Cambridge
Academy
In London

Introduction

Governance ensures the right people make the right decisions, with clear accountability and oversight. This practical program introduces simple governance principles and tools to define roles, set up effective committees, clarify decision rights, and improve reporting, compliance, and follow-through.

 

Course Objectives

• Explain governance concepts and why governance structures matter

• Define roles, responsibilities, and accountability across key stakeholders

• Design effective committees with clear terms of reference and cadence

• Clarify decision rights using simple models (RACI/RAPID basics)

• Improve governance reporting, action tracking, and escalation routines

 

Target Audience

• Governance and planning officers and analysts

• Committee secretariats and corporate services teams

• Program, portfolio, and project governance staff

• Senior officers supporting executive or board governance

• Anyone responsible for approvals, oversight, or governance reporting

 

Course Outlines

Day 1: Governance Foundations and Core Principles

• What governance is (oversight, accountability, transparency)

• Governance vs management (clear differences)

• Typical governance structures: board, executive, committees, forums

• Roles: chair, members, secretariat, sponsors, accountable owners

• Activity: Map your current governance landscape and pain points

 

Day 2: Roles, Accountability, and Decision Rights

• Accountability vs responsibility (practical examples)

• Delegations of authority and approval levels

• Decision rights tools: RACI and RAPID (high level)

• Escalation paths and “who decides what” maps

• Workshop: Build a simple RACI for one recurring decision

 

Day 3: Committees that Work: Design and Terms of Reference

• Committee purpose: oversight, decisions, coordination, assurance

• Terms of Reference essentials: scope, authority, membership, quorum

• Meeting cadence, agendas, and decision logs

• Managing conflicts of interest and confidentiality basics

• Activity: Draft or improve a committee ToR and agenda template

 

Day 4: Governance Processes and Controls

• Standard governance routines: planning cycles, approvals, reviews

• Policy and procedure alignment (keeping governance consistent)

• Record keeping: minutes, actions, decisions, and evidence

• Assurance inputs: risk, audit, compliance, performance reporting

• Case study: Run a meeting using a simple governance pack

 

Day 5: Reporting, Follow-Through, and Continuous Improvement

• Governance reporting: what leaders need to see (simple dashboards)

• Action tracking: owners, due dates, status, and closure criteria

• Exception reporting and escalation triggers

• Governance health checks: attendance, decision speed, rework rates

• Activity: Build a one-page governance improvement plan and toolkit