Governance Structure
Overseeing Body
The overseeing body (for example a Project or Programme Board) is a vital component in any initiative to provide leadership and decision making. It is led by the Sponsor who has responsibility for ensuring the initiative is delivered. Its membership should comprise of key representatives who have responsibilities in the initiative. It ensures that the initiative is strategically aligned and delivers against the expected benefits. The overseeing body seeks assurance, throughout the stages of the initiative, that its Business Case remains viable. It does this by approval of gateway reviews.
Key Responsibilities
- Take ownership for the initiative.
- Provide direction and leadership.
- Delegate effectively.
- Facilitate cross functional integration.
- Commit resources and resolve conflicts.
- Make decisions, approve plans and changes impacting the initiative.
- Negotiate to gain issue resolution.
- Ensure Business Case remains viable and deliverable.
More information on governance and approach for the overseeing body, including Terms of Reference and key roles and responsibilities can be found at the link below, within the Governance Strategy and Management Plan.
Hints & Tips
- Establish the overseeing body early in the project.
- The overseeing body will normally manage by exception so agree tolerances and reporting schedule.
- Use the membership to gain senior stakeholder support and establish ‘critical friends’.
- Ensure all members are clear on their roles and responsibilities.
- See section on stakeholder management for help with clarifying roles and responsibilities.
Governance Templates
Governance Strategy and Management Plan
This document is a combined governance strategy and management plan, including a suggested model, roles and responsibilities break down and terms of reference.
Terms of Reference can be extracted from within this template and circulated separately for specific groups.
The strategy section does not need editing as this is the overarching strategy, aims and objectives of University Governance for initiatives. The management plan sets out the individual initiative’s details to manage the governance and should be edited to reflect the specific initiative.
Governance should be established from the start of the initiative as part of the overall set up. The Governance strategy will remain consistent throughout the initiative and will align to the University standard.
This document should be reviewed and revised for each stage of the initiative. The content is a good starting point but needs to be carefully reviewed, considered and validated on an individual basis to ensure the governance set up works well for the initiative.
DOWNLOAD the Governance Strategy and Management Plan
Governance Model
The Governance Model template can be used to show the specific initiative Governance arrangement in organigram form, to communicate the relationships between levels of Governance. This can also be inserted into the Governance Management plan.
