In the world of governance, risk, and compliance, phrases like “just simplify it” or “let’s collaborate” often float through the air like magic words. But here’s the problem. They are not magic, they’re mushy. These phrases lack specificity. They’re too easy to say and too hard to act on. And worse, they give people the false sense that there is progress.

This talk is about fighting that false sense of security. We’ll challenge the overuse of buzzwords and get into the messy but essential work of “properly complicating” things. That’s not a euphemism for making life harder. It’s a call for model-based thinking. We’ll explore the discipline of Governance Engineering, where models help us define what we’re doing, why it matters, and how to demonstrate its effectiveness. 

We will use the Attestify Combined Assurance Model™. This model connects high-level objectives to low-level technical actions that support them, providing an example of how to transform “governance” from paperwork into a working model for a real-time, all-the-time system that ensures one is doing what they said they would do.

You will learn about the concept of Above-the-Line vs. Below-the-Line work, showing how you can design assurance systems that let computers handle the repetitive stuff, so humans can stay focused on strategic decision-making and adapting to change.

By the end, you’ll walk away with a better way to answer three questions that plague governance work:

1. What exactly do we need to do?
2. How do we know we’re doing it?
3. What should we do next as things evolve?

The answer isn’t just “simplify.” The answer is: model it, specify it, automate verification, and keep humans focused where it counts.