Direct answer
Tool Governance, in this definition, is limited to the following inspected scope. Ability to deny invocations and communicate tool exposure. Policy decision and enforcement points for each request. The answer carries the source boundaries forward and does not infer authority from a neighboring topic.
Term boundaries and disambiguation
Use the term only for the source-backed scope stated here; keep adjacent concepts separate unless a typed relationship is explicit.
A useful definition states both inclusion and exclusion conditions so a machine answer cannot silently widen it.
Applied scope: Ability to deny invocations and communicate tool exposure. Policy decision and enforcement points for each request.
Definition and operating context
The canonical concept owner is maha-policy. This route may apply governance; it cannot redefine or inherit the authority of its canonical owner.
This property may publish current-law summaries, policy evidence, Maha proposals labelled as proposals. It must not publish legal advice or proposal presented as enacted law.
Evidence and exact locators
Tools — Human in the loop and tool safety recommendations. Establishes: Ability to deny invocations and communicate tool exposure.
Zero Trust Architecture — Sections 3.2–3.3. Establishes: Policy decision and enforcement points for each request.
What the evidence does not establish
MCP uses normative SHOULD language but does not mandate one interaction model.
NIST zero trust is not tool-specific law.
This route must not claim legal advice.
This route must not claim proposal presented as enacted law.
Related definitions and applications
localDefinition: https://policy.mahastrategies.com/policy/tool-governance/definition
same-topic-application: https://policy.mahastrategies.com/policy/tool-governance/sources
same-topic-application: https://policy.mahastrategies.com/policy/tool-governance/mechanisms
same-topic-application: https://policy.mahastrategies.com/policy/tool-governance/uncertainty
property-home: https://policy.mahastrategies.com/
same-topic-application: https://policy.mahastrategies.com/policy/tool-governance/comparison
Questions this page can answer
What does Tool Governance mean in this bounded context?
Tool Governance, in this definition, is limited to the following inspected scope. Ability to deny invocations and communicate tool exposure. Policy decision and enforcement points for each request. The answer carries the source boundaries forward and does not infer authority from a neighboring topic.
Which inspected sources establish the definition answer?
Tools (specification 2025-06-18), at Human in the loop and tool safety recommendations, supports ability to deny invocations and communicate tool exposure. Zero Trust Architecture (SP 800-207, August 2020), at Sections 3.2–3.3, supports policy decision and enforcement points for each request.
What does the evidence not establish?
MCP uses normative SHOULD language but does not mandate one interaction model. NIST zero trust is not tool-specific law. Property boundary: This route may apply governance; it cannot redefine or inherit the authority of its canonical owner.
Which canonical definition must be read first?
This page is the local maha-policy definition for its topic. Related applications may depend on it but may not silently redefine it.
What change would require this page to be revised or withdrawn?
Re-evaluate this page when a cited source, locator, governing instrument, local implementation, or canonical definition changes. Publication also requires a matching exact-revision review and active canonical release.