Why am I qualified to develop The Governance Framework?
A perfectly reasonable question!
I started working in what was then known as the “voluntary” sector in 1982, and have spent more than 30 years working with third sector organisations and the people who support them.
My experience includes community development, social enterprise, organisational support, online learning and governance training. In 2016 I joined the development team at Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, where I worked with hundreds of third sector organisations and developed a suite of online training programmes.
The Governance Framework has grown from that practical experience of working alongside organisations, trustees, staff and support agencies.
1. Why governance matters
The Third Sector is a hugely diverse collection of organisations, but they all have one thing in common: they exist to create positive change.
Supporting every aspect of every organisation is impossible for any single support agency. Advisers should not provide specialist advice unless they are appropriately qualified or experienced to do so.
For support organisations, a strong and appropriate focus is helping organisations improve their governance.
Good governance supports public trust, transparency, accountability and organisational sustainability. It helps third sector organisations make better decisions, use their resources effectively and remain focused on achieving their purposes.
2. The challenges facing third sector organisations
Third sector organisations are often governed by people whose experience has been gained in the private or public sectors. New trustees are not always inducted effectively, and governing bodies may lack the time, confidence or resources to review their own effectiveness.
Governance weaknesses can contribute to wider organisational problems, including:
• Trustees failing to exercise effective oversight
• Conflicts of interest and lack of independence
• Weak financial management and controls
• Poor risk management and strategic planning
• Board capability, culture and succession weaknesses
These challenges do not reflect a lack of commitment from trustees. They reflect the need for better support, practical resources and opportunities for continuing improvement.
3. The challenges facing support organisations
Third Sector Interfaces, CVSs, funders and other support organisations are constantly being asked to do more with less.
They face pressures including:
• Limited funding and changing political priorities
• Difficulties recruiting and retaining staff
• Increasingly complex organisational needs
• Limited opportunities for staff development
• The need to demonstrate meaningful and lasting impact
The Governance Framework is designed to help support organisations respond to those pressures with a practical resource that can be used across a wide range of beneficiary organisations.
4. What The Governance Framework can help your organisation achieve
The Governance Framework is designed to help you:
• Support more third sector organisations to improve their governance
• Create more opportunities to engage with your beneficiaries
• Make governance conversations more focused and productive
• Give engagement and development staff a practical resource to use
• Add significant value to your existing support interventions
• Help beneficiary organisations become stronger, more effective and more sustainable
• Contribute to longer-lasting positive change for the people and communities they serve
5. The opportunity for your organisation
By acquiring an intermediary licence package, your organisation can use the Governance Framework in ways that fit your own mission, services and beneficiary relationships.
You could:
• Sell licences to beneficiary organisations
• Donate licences to organisations that would benefit from them
• Use the Framework in workshops and support sessions
• Recommend it during organisational development conversations
• Retain licences for future use
• Combine sales and donations according to local need
Any income generated through resale is yours to use in support of your organisation’s own purposes. The Governance Framework therefore offers the potential for an unrestricted income stream alongside the opportunity to strengthen your support to beneficiaries.
The level of benefit will depend on how you choose to promote, allocate and use your licences. You control that decision.
6. What you receive
✔ A block of Governance Framework licences which you can allocate to beneficiary organisations or other appropriate recipients.
✔ Your own intermediary distribution portal.
✔ The ability to view and manage your available licence stock.
✔ The ability to allocate licences and record beneficiary details.
✔ Automatic issue of a watermarked copy of the latest version of The Governance Framework.
✔ A controlled, time-limited download process for each allocated licence.
✔ One day or one morning of training and familiarisation, depending on the package selected.
✔ Training tailored to the needs of your relevant staff, including frontline, communications, business support and administration staff.
✔ Critical updates for twelve months.
7. How you can use the Framework
The Governance Framework can be used as:
• A resource during one-to-one support
• A basis for organisational review
• A workshop or training aid
• A prompt for trustee discussions
• A tool for identifying governance priorities
• A way of supporting continuing improvement
Your organisation manages its own relationship with its beneficiaries. You decide which organisations receive licences, whether licences are sold or donated, what price you charge up to the normal £100 individual licence price, and how the Framework fits into your own support and development work.
The portal records licence allocations and remaining stock. It does not determine or record the price you charge your beneficiaries.
Who is The Governance Framework for?
✔ Registered charities
✔ SCIOs
✔ CIOs
✔ Community groups
✔ Social enterprises
✔ Community interest companies
✔ Voluntary organisations
✔ Faith-based charities and groups
✔ Start-ups
✔ Established organisations
8. Testimonials
"This is fantastic. Despite being involved in third sector organisations for a long time, I am always nervous about getting the governance right and [The Governance Framework] will offer excellent information and confidence."
Anne Barclay, Wigtown and Bladnoch Town Team SCIO
"Our board meetings are now much more focused!"
Chair of client organisation
"We completed our governance framework in six weeks."
Development Association, Sanquhar
“Extremely in depth and useful, David. I have no doubt that your experience, leadership, professionalism and knowledge will be a valuable asset to any organisation engaging with [The Governance Framework].”
Bill Stewart
9. Investment
The Governance Framework is available through an intermediary distribution licence arrangement, allowing support organisations to purchase licences for the third sector organisations they support.
Each package gives your organisation the opportunity to use, sell or donate its licences according to its own priorities. Demonstration of the Governance Framework, prices and delivery of support packages are discussed in person by video meeting.
Principal intermediary package
100 licences
Includes one full day of training at your premises in the UK to familiarise your relevant staff. Terms and conditions apply.
Online intermediary package
75 licences
Includes one full day of online training to familiarise your relevant staff. Terms and conditions apply.
Smaller intermediary package
50 licences
Includes one morning of online training to familiarise your relevant staff. Terms and conditions apply.
Licence-only package
25 licences
No training included.
All licences purchased can be:
• Sold to your beneficiary organisations at any amount you consider appropriate up to the retail price of £100 per licence
• Donated to your beneficiary organisations
• Used as part of your own support, engagement and development work
Beneficiary organisations receive a watermarked, licensed copy subject to the licence agreement (single-use, non-exclusive).
10. Testimonials and further discussion
The intermediary arrangement is designed to support your organisation’s own mission and priorities. The value you obtain will depend on how you choose to use the Framework and engage with your beneficiaries.
Additional support or consultancy may be discussed separately, according to your organisation’s needs and David’s availability.
Ready to maximise your impact through The Governance Framework
- A comprehensive, practical governance improvement
framework for third sector organisations -?
Contact David by email or by telephone 07729403700.
