What is good governance?

The key to a successful co-op

Governance is, to put it simply, all about how running a business. And good governance is about running a successful business. It's about people and performance; policies and processes; rules and regulations... and lots more.

It's the same for co-operatives, but with a good twist. Co-ops exist to serve the needs of their members. And they're founded on a set of values and principles which set the agenda for a different, fairer and better way of doing business. So good governance has to encapsulate those fundamental elements as well. 

The wheel of good governance

To help with your governance, our Co-operative Governance Expert Reference Panel has created a great resource. It depicts the key areas of governance that should be in place within a thriving co-operative businesses. They are:

• Purpose
• An effective board
• Operations and processes
• Performance and roles
• Members and participation