CIPFA’s new Governance Mark of Excellence Presentation to CIPFA NW Region 2 October 2014

Aim of this session To become familiar with the Mark of Excellence as a development tool to improve governance in public bodies

Presentation structure  Governance- top of the agenda  CIPFA’s governance portfolio  Excellent governance and assessment  Benefits & pitfalls of accreditation  Next steps

Governance – high on the agenda  Governance revolution  Growth in public accountability  Rising public expectations  ‘Professionalisation’ of Boards  Branding of failures

CIPFA – the place to go  Broad governance portfolio  Professional standing  Regional, national and international coverage  Captive market

What is excellent Governance?  Lots of generic governance guidance and standards  The Good Governance Standard for Public Bodies(2004)  Corporate Governance in central government departments – code of good practice HMT (2011)  ‘Essential Skills for Board Members’ CIPFA (2011)  CIPFA/IFAC Standards (2014)  Lots of specific governance guidance  Sectoral guidance e.g. higher education  Codes of conduct  Audit Committees  Accounts Direction and Financial Memorandum  ‘It takes two’ – PCF & Institute for Government

CIPFA/IFAC Principles

Principles of good governance (CIPFA/IFAC)  Demonstrating strong commitment to integrity and ethical values  Ensuring openness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement  Defining outcomes in terms of economic, social and environmental benefits  Determining the interventions necessary to optimize the achievement of intended outcomes  Developing leadership capacity and capability  Managing risk and performance through robust controls and strong PFM  Implement good practice in transparency, reporting and audit, to deliver effective accountability

Can good governance be sensibly assessed?  Some basic principles:  Depth of assessment  Breadth of assessment  Objectivity of assessment  Best to be proactive rather than reactive

CIPFA’s new Governance Mark of Excellence Pre-assessment check – web-based self assessment to get on the starting grid In-depth assessment:  Desk research  Questionnaires  Interviews  Analysis, including professional judgement  Automated scoring of findings  Conclusions and reporting  Regular review

…..but, beware potential pitfalls  Dynamic and fast-changing environment  Risky, not immune from weakness  Resource intensive?  Adding to bureaucracy…yet another return!

What is the incentive –why bother?  Lighter touch regulation/inspection  ‘Earned autonomy’ and more strategic freedom  External recognition  Demonstration of strong leadership  Credibility with stakeholders  Setting a standard for others

In summary  Demonstrating good governance is increasingly important  Good governance can be identified  Public bodies are increasingly becoming more proactive than reactive  Accreditation of good governance can move public bodies to a new level of assurance

Conclusion  Questions/further discussion  Thanks for attention, participation and feedback Feel free to follow me on