What is governance?
Governance is:
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using all available information to make the best possible decisions; and
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steering our work to ensure the best possible outcomes or greatest impact.
It generally takes place through discussion, whether that be around a table, by email, or on Skype. It also generally requires a fair amount of thought beforehand, in order to comprehend all the information, or come up with well thought out solutions.
Good governance should:
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have people who understand what they’re there for;
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work for the good of the organisation;
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have people who can work well as a team, but come up with ideas as individuals
too;
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know what the organisation is doing, spending and what it has to comply with
so it can make sure good decisions are being made by everyone;
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behave with integrity;
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be open and accountable.
Principles taken from The Scout Association’s adaptation of “Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector”, presented to The Scout Association’s Board of Trustees in December 2015