Governance has struggled to keep pace with today's local government landscape. The world we live in is switched on, digital and decentralized. Cyberattacks can originate from anywhere in the world. Social media amplifies the voice of every citizen and staff member. In a world where nanoseconds count, old governance practices aren't just out of date; they're exposing today's local government organizations to the kinds of risks that can lead to crises. And there's no shortage of examples these days...
Cyber breaches. Poor tone at the top. Employee misbehavior gone viral. These are the things that governance shortfalls are made of. And the next question is always the same: Where was the council while all this was happening?
Simply put, good governance is a competitive advantage in today's complex, digital world. And the first step towards modernizing governance frameworks requires clear identification of the problem.
Over the next several weeks and beyond, we'll be exploring the impact of good governance, sharing best practices, and celebrating the local government organizations, board and council members who are doing it well. Stay tuned!
Acknowledging the Governance Deficit
Globalization, digitization, connectivity, access-many of these change factors have been welcomed advancements, yet the rate at which they've come into play has left today's organizations with little time to adapt. As a result, today's local governments have been exposed to a dangerous governance deficit, which can take many forms:- Leaders don't have the right information at the right time to ask the right questions.
- The council lacks visibility into the community's current and future needs.
- Organizational data and communication systems are disparate and unsecure, hindering collaboration and exposing municipalities to potential cyber risk.
Defining Modern Governance
Modern governance: (n.) the practice of empowering state, province and local government leaders with technology, insights, and processes to fuel good governance to thrive in today's fast-paced digital age. In an effort to bridge the current governance deficits, iCompass is thrilled to be a part of the Diligent team in launching a new category: modern governance. Enabling this new category, iCompass' offerings put the necessary tools and intelligence at the fingertips of today's council members and leadership teams. Modern governance equips state, province and local governments with the information they need to ask questions and address red flags. It protects a community's most important data. It enables greater transparency and liberates the flow of information to the public. It transforms the council into an engaged partner of the community and an early warning radar system for the future. Most importantly, modern governance is a strategic advantage in a time of enhanced risk and disruption. What does a modern governance product solution look like?- Council and civic engagement - tools that connect council members to one another and the community, empowering them to collaborate and providing oversight of spending, staffing and budgets, as well as insight from third-parties.
- Access meets security - local governments can secure information, but also make it readily available to the right people at the right time.
- Integrated applications enable coherent policy - with a cohesive set of applications, elected officials can access the information they need to carry out sound policy.
4 Steps Councils Can Take Towards Modern Governance
Through our interactions with public governing bodies, we've learned a few things: Good governance is dynamic-it can look a little different from one organization to the next. Yet, there are a few modern governance principles that hold constant.-
Re-examine your community's structure and priorities.
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Focus on council composition and development.
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Improve visibility around key risks and opportunities.
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Avoid easy cyber mistakes.
Over the next several weeks and beyond, we'll be exploring the impact of good governance, sharing best practices, and celebrating the local government organizations, board and council members who are doing it well. Stay tuned!
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Media Highlights
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have become more complex and multifaceted than ever before. At the same time, ESG continues to ascend on board and leadership agendas.
In this buyer’s guide, we explore what a market-leading ESG solution should look like and highlight the key areas organisations should be prioritising as they embark on their search.