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Reading list
This section explores foundational areas of governance that should be assessed before you start building or improving your governance. We explain how to define the direction of your organisation, community, or nation, and discuss how to draw on your people, history, internal culture, and assets to strengthen your governance. We also explain the importance of navigating your governance environment. Practical exercises for each topic can be found in our Governance Self-assessment Tool.
This topic explains what assessing your governance involves and the benefits. We introduce the Governance Self-assessment Tool and explain how to use it.
→ When to assess your governance
This topic is about identifying the people involved in your governance. We discuss how to define your group and who can be a part of it. We also explore the different roles people play in governance. This topic matches ‘Know your people’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do activities 1.1 and 1.2 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
This topic is about going back to the past and exploring where your governance has come from. We focus on how reflecting on your history can help your group understand what works, what doesn’t and how you can move forward. This topic matches ‘Learn from history’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do activities 2.1 and 2.2 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
This topic explains the importance of your vision and purpose. It also explores how these contribute to the direction of your governance. We also discuss the role of vision and purpose statements. This topic matches ‘Assess your purpose and vision’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do the activities 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
→ Assess your purpose and vision
In this section, we explain what internal culture is and its significance. We discuss how your group’s internal culture influences your governance. We also explain governance values, and their connection to your internal culture. This topic matches ‘Recognise your internal culture’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do activities 4.1 and 4.2 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
→ Recognise your internal culture
In this topic, we explain how asset mapping can help you build, rebuild or improve your group’s governance. We discuss the importance of focusing on your strengths. We also look at the different types of assets you may already have. This topic matches ‘Map your assets’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do activity 5.1 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
This topic discusses how to navigate your wider environment when building or improving your governance. We explain the different features that make up this environment. We discuss how to manage relationships with external stakeholders to strengthen your governance. This topic matches ‘Monitor your wider environment’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do activities 6.1 and 6.2 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
→ Monitor your wider environment
This topic discusses how your group can plan actionable steps for your governance journey. We discuss how to develop a governance action plan and why it’s useful. This topic matches ‘Plan for the future’ in our Governance Self-assessment Tool. We recommend that you do activity 7.1 in the tool after reading each subtopic.
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