How Governance Supports Effective Policy Development and Bylaw Reviews

In my role as a Senior Consultant, I often talk about good governance. It seems to come up in most conversations, during most of my facilitations, and in my thought process during most projects. Good governance is at the root of everything that we do.

Throughout my time at Strategic Steps, I have completed various policy and bylaw reviews for municipalities. In short, we work with the municipality to ensure their policies and bylaws are effective, efficient, and up to date.

So, how does good governance support policies and bylaws? In my opinion, there are five main ways good governance supports effective policy and bylaw development:

1. Creates clear responsibility and openness

   Good governance clearly outlines who is responsible for developing, reviewing, approving, and enforcing policies and bylaws. When everyone understands their role and decisions are made openly, it builds trust and helps ensure policies are fair and serve community interests.

2. Keeps policies aligned with laws and community needs

   Governance processes ensure policies and bylaws are regularly reviewed to reflect current legislation, organizational priorities, and community expectations. This helps prevent outdated or conflicting rules and keeps policies practical and legally sound.

3. Promotes consistency and ongoing improvement

   Strong governance establishes regular review timelines and clear standards. This creates consistency in how policies are reviewed and allows organizations to identify what’s working, what isn’t, and where improvements are needed over time.

4. Supports better, more inclusive decision-making

   Effective governance encourages input from stakeholders, subject-matter experts, and decision-makers. This leads to more informed decisions, reduces unintended consequences, and increases understanding and compliance.

5. Helps prevent issues before they become problems

   Good governance helps identify risks and gaps early by ensuring policies and bylaws are thoughtfully reviewed. This reduces the likelihood of legal challenges, confusion, or enforcement issues and saves time and resources in the long run.

Strong governance helps make sure policies and bylaws are developed and reviewed in a clear, thoughtful, and consistent way. It sets clear responsibilities, keeps decisions transparent, and ensures rules stay aligned with current laws, organizational priorities, and community needs. By encouraging input from the right people and regularly reviewing policies, good governance supports better decisions, builds trust, and helps prevent issues before they become bigger problems.

In practice, strong governance makes policies and bylaws easier to understand and apply. When rules are clear, reviewed regularly, and shaped by input from the right people, they’re more likely to be followed and enforced consistently. This helps reduce confusion, limits disputes, and builds confidence in how decisions are made and carried out.

Does your organization need help developing or reviewing policies and bylaws? Reach out to me at lauren@strategicsteps.ca