Code of Good Governance
The steering group for the Code of Good Governance has announced its aspirations for how the code should evolve and outlined its action plan for the coming year.
The steering group for the Code of Good Governance has announced its aspirations for how the code should evolve and outlined its action plan for the coming year. Its members included Rodney Buse, chair of CTN, Anne Moynihan, head of governance and leadership at NCVO, Seb Elsworth of ACEVO and Louise Thomson, head of policy, not-for-profit at the ICSA. Members of the Charity Commission also attended the meetings.
Following the closure of the Governance Hub in March 2008, the ownership of the code has reverted to its original authors. Having now had time to consider the comprehensive findings from nfpSynergy’s review of the code earlier this year (see also Sam Matthews and Rodney Buse's Viewpoint article in Caritas, issue 12, November 2008), the group has identified:
- The ‘comply or explain’ methodology should continue to underpin the way the principles of the code are used.
- The code should support governance improvements and not impose an extra burden.
- The principles need flexibility and accessibility to respond to different parts of the sector for which funding opportunities are being explored.
- The non-compulsive nature of the code creates an opportunity to focus on which good governance solutions work for organisations so that they can implement them in the most effective way possible.
Rodney Buse told Caritas: ‘It is very positive that there is consensus in the steering group that the “comply or explain” methodology is the way forward for the code’s essential principles. It is not planned or desirable that the principles or the framework of the code will change materially but the nfpSynergy report did identify the need for greater clarity and that frameworks may be developed to meet the diverse needs of the sector. Once this has been achieved, I shall be interested to see if we move to an “apply and explain” methodology. How statements are validated is an issue that remains to be addressed: but that is for later consideration.’
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/governanceandleadership.asp
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