internal audit execution playbook
217
218---
219
220## Related skills
221
222- `ra-qm-team/iso42001-ai-management` — deep ISO 42001 AIMS program management
223- `ra-qm-team/eu-ai-act-specialist` — EU AI Act regulatory companion
224- `ra-qm-team/audit-prep/ai-act-readiness` — AI Act audit-prep variant
225- `ra-qm-team/audit-prep/compliance-readiness` — multi-framework readiness