Reviewing & Relaying Best Practices for the Boards of B.C.'s Public Sector Organizations
Date
2021-05-27
Authors
Sirois, Annie
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Abstract
Influenced by the major corporate governance scandals of the early 2000s, good governance is widely accepted as a key driver for organizations’ success. Now in the 2020s, boards of organizations are expected to embody the principles of and be leaders in good governance. To support boards with this, various bodies (e.g., consulting firms, governments, international non-governmental organizations, professional institutes for directors) publish governance guidance and resources. The Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office (CABRO)—a central agency in the B.C. Ministry of Finance and this project’s client—is one such organization. This report captures the tasks and findings that went into providing CABRO with recommendations about the best practice standards for the boards of B.C.’s public sector organizations (e.g., Crown corporations, tribunals, advisory boards) and how these practices can be relayed. A literature review, cross-jurisdictional scan, and interviews revealed over one hundred governance practices that work or could work in the B.C. context (including alignment with the B.C. Government’s priorities). In the end, it was recommended that CABRO release a new guide that advises on contemporary best practices and emergent governance areas (e.g., board inclusivity, cyber resiliency, non-financial reporting) to address a gap in its existing materials and to provide pertinent information to those who need it (e.g., board chairs, corporate secretaries).
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public sector, corporate governance, public sector governance, governance, board governance, boards, public sector organization, crown agency, British Columbia, disclosures, corporate reporting, board directors, public sector appointees, board appointees, governance resources, audit committee, corporate social responsibility, board chair, risk governance, board quality, information technology governance, remuneration, board diversity, board committee, crown corporation, board leadership, governance guidance, governance principles, good governance, responsible boards, ESG, board oversight, corporate boards, executive compensation, board best practices, corporate secretary, public sector entities, state-owned enterprises, governance code, sustainability reporting, women on boards, boardroom, disclosure practices, board refreshment, climate-related financial disclosures