Update from Chairperson of Governance Code WG July 2015
This update from the Chairperson of Governance Code Working Group was included in the July 2015 Newsletter.
You might well think that I was some sort of snake oil salesman, if I were to say that there is something that will help your organisation on the path to success; help you attract more members, volunteers, supporters, funding; help you to be more efficient and effective in what you do and engender greater confidence and trust in your organisation. But this is exactly what implementing and adhering the Governance Code will achieve.
Unfortunately, for many boards, implementing the Code is something that in theory they would like to do but in practice they put it on the long finger.
Gaining momentum
However, there is growing momentum building up behind the Code, as more and more organisations are committing to and are actually working towards having the Code in place in their organisations.
In the last 6 months, this momentum is gathering pace. At the start of the year, we had just under 100 organisations who had notified the Working Group that their organisations complied with the Code. In the last newsletter, we were celebrating our 100th compliant organisation. We hope to shortly see our 200th organisation. In addition to the compliant organisations, there are over 600 organisations who have told us that their boards are committed to implementing the Code.
We are also seeing more and more funders, organisations such as the Ireland Funds, the Community Foundation Funds, the Irish Sports Council and Pobal asking in their funding applications if the applicant organisation is signed up to the Code.
Time to commit
So it is now time for all boards to formally and actually commit to complying with the Code in their organisation in both spirit and practice. Don’t do it because you feel that you are being compelled, but do it because it is the ‘right thing to do things right’ in your organisation. A tick box approach to good governance practice is a waste of everyone’s time.
Training and information sessions
The last 6 months have also been very busy for the Governance Code Working Group. Six of the nine Pobal funded Governance Code training workshops have been delivered in Sligo, Kilkenny Cork, Athlone and Dublin (x2) with 280 attending these workshops. The remaining scheduled workshops in Limerick, Galway and Dublin are fully booked with a waiting list of 110. We have been overwhelmed by the response and demand for the Governance Workshops and the Working Group have decided to put on three additional workshops in November. These will be in Athlone, Kilkenny and Cork. Details of the venues, dates and booking arrangements will be communicated in the coming weeks.
In addition to the workshops, 8 information sessions have been held throughout the country with just less than 300 attending.
Reviewing the Code
It is hard to believe that it is now 3 years since the Code was launched in June 2012 in the Mansion House Dublin with over 500 attending that event. To mark the 3 years of the Code’s existence, the Working Group undertook to conduct a major review of the Code. An online feedback survey was issued to over 1,100 organisations with 198 responses received. In addition to the online survey, feedback was also received from a range of stakeholders. We are delighted and grateful for this feedback and it will help us in enhancing the Code. This feedback is currently being evaluated and assessed and we plan to publish the review findings and conclusions in the autumn.
Wishing you all a very pleasant summer and continuing success in your good governance journey.
Diarmaid Ó Corrbuí, Chairperson, Governance Code Working Group
Written on 30 Jun, 2015
