About Us
The Governance Forum, (TGF) consists of specialist organisations working together to deliver exceptional standards in the whole area of governance.
The main aim of the forum is to encourage organisations in the private, public and voluntary sector to think more strategically about the benefits and importance of effective governance. The forum provides a practical approach to building a firm governance structure and helps such organisations to operate to the best of their ability.
The Governance Forum, (TGF) provides leadership solutions to strengthen the capacity of the board. TGF deliver exceptional standards in the areas of high performance leadership, strategic thinking and practical approaches based on years of experience in this sector, when implementing firm governance structures throughout the organisation.
We believe that the board should have the right range of skills and experience to set the strategic direction and objectives of the organisation. What’s more, we encourage board members to personally broaden their understanding of the duties and responsibilities of other key staff within the organisation.
We specialise in developing effective leadership through training and consultancy, working with chief executives, senior directors and boards to improve their performance through our practical governance programmes.
To strengthen and empower communities, by supporting third sector organisations, through leadership and governance solutions.
Every organisation should strive for a clear and succinct vision. The elected leadership have the responsibility of delivering their stated aims and objectives. We have identified three main leadership principles that are paramount in governance:
Defining the vision and communicating it well – The board is required not only to set the strategy but communicate it effectively to all relevant stakeholders, in particular employees, as they are responsible for implementing the strategy.
Motivating employees towards that vision – The way in which the board of trustees operate and the relationship with the Chief Executive is crucial. How a board motivates its management and states its objectives will be a fundamental leadership requirement.
Trustworthiness and confidence – An open and transparent framework that promotes stakeholder involvement should underpin the organisations requirements in an effective board.
In recent years, the third sector has witnessed increased influence from the private sector and its own governance guidelines, which in turn, has been influenced by a number of governance codes and policies, from Cadbury to the Combined Code.
In voluntary and community sector organisations, governance is provided by the board of trustees or directors. This group oversees the organisation, making sure it fulfils its mission, lives up to its values and remains viable for the future. To do this, the board sets up a variety of systems to control and monitor the organisation’s activity. It makes decisions along the way, altering the systems as needed.”
2006 National Governance Hub for England
Here is a brief summary about some of the factors that make up the third sector. This serves to demonstrate the size, diversity and complexity of the sector.
There are estimated to be 865,000 civil society organisations with an income of £109 billion in the UK. The voluntary and not for profit sector employs some 608,000 people and has an annual turnover of approximately £39 billion. Both the voluntary and community sectors have 190,000 registered charities and another estimated 100,000 other regulated charitable organisations. Over 55,000 social enterprises have been established in the UK with a combined income of £27 billion. The total value of Housing Association sector’s assets stands at £94.6 billion and some £120 billion public investment has been made in housing.
Over the past few years there has been an ever increasing responsibility on trustees and boards to ensure a robust system of self governance. In 2005, the Statement of Recommended Practice stressed the importance of effective trustee training and induction. The following year, the Charity Act 2006 placed a renewed emphasis on governance and the Companies Act 2006 made provisions for amendments to governing documents. Overall, parties foresee an increase in the role on the third sector to deliver the services demanded by our wider communities. Civil society is regarded by most as the way communities will work together to address the problems that state intervention cannot.
Good governance is high on the agenda in all sectors – public, private and voluntary. As voluntary and community organisations working for public benefit, we are increasingly expected to demonstrate how well we are governed. Good governance is a vital part of how voluntary and community organisations operate and are held accountable.
Our dedicated team of governance specialists can facilitate the engagement of effective supervision, support and appraisal in all of the following areas:
- Arts organisations
- Clubs, societies, Trusts and Foundations
- Educational Establishments
- Faith Based Organisations
- Housing Associations
- Public Sector
- Social Enterprises