SML 1 — Strategic Sovereignty

Strategic sovereignty evaluates the corporate governance architecture, ownership dependencies, and long-term continuity planning of the service provider.

SML 1.CO 1 Governance Authority

Objective: To ensure that individuals and entities with significant governance and decision-making authority are clearly defined and formally designated in order to fulfill their responsibilities.
Sovereignty Contribution: Establishes strategic sovereignty by ensuring that control over service-related decisions is transparent, formally assigned, and free from undisclosed influence, enabling customers to understand who ultimately governs the service.

SML 1.CO 1.C 1 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
The entity exercising decisive control (and decision-making authority) over the service is clearly determined in terms of roles, bodies, and legal entities.
SML 1.CO 1.C 1.Q 1: Is the entity exercising decisive control and decision-making authority over the service clearly determined?

SML 1.CO 1.C 2 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
The entity exercising decisive control (and decision-making authority) over the service has assigned all responsible entities and individuals to their services and tasks, and has made this information accessible to stakeholders.
SML 1.CO 1.C 2.Q 1: Has the entity exercising decisive control and decision-making authority over the service formally assigned those responsible and informed affected entities, individuals and stakeholders about responsibilities for the services?

SML 1.CO 1.C 3 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Details of the nomination, assignment, services, and decision-making competencies regarding the related services are formally documented and accessible to all affected individuals and stakeholders.
SML 1.CO 1.C 3.Q 1: Are the nomination, assignment, services and decision-making competencies regarding the related services formally documented and accessible to all affected individuals and stakeholders?

SML 1.CO 2 Ownership and Control Structure

Objective: To ensure that ownership structures and controlling interests related to the service provider are transparent, identifiable, and do not introduce undisclosed external influence.
Sovereignty Contribution: Strengthens strategic sovereignty by ensuring that ownership and control structures are transparent and that controlling interests can be clearly attributed, reducing the risk of hidden or external influence over the service.

SML 1.CO 2.C 1 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
The ownership structure of the service provider is documented and transparent.
SML 1.CO 2.C 1.Q 1: Is the ownership structure of the service provider documented and transparent?

SML 1.CO 2.C 2 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) of the service provider is identified and documented.
SML 1.CO 2.C 2.Q 1: Is the ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) of the service provider identified and documented?

SML 1.CO 3 Strategic Alignment with Digital Sovereignty Objectives

Objective: To ensure that digital sovereignty objectives are explicitly defined and embedded in the strategy and decision-making processes related to the service.
Sovereignty Contribution: Strengthens strategic sovereignty by ensuring that digital sovereignty is an intentional and managed objective, guiding decisions on architecture, providers, and dependencies rather than being incidental.

SML 1.CO 3.C 1 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Digital sovereignty objectives are defined, integrated, and updated in the entity‘s management policies to ensure digital sovereignty is considered in the implementation of the service or provider strategy at all levels.
SML 1.CO 3.C 1.Q 1: How is it ensured that digital sovereignty objectives are defined, integrated, and updated in the entity‘s management policies and considered in the implementation of the service or provider strategy?

SML 1.CO 3.C 2 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Strategic decisions related to the service consider digital sovereignty objectives.
SML 1.CO 3.C 2.Q 1: Are digital sovereignty objectives considered in strategic decisions related to the service?

SML 1.CO 4 Strategic Independence and Exit Capability

Objective: To ensure that dependencies on the services are considered at the entity’s strategic level and measures are in place to avoid disruptions in case of exits or substitution of the service.
Sovereignty Contribution: Strengthens digital sovereignty by ensuring that dependencies are considered and that implications are monitored and actively managed to maintain the service quality.

SML 1.CO 4.C 1 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
The level of dependency on external providers relevant to the offered services is regularly assessed and updated with regard to its impact on independence and exit capability.
SML 1.CO 4.C 1.Q 1: How is the process designed to regularly define criteria and assess the level of dependency, while also considering the exit of contracted service providers where this affects the entity's own services?

SML 1.CO 4.C 2 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Measures are in place to continuously detect and monitor how the external service providers' relevant activities impact or disrupt the services offered by the entity.
SML 1.CO 4.C 2.Q 1: Are measures in place to continuously detect and monitor the impact of external service providers?

SML 1.CO 4.C 3 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Measures for the substitution or exit of contracted external service providers are integrated into the decision-making process and design of processes that impact the provided services.
SML 1.CO 4.C 3.Q 1: How is it ensured that the substitution or exit of contracted external service providers is considered in decision-making and the design of processes that impact the services provided by the entity?

SML 1.CO 5 Accountability and Strategic Oversight

Objective: To ensure that accountability for digital sovereignty is clearly assigned and that oversight mechanisms are in place to monitor and enforce related objectives.
Sovereignty Contribution: Strengthens strategic sovereignty by ensuring that digital sovereignty is actively managed, with clear accountability and oversight, rather than remaining an abstract or unowned objective.

SML 1.CO 5.C 1 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Accountability for digital sovereignty is explicitly assigned to defined roles or management functions.
SML 1.CO 5.C 1.Q 1: Is accountability for digital sovereignty explicitly assigned to defined roles or management functions?

SML 1.CO 5.C 2 (Governance and Operations)

Scope: Service Provider
Service Type: All
Mechanisms are in place to monitor and oversee digital sovereignty objectives at a strategic level.
SML 1.CO 5.C 2.Q 1: Are mechanisms in place to monitor and oversee digital sovereignty objectives at a strategic level?

Mapping of the Objectives to the corresponding Sovereignty Maturity Level

ID	Initial	Managed	Advanced	Future-Proof
SML 1.CO 1.C 1	x	x	x	x
SML 1.CO 1.C 2		x	x	x
SML 1.CO 1.C 3			x	x
SML 1.CO 2.C 1	x	x	x	x
SML 1.CO 2.C 2		x	x	x
SML 1.CO 3.C 1		x	x	x
SML 1.CO 3.C 2			x	x
SML 1.CO 4.C 1	x	x	x	x
SML 1.CO 4.C 2		x	x	x
SML 1.CO 4.C 3			x	x
SML 1.CO 5.C 1		x	x	x
SML 1.CO 5.C 2				x