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Corporate Governance - Prevention is better than cure

Good governance is a pertinent issue for many groups in rural areas and Rural Community Network, recognising this need, organised an informative seminar on the theme recently.

Delegates from all over Northern Ireland came together to listen to Colin Evans from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tell groups of the importance of good governance from a funder’s perspective. He spoke on EU regulations, Treasury guidelines and other relevant legislation giving hints and tips along the way to assist in the area of good governance. He spoke on the accountability issue stressing the need for groups to manage resources efficiently and effectively. Alan Gourley from PricewaterhouseCoopers talked of the changing environment paying particular attention to the roles and responsibilities of those who sit as board members or trustees.

Jan Keenan from the NOW project updated the delegates in the areas of risk management and internal control procedures saying that an increasing number of management committees/boards are now aware of the need to ensure that all internal controls are improved. There is an overall responsibility for ensuring that an organisation’s work contributes to its mission and purpose and that its resources are used wisely and effectively.

One delegate said ‘The event was excellent and very relevant to us as a community transport organisation’; another welcomed the mix of theory and practice saying ‘each one of the speakers was helpful and practical with a chance to ask questions as they arose’.

If you would like further information or advice on the area of corporate governance, please Click on ‘Hints and Tips for Good Governance’ alternatively telephone the office on 028 8676 6670.

Hints and Tips for Good Governance

A good link for information is: www.diycommitteeguide.org