All organisations, both public and private, need to have strong and clear governance and an approach to decision-making that results in strategically sound and lawful decisions. Good governance defines the decision-making process so that it is clear and transparent, and establishes roles and responsibilities.
There are many ways to design governance processes, however typically these should: engage all stakeholders, establish roles and responsibilities, consider establishing oversight bodies, and focus on what is important.
Governance is not about the detail; it is concerned with identifying at a high level the priorities that are important to the organisation’s goals and aspirations, and how a governance structure supports these longer-term aims. In practice, good governance makes defending decision-making – whether you are a public body or an organisation facing criticism from regulators – much easier; we find that most often it is failures in process that makes decision-making especially vulnerable.
Many decisions that organisations have to make stem from regulatory – or other legal – obligations that require deft compliance processes and robust monitoring. Our approach focuses on stripping away unnecessary detail to focus on what is essential and important, either to ensure good governance generally or to comply with legal or regulatory obligations. We have particular expertise in advising emerging industries on governance in instances in which there is either non-existent or limited relevant regulation or law, and limited guidance on how governance and decision-making should be approached.
Our services
Critical assessment of governance process: across the span of industry sectors, we provide clear and focused advice on governance processes, whether in the context of an incident or more generally as part of a review or ‘health check’ process. Our approach is categorised by stepping back and asking high-level questions – who are the stakeholders? What are the key roles?
Advising emerging industries: innovative and emerging industries often have to fit a new model/service into guidance and frameworks that are outdated and inappropriate. We can provide advice on governance approaches, and how to engage stakeholders and influence decision-makers to ensure that internal processes allow governance to support innovation, facilitating its development.
Our experience
Advising numerous organisations and bodies on their internal governance, and providing critical assessment and solutions to address perceived weaknesses. We have been involved in designing governance models in relation to consumer complaints processes, regulatory obligations and in relation to critical legal requirements, for example health and safety and anti-corruption.
Providing governance advice in relation to a variety of emerging industries, from ride sharing and electric vehicles to legal cannabis production, proposing solutions to legal and regulatory gaps, and advising on governance structures by leveraging our experience and knowledge of more established industries or sectors.
