Writing and communicating the purpose of a governance document takes a lot of work. It involves writing about how an organization is set up, it’s history, who it reports to (if any), it’s rules, priorities, supporters, members, groups, responsibilities, compliance issues, policies, procedures, and efficiency. Governance documents ensure that procedures are maintained.
To build a governance document, the content writer has to really understand the structure of the organization, learn about its history (the background) and ask a myriad of questions. As always to get the answers, experts have to be sought out. Once the right resources have been found, the following information has can be gathered.
The Organization
- History behind the organization
- Goals – note the purpose of the organization, why it was established
- Accomplishments – what the organization has accomplished for members, the community and/or others
- Function of the organization – is it a non-profit, manufacturing, IT, financial, medical, etc.
Governing board
- Structure – how is the board organized, what is its function
- Members – who they are, their functions, how elected and for how long
- Bylaws – what are the regulations, guidelines for the organization and its members
- Financial background and statements – who are the resources (organizational names), who is in charge, whom do they report to, how often are reports created (include whom to send to, contents)
- Types of reports created – list generated reports, what they are, when, how often, who creates them, where does data come from
- Who reviews the organization – is there a governing body above that oversees it?
- Meetings – when, who attends, how often, who does the recording
Policies and Procedures
- Code of ethics – who, what, how were they developed; what it entails
- Conflict of interest – what to do, whom to report to; what it entails
- HR – policies and procedures for hiring employees – note positions and functions
Responsibilities
- Director – principal administrator and manager in charge of the organization; ensures compliance regulations are met
- Assistant Director – assists the Director in all functions
- Financial administrator – manages all fiscal business
- Fund raiser – assembles groups for creating fund raising activities
- Trip planner – generates ideas and arranges, organizes off-site outings
- Activities leader – generates group activities, ensures popularity
- Meeting leader – creates and manages agenda
- Secretary – maintains and schedules organization of meetings
- List all accountable members and their functions from cooks to packers to any administrator that is involved in maintaining the function of the organization.
- Also note whom each of the team leaders report to
The governance document
- is important because it’s a statement that shows the value and solid structure of the organization and the quality of service it provides, such as a community center providing activities, benefits, and support for all its members
- sets a standard for the organization and aids in maintaining those standards
- contains an established set of rules that have to be followed
The items listed above were some ideas of what should be in the governance document. Without this document, an organization might fail or lessen its goals.
Please leave a comment if you previously created governance documents.
Gail Zack Anderson, President of Applause, Inc., has nearly 20 years experience in training and coaching. She
provides individual presentation coaching, and leads effective presentation workshops and effective trainer workshops.
Theresa Pojuner is a Documentation Specialist with over 20 years of writing experience and is skilled in many areas of documentation, for example, Style Guides, Training Manuals and Test Cases, wth a specialty n Technical Writing and Procedures.