Great Governance Basics

It’s rare that a week goes by when the topic of ‘good governance’ doesn’t come up in conversation somewhere. Sometimes it’s me questioning an elected officials about what those words mean to them, sometimes it’s the question going the other direction. Just as frequently, the topic emerges in some other context related to how a local government or other organization operates.

It’s always perplexed me that we really don’t have a standard definition of what good governance means – other than perhaps knowing what bad governance looks like and then choosing the opposite of that.

I’m deeply engaged in the concept of governance done well, and a few years ago, a conversation morphed from the ‘good’ concept to what ‘great’ governance might look like.

To be somewhat flippant, good is the absence of bad. To be more focused, good – or great–governance means far more than the absence of ineffective or absent governance. For that reason, here’s what I mean when I speak to the topic of great governance.

Even for people immersed in governance daily, the topic can be somewhat nebulous, like trying to grasp a handful of sand as it slips through your fingers. Getting back to basics, I see good governance as the presence of values, actions, and structures designed to empower people to work together for the benefit of the group being governed.

Values and Principles

I explain values as a decision-making lens. When a person puts a decision point through the lens of an expressed value and makes that decision in alignment with the value, I see that as the expression of that value and a commitment to great governance.

There are some bedrock values that underpin great governance. Thes are values such as accountability, transparency, accountability, authenticity, and integrity. Other values such as service, responsiveness, listening, and respect for the will of the people are also present in good governance. There is no exhaustive list, and the best governors live through their values.

You might be able to see where these values are important for individuals, and you can also imagine that these values are a collective expression. When a council is asked to decide an issue, is the final decision in alignment with the values they have expressed? That ultimately is the value of accountability, particularly if the official is open to respectful challenge from colleagues.

I really like when a council visibly selects and posts a set of three to five values that they to be held by and challenged on. When taken in concert with the municipal vision and mission, this lends authenticity to the values.

Actions

To me, actions that elected or appointed officials take either give life to their values or they don’t. Consistency is important, especially when decisions are by necessity difficult or potentially politically damaging. I frequently quip with councils that if all the decisions were easy, there wouldn’t need to be more than one elected official.

While it’s a bit of a joke, there is a note of seriousness behind it. Councils are elected to be the board of directors for the county or the village between elections. They are supposed to be making the community sustainable and a compelling place for future generations lo live.

What these officials actually do gives life to the expressed values. Great governance is put into practice when this happens.

Structures

To build off a quote from architect Louis Sullivan “form follows function”; we build our structures to hold true to the execution of our values and actions. To me, these structures are both physical and written.

We build our civic buildings so people can watch governance unfold in a safe, professional environment. We create council seating so that the council receives the deference earned by virtue of holding office. Sometimes these people are on an elevated dais above the gallery, sometimes they sit in a circle or horseshoe facing one another, sometimes we put velvet ropes between the council and the gallery to indicate the symbolic difference between the governors and the governed.

Continuing Governance

Given that blog posts are brief, I recognize that these ideas are dipping a toe into the expression of governance done well. I do a much more thorough exploration of the idea of great governance in my first book, Who’s Driving the Grader.

What’s your experience with seeing values in play for your community’s benefit, or how the lack of values has gotten in the way?

I’d be interested in hearing about this. You can reach me at ian@strategicsteps.ca