The Assurance Mandate White Paper - Moving Beyond GRC to Evidence-Based Operational Resilience

Boards and executives today operate in an environment characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Traditional measures of progress, such as certifications, maturity scores, and audit reports, have helped organizations develop discipline and show accountability. However, as recent disruptions demonstrate, these artifacts provide reassurance but not the confidence that stakeholders now demand.

This white paper, drawn from the DVMS Institute Assurance Mandate Series, advocates for the next stage of governance maturity: transitioning from Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) to Governance, Resilience, and Assurance (GRA). This isn’t a rejection of GRC but rather an evolution. GRC has provided organizations with a foundation; GRA builds on that foundation to meet the needs of a digital, always-on, disruption-prone world.

The goal is to equip leaders with clarity, evidence, and a systemic approach to protect stakeholders, build trust, and ensure that organizations can continue to create, safeguard, and deliver digital business value under stress. GRA offers an opportunity for boards and executives to shift from reactive compliance to proactive assurance, transforming resilience into a measurable, strategic advantage.