Governance

1 Governance 

1.1 Introduction 

This section of the toolkit will enable you to gain a particle understanding of the range of legal forms that could be suitable for VCO’s, and the important role of the board.  Key learning points for this section will include: 

• Developing an understanding of the different legal structures available
• Developing an understanding of the importance of developing a strong board
• Developing an understanding of board member responsibilities
• Developing an awareness of the different skills needed for an effective board 

Note
Please note the term “board” is used in this section as a catchall term to refer to any board, management committee or trustee board.

 1.2 What is Governance 

Governance is ultimately about the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and accountability of the organisation.  It is easy to confuse governance with management, but they are very different.  In short, the board is responsible for the governance of the VCO, while management is the responsibility of the staff; for example the board set policy and the staff implement it.