governance think piece Throughout the early part of 2005, Sir Andrew Foster collected evidence through the commissioning of 12 'think pieces' on key issues, and through visits and workshops. One of the think pieces was entitled Accountability, Authority and Leadership: a Governance Perspective (Adrienne Fresko and Sue Rubinstein, Foresight Partnership). A summary of some of the key areas covered in this governance think piece include: - Governors' obligations are stewardship, probity, financial accountability and strategy. Governing boards are effective in stewardship and accountability, but not so effective in strategy development and developing organisational values. This is because there is too great a focus on operational detail, at the expense of their strategic role, and an over-reliance on executive leadership.
- There are inherent difficulties for governing boards in simultaneously meeting the local community's needs and desires; the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) local and regional requirements; the government's policy for addressing the skills needs of the national economy.
- Engagement of governors with key stakeholders is low.
- Colleges should see themselves as part of a whole system of communities and their governing boards as part of a strategic community of governance.
- College governors need better data and better links to their local learning and skills economy.
- There is an opportunity to strengthen the role of governing boards in scrutiny and challenge of performance against major strategic priorities in the context of this wider local learning and skills economy.
- A local community of governance was proposed, which would develop a networked approach across the local learning and skills economy to create a shared sense of longer-term strategic direction for the local community as a whole.
- The community of governance would be made up of leading executives, chairs and other governors of various bodies such as the LSC, colleges, Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), local education authorities (LEAs).
- The role of self-assessment in setting governing board development objectives is a positive example to other public bodies. However, ensuring diversity on further education (FE) governing boards is a significant challenge.
- Student governors' perspectives in debate may not have equal weight.
- There are inadequate arrangements for reviewing the performance of governing board chairs.
Click here for information on the Foster Report. Click here to view the Fosters Report online at the Department for Education and Skills website. |
