Timeline planning accounts for the full assessment lifecycle. Pre-engagement (body selection, scope agreement, contract negotiation) typically requires four to eight weeks. Desktop review requires four to twelve weeks depending on the body’s workload and the AISDP’s readiness. Gap remediation adds two to eight weeks. Technical assessment requires two to four weeks of active engagement. Final reporting and certification adds two to four weeks.

The total timeline from initial engagement to certification typically spans four to eight months. Organisations should begin the notified body engagement process at least nine months before their target deployment date. This timeline is for a well-prepared organisation; organisations with significant documentation gaps may require longer.

For mandatory assessments (biometric identification under Annex III, point 1), timeline overruns directly delay deployment. The AI Governance Lead incorporates assessment timeline risk into the overall deployment plan, with contingency provisions for additional remediation cycles.

Key outputs

• Four-to-eight-month total timeline from engagement to certification
• Nine-month minimum lead time before target deployment
• Phase-by-phase timeline allocation
• Contingency for additional remediation cycles