We solve the practical problems of governance and compliance.
- Governance framework design
- Compliance system integration
- Documentation and knowledge management
Governance framework design
Governance objectives are clear in principle: enterprise risk management, internal control, fraud deterrence. The devil in the detail. A governance framework that works in practice has to do these things—
- The governance system must make sense to the organization’s personnel in their day-to-day work.
- Governance and performance must be integrated. Governance must be part of how the business performs, not a separate activity carried out for the benefit of auditors and inspectors.
- Directors and senior executives must be confident that the organization can prove that it’s doing everything it should to meet its obligations.
We create governance frameworks that add value.
Compliance system integration
Organizations have to deal with an increasing number of increasingly complex compliance requirements: health, safety, environment, security, quality, sustainability, social responsibility…
Trying to manage compliance requirements individually doesn’t work well. It’s inefficient, hard to control, and expensive to audit.
An integrated compliance system—
- Standardizes the control processes for demonstrating compliance and reporting non-compliance.
- Helps ensure that compliance is the normal course of action in the organization’s routine operations.
- Minimizes the compliance burden imposed on line managers and employees.
- Reduces induction, training, and audit costs.
- Provides assurance to stakeholders that the organization is aware of, and meeting, all its obligations.
We create compliance systems that add value.
Documentation and knowledge management
In most organizations the policy and procedure documentation is a shambles: too much of it; full of duplications, gaps, and inconsistencies; boring and hard to use. Managers don’t give priority to maintaining it. Employees don’t respect it because it’s not maintained.
Poor documentation is high risk. Corporate documentation is legally discoverable. Senior managers often have only the vaguest idea of what documentation is ‘out there’; but in the event of an incident or investigation, they may find themselves held responsible for the content.
An effective documentation system—
- Provides content that is simple, short, and reliable.
- Is a tool for managers to agree on and define how the organization is intended to function.
- Provides employees with clear instructions and guidelines.
- Can easily be validated and verified.
- Is manageable in the real-world context of busy managers, complex requirements, and continual change.
We create documentation that adds value.