Lifecycle meaning

Checklist This Checklist outlines essential compliance steps for law firms undertaking outsourcing, beginning when your firm initially contemplates entering an outsourcing agreement and continuing through to, and encompassing, all the post-agreement audit activities...

How to use this Checklist This Checklist offers a structured approach to embedding AI governance within a professional services business. Robust AI oversight calls for a highly tailored method, aligned to the specific enterprise; it will vary by business type, risk tolerance, available resource, and the maturity of current governance arrangements. Nonetheless, this Checklist signposts the core considerations to support firms in adopting AI responsibly while safeguarding client trust, meeting regulatory obligations, and maintaining professional standards. Further reading Practice Note: Artificial intelligence and machine learning—an introduction to the technology Practice Note: The AI project lifecycle—a quick guide Precedent: Policy—use of generative artificial intelligence Practice Note: Negotiation guide—AI contracts Practice Note: Artificial intelligence—UK regulation and the National AI Strategy AI governance checklist—professional services Stage of implementation Key takeaways/further reading Define the scope: clearly set out what ‘AI’ covers for your governance framework (for example)...

This checklist outlines the essential documents needed at the principal stages of the project lifecycle: Project set up Project planning Project delivery Project closure It can be used alongside Checklist: Project management: key roles and governance—checklist. Project set up A project is regarded as ‘set up’ when a requirement or change has been identified. Permission to commence is provided via a mandate from a suitable senior figure in the organisation, usually the budget-holder who will finance the project. Project mandate the initial business case/justification for the project the purpose of the project how the outputs will be used the budget timescales for the work At this point a management team is formed, often as a project board or steering group, with a lead executive or sponsor appointed. A project manager and/or project support may also be named to handle day-to-day preparation of project documents. Project planning ...

This Flowchart summarises the principal stages that commonly apply to information technology (IT) procurement...

Flowchart This flowchart sets out the way in which UK non-residence or residence is established—firstly by applying the automatic overseas test, and secondly by considering the automatic UK test. Please also see the Statutory residence test and residence flowchart (sufficient ties), as well as the Statutory residence test ‘home’ flowchart...

This flowchart shows how to handle a data protection incident (including a cyber security incident) in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). It mirrors the UK GDPR’s rules on reporting and recording personal data breaches, alongside the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidance on breach management. It charts the end-to-end breach lifecycle, offering direction and links to the relevant precedents for each step of the process. See Precedents: Personal data breach plan, Data breach report form—internal and Data breach assessment and action plan, which steer you through every stage of this workflow. Note 1—assemble data breach team The initial action is to bring together your data breach team. Decide who in the organisation is best positioned to respond promptly to the incident and who should support the ensuing enquiry. This typically calls for contributions from specialists across the business, including IT, HR and compliance/legal, and may, in some instances, involve engagement with external stakeholders and suppliers. The Precedent: Personal data breach plan urges you to...

In this issue: Medical devices Data protection and life sciences Research and development Commercialisation Advertising of medicines Disputes and regulatory enforcement Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Medical devices Government reaction to Whitehead Review on systemic bias in UK medical devices Harriet Hanks, counsel, Sanjana Canumalla, associate, and Matt Allison, trainee, at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, examine and reflect on the findings of the Whitehead Review into equity in medical devices, published on 11 March 2024. See News Analysis: UK government responds to Whitehead Review’s findings of systemic bias in UK medical devices. Guidance on content of Investigator’s Brochure for clinical investigations of medical devices issued The Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) has published guidance on the Investigator’s Brochure (IB) for clinical investigations of medical devices (MDCG 2024-5). The document, grounded in Regulation (EU) 2017/745, the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR), is...

As the SFO's drive for whistleblower incentives gathers momentum, corporations should consider the implications for managing misconduct risk On 22 April 2025, the Home Office unveiled the second part of Jonathan Fisher KC’s fraud offences review, the first independent examination of UK fraud law since 1986. Spanning six phases of the fraud lifecycle, the opening phase features an in-depth appraisal of rewards for criminal informants and whistleblowers. The Fisher review is anticipated to be pivotal to the Labour government’s fraud agenda, offering the SFO a key platform to advance incentives reform within government. Soon after the announcement, the SFO stated it would liaise with the Fisher Review team to set out its case for change. These moves followed HM Treasury’s March 2025 commitment to introduce a fresh informants’ scheme aimed at tackling serious tax non-compliance, with a focus on major corporates. The Treasury made clear the model will mirror US-style whistleblower incentives programmes, granting informants a fixed percentage of tax recovered. The precise rate, together with further particulars, is...

When will a report be covered by without prejudice privilege? (BNP Paribas v Briggs & Forrester) BNP Paribas Depositary Services Ltd and another v Briggs & Forrester Engineering Services Ltd [2024] EWHC 2575 (TCC) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling clarifies when without prejudice privilege (WPP) can protect a document that is not an exchange between the parties, but is created to aid the resolution of a dispute. Where a report—such as a survey, condition assessment or defects report—is procured to underpin settlement discussions, WPP may attach if clear steps are taken to align the report with the settlement process. To maximise protection, ensure the report is obtained for the purpose of facilitating negotiations and is treated in a manner consistent with confidentiality throughout its lifecycle. In particular, any party seeking to rely on WPP for such material should ensure the following are in place at the outset: Commission the report under a mutual agreement or shared understanding between the...

The extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime for packaging and packaging waste The extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime for packaging and packaging waste shifts the entire cost of managing household packaging waste from households to packaging producers, placing on them accountability for their packaging costs throughout its lifecycle. Lower charges apply to sustainable packaging, incentivising designs that use fewer materials and are easier to recycle. Under EPR, Local Authorities (LAs) receive producer-funded payments covering the net costs of collecting, managing, recycling and disposing of this household packaging waste. EPR is governed by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/1332 (as amended). These regulations define a range of persons and bodies with specific functions within the regime. These are: producers—these are the principal duty holders compliance schemes the Scheme Administrator (SA) (PackUK) ‘relevant authorities’ which are LAs as household waste collection and disposal authorities responsible for household waste services reprocessors and exporters the ‘appropriate agency’—in England, the Environment...

This Practice Note sets out the applicable product governance obligations under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Directive 2014/65/EU) (MiFID II) that firms must observe and comply with when designing, approving, marketing and overseeing the ongoing management of products throughout their entire lifecycle. It also summarises the relevant delegated acts adopted by the European Commission—particularly Articles 9 and 10 of Directive (EU) 2017/593 (the MiFID II Delegated Directive)—as well as the guidelines issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Background to MiFID II and product governance The recast Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Directive 2014/65/EU) (MiFID II), together with the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (Regulation (EU) 600/2014) (MiFIR) (collectively, the MiFID II framework), entered into force on 2 July 2014. The bulk of the framework’s provisions largely applied from 3 January 2018. MiFID II establishes a suite of product governance requirements so that firms manufacture and distribute products in a manner that ensures they act in clients’ best interests across every stage of the lifecycle...

Practice Note Within the EU, medical devices are strictly overseen by legislation that manages safety and performance throughout the whole lifecycle and across the full product lifetime, spanning pre- to post-market stages. This Practice Note outlines the regime established by Directive 93/42/EEC on medical devices (MDD), Directive 90/385/EEC on active implantable medical devices (AIMDD), which applied until 25 May 2021, and Directive 98/79/EC on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDD), which remained in force until 25 May 2022; collectively, the MD Directives. The MD Directives continue to matter for ‘legacy’ devices that were authorised under them for placement on the EEA market before the new rules started to apply. They will also persist as points of reference for several years for particular legacy devices, for differing durations, pursuant to transitional provisions. This Practice Note sets out how devices were categorised, subjected to conformity assessment, and affixed with the CE mark under the MD Directives. It further addresses advertising and promotion of medical devices, the issue of counterfeit medical devices,...

Effective from [ insert date ], this statement of investment principles applies. 1 Statement of investment principles 1.1 Purpose of statement This document outlines the principles that steer decisions on investing the assets of the [ insert name ] Pension Scheme (the Scheme). It is published by the Trustees of the [ insert name ] Pension Scheme (the Trustees) to meet the requirements of the Pensions Act 1995, s 35. 1.2 Review The statement will be assessed each year. The Trustees may conduct an ad hoc review at any time if they consider there has been a material change in investment policy, or any other circumstances affecting the Scheme. 1.3 Advice The Trustees have received and evaluated written advice on the contents of this statement in a letter from [ insert name of investment consultant or actuary ]. [ insert name ] have confirmed to the Trustees that, through their ability and practical experience in financial matters, and with appropriate knowledge...

1 Goods/services Which kinds of goods and services are sourced in your area/department? Where can I find a list? 2 Contracting process Which contracting procedure is followed? Where can I obtain a contracting process workflow diagram? 3 Roles and responsibilities Within your area/department, who handles each stage of the contract lifecycle?...

1 Attendees: [ List attendees ] Each participant should attend the workshop fully ready to deliver a PowerPoint to the group, lasting no longer than [ insert, eg 20 minutes ], covering the following: categories of goods/services routinely obtained by that department; the end-to-end contracting workflow; each person’s function within that department across the contract lifecycle; how the central procurement team/organisational procurement process is used; contract templates relied upon; whether standard contract review/creation request forms are employed; where original agreements are physically retained; who executes contracts; what is currently in the immediate pipeline...