role profiles and key responsibilities
role profiles and key responsibilitiesThe key responsibilities in further education (FE) governance are set out in the Instrument and Articles of Government, the Financial Memorandum, Audit Code of Practice and other governance framework documents. Both the Foster Report and the FE White Paper call for roles - including those for governance - to be clarified so that a shared understanding is reached nationally. The Governance Good Practice Guide (GGPG) aims to bring together an up-to-date view of the main roles and responsibilities in FE governance to help those involved to have a clearer understanding of them and how they inter-relate. It also provides examples of good practice for guidance as part of its overall contribution to national discussions. Click here for information on the Foster Report. Click here for information on the White Paper. key roles in FE governanceIn brief, the key roles in FE are as follows: Governing board has ultimate legal responsibility for the organisation and for giving direction, providing a check and balance to the principal - or chief executive officer (CEO). Click here for more information. Governors are the individual volunteers who come together at any one time to make up the governing board. Click here for more information. Chair is the elected leader for a defined period - the 'first among equals'. Click here for more information. Vice chair is referred to in the Instrument and Articles of Government as an alternative to the chair and may take action (within certain agreed parameters) in the chair's absence. Click here for more information. Principal is the CEO of the institution; its public accounting officer and the only executive member of the governing board (if he or she chooses to be). Clerk is the officer who serves the governing board; its official adviser on governance matters ensuring that it operates within its powers. He or she is independent of college management. Click here for more information. Others involved in governance: College senior managers advise the governing board and its committees but may not serve as governing board members (unless they are elected as a staff governor). Click here for more information. Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has a remit for strategy and legal frameworks, and is accountable to parliament for an effective education system and the use of public money. DfES sets the framework of the Instrument and Articles of Government within which governing boards operate. Click here for further information. Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a remit for planning to meet government local, regional and national priorities and for commissioning high quality learning and skills provision. It is accountable to parliament for public money used to fund FE colleges and other sector providers (eg work-based learning, private, voluntary, 6th forms). While the LSC has a remit for planning local provision and has certain powers, governing boards are independent bodies with a separate legal identity. The boards are responsible for establishing strategy and monitoring the performance of their colleges. The LSC establishes a regulatory and advisory framework through the Financial Memorandum and Audit Code of Practice. It issues circulars on strategic planning and other activities that relate to the operation of FE colleges. It audits colleges' financial management and governance. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) inspects colleges (including the performance of governance) and other FE providers. It recommends action to remedy weaknesses and build on strengths. Click here for the section on the Ofsted annual assessment visit. Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) sets the National Standards across the post-compulsory learning and skills sector - encompassing England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This includes National Standards for governance. Click here for more information. Others whose activities have an impact on and support governance: Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) is the recently established lead agency for quality improvement across the FE system. Its remit is twofold. First, the QIA has a responsibility to lead the development and implementation of the Improvement Strategy and to broker partnership working between the national partners, and between the national partners and colleges and providers. Second, it is responsible for developing and providing access to resources that help provider organisations to implement initiatives and improve quality. It does this by:
Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) provides leadership development programmes for the FE system (including the leadership skills for governance initiative). It is developing system-wide strategies for succession planning and leadership, management and governance capacity building. Leadership Skills for Governance (LSG) programme is provided by CEL to support the specific needs of college governing boards. Its services include conferences, seminars, development workshops, customised consultancies, a governance newsletter and a governance helpline for confidential advice. It provides this Governance Good Practice Guide website and www.fegovernance.org. Click here for information on governance roles and responsibilities. key responsibilitiesThis section explores the governance aspects of certain key roles and responsibilities. Click on the links below for detailed information. Click here for information on the governing board Click here for information on governing board members Click here for information on chair and vice chair Click here for information on the principal Click here for information on the clerk Click here for information on governing board committees . sample role profilesEach of the links above further link to sample role profiles that are taken from examples currently in use in the highly diverse further education (FE) college sector. What works for one college may not suit another - the profiles are NOT models, but samples. They can be adapted, or adopted, to meet individual needs.
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