ST Unified GRC Framework (ST-UGRCF): An Integrated Enterprise Governance, Risk, Compliance, Security and AI-Aware Framework for Technology-Driven Organizations

This paper introduces the ST Unified GRC Framework (ST-UGRCF), an integrated enterprise framework designed to unify governance, risk management, compliance, security, audit, and technology risk within a single structured model. Modern organizations operate in complex regulatory and technological environments where multiple standards, control frameworks, and risk management processes exist in parallel. The ST-UGRCF model proposes a layered architecture consisting of governance core, enterprise risk layer, control and compliance layer, technology and AI risk layer, audit and assurance layer, evidence and traceability layer, and monitoring and maturity ring. The framework enables organizations to maintain a unified control library, map controls to multiple regulatory requirements, improve audit readiness, and establish continuous assurance through traceability between governance, risk, controls, audit, and evidence. The model is intended for technology-driven enterprises requiring integrated oversight across governance, risk, compliance, cybersecurity, and emerging technology domains. This work presents the conceptual design, architecture, and use cases of the ST-UGRCF model as an independent research framework for enterprise governance and risk integration.