What is the Information Governance Maturity Model for Microsoft 365?

The Information Governance Maturity Model for Microsoft 365 is a framework designed to help organisations improve the way that they are governing information in Microsoft 365. Originally developed by The National Archives in 2022, the Model was updated by the IRMS in 2024-25. The Model is freely available for anyone to download and use.

The latest published version of the Microsoft 365 Maturity Model can be downloaded here: IG Maturity Model for M365 Version 2.0.0

How can you use the Model?

The Information Governance Maturity Model provides a simple tool for understanding how your current configuration and use of Microsoft 365 aligns with an international consensus on 'what good looks like'. You can use the model as a self-assessment tool, to grade how well your organisation is doing, and to identify areas that require further attention and improvement. It is important to recognise that organisations are free to make use of the Model in any way that is useful to you.

The Model consists of a series of questions around how you have chosen to configure and use Microsoft 365 and for each provides a number of technical approaches that can be considered. Each technical approach is graded as being either 'improvement recommended', 'adequate' and 'optimal'.

While the Model has been developed and benchmarked by Public Sector specialists, we feel that the guidance it provides is valuable regardless of the sector your organisation operates in.

Who maintains the Model?

The IRMS established a working group of international public sector records management specialists, which determines when new features/capabilities require the Model to be updated and runs benchmarking exercises to ensure that the definition of best practices continues to reflect current consensus. The benchmarking exercises provide the Model with a collective legitimacy based on what multiple Information Governance experts considered to be best practice.

The working group comprises multiple international regulatory and archival bodies: 

• The National Archives, UK (TNA)
• National Records of Scotland (NRS)
• Public Record Office Victoria, Australia (PROV)
• Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
• National Archives and Records Administration, USA (NARA)

History of the Model

In 2022, The National Archives (TNA) in the UK decided to introduce a self-assessment module for their Information Management Assessment programme focusing on Microsoft 365 use. To underpin this module, TNA decided to create a Microsoft 365 Maturity Model as a framework for assisting organisations subject to the UK Public Record Act.

The National Archives approached Rob Bath, a Microsoft 365 Information Governance subject matter expert (and current IRMS Digital Director), who defined the questions and technical approaches that are at the heart of the model. In order to establish what 'good' looks like, each technical approach was graded via a cross-Government benchmarking exercise, during which members of the Government Knowledge Information Management M365 User Group provided feedback on draft maturity questions and approaches.

Microsoft 365 is a rapidly evolving platform, with new workloads and information governance features being introduced on a regular basis. Recognising the need to ensure that the Model continues to be developed and maintained, The National Archives approached the IRMS to provide ongoing oversight of the Model. To support this process, the IRMS has established an international working group and ran a new benchmarking exercise in 2024-25.

The previous version of the Model is available:

TNA_M365_Maturity_Model_Framework_1.4.1.xlsx

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Model, please contact the Digital Director at rob.bath@irms.org.uk.