Governance Reference Materials

In recognising that many Board Members may be unable to attend regional support events due to their own work and family commitments a web resource is available to allow more flexible access to support materials and advice.

A recurring message from the college sector is the need for consistent, accessible and sustainable information on governance issues, linked to practical support on key governance themes. The Resource Base includes Scotland's Colleges 'Good Practice Guide'; which offers information, good practice case studies and example documentation which users may choose to:

• adopt (if they closely match their individual needs)
• adapt in order to meet their specific needs
• use as a point of reference to review and reflect upon their current activities.

We will add to the resource base by using the Secretaries to Board Community of Practice to find:

• sample practices and processes which Boards have successfully used to improve the quality and effectiveness of governance
• examples of pro formas or templates which Boards use to enhance the quality of governance
• brief case studies which outline how Boards have improved governance and how they intend to sustain and build on the improvements.

An emerging and increasingly important theme for the future is that all Boards will be required to become more closely involved in issues of academic quality, taking account of existing successful examples in other colleges and specifically in the approval and monitoring of quality assurance and improvement strategies in their own Colleges. The Chairs Congress/Governance Steering Group is charged with prioritising the themes chosen for development as the Programme moves forward.

Research from an international perspective reporting findings of Governance practice in equivalent organisations and public bodies in other countries will also feature.

Some key suggestions are given below and more detailed information can be found in the following sections:

• Useful Books and Articles
• Finance/Risk
• Governance
• International
• New Resources

View a few suggestions:

Alliance of Sector Skills Councils	Working groups; projects; contacts for sector skills councils.
Audit Scotland	Audit Scotland provides the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission with the services they need to check that public money is spent properly, efficiently and effectively.
Training for Boards of Management... surely not! (1.14 MB)	Broadcast article (Winter 2008).
Communities of Practice, eg. Secretary to the Board	Reports, minutes, good practice etc.
Review of Scotland's Colleges: Accountability and Governance (2007)	DTZ Report.
FE Governance	An English website but full of interesting materials.
FutureSkills Scotland	For Key Performance Indicators and toolkit for the economy; local, regional and sectoral reports.
Institute of Directors (IoD)	Each member of the IoD receives a variety of benefits including access to information, advice, training, conferences and publications to help them maximise their potential.
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)	Is the independent regulator and registrar of scottish charities.
Review of Scotland's Colleges	Various reports from working groups particularly the Accountability and Governance Working Group and the Scottish Government Response - Promoting Excellence.
Scotland's Colleges Guide (plus the Summary Guide)	Particularly for the legal status of Boards; Roles and Responsibilities; Committee Structures and Strategic Planning. Plus Thornton's Reports, Updates and Guidance for Governors.
Scottish Funding Council	Reports; College Circulars; Comparative statistics.
Skills Development Scotland	Careers Scotland, Learn Direct Scotland and part of Scottish Enterprise.
Standards Commission Scotland	The Standards Commission for Scotland was established under the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000.
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)	The principal function of the Scottish Branch of CIPFA is to promote the policies and reputation of the Institute in Scotland as provided by the Royal Charter and Bye Laws, in particular the science of public finance and accountancy.
The Good Governance Standard for Public Services (2004)	The Independent Commission for Good Governance in Public Services.
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA)	ICSA is the international qualifying and membership body for the Chartered Secretary profession and the world’s leading authority on governance and compliance.
A US publication about 'rogue trustees'. This is Terry O'Bannion's Leadership Abstract paper on the subject.	This is a publication from the League for Innovation in the Community Colleges.