Using Business Integrated Governance to improve Strategy Delivery – Part 2 – a Governance Perspective

BIG Framework

The BIG Framework provides a consistent model across all business areas, governing portfolios, programs, products, projects, and business-as-usual workstreams directed by a Main or Executive Board. It is designed to address the challenges of traditional hierarchical decision-making frameworks, which can struggle with cross-functional strategic objectives, poor information and poorly understood accountabilities. The framework ensures that strategic priorities are managed effectively and not lost in the shuffle of local business targets.

Key Concepts

We plucked out a couple of examples:

• Accountability: Recognizing that accountability often spans across the organizational hierarchy, which can cause prioritization and dependency management difficulties.
• Collaboration: Assuming close collaboration with Commercial and Finance, and Assurance and other support teams.
• Integration: Providing a way to integrate Models, Methods, Components, and Principles to enable a sound and consistent Company Culture.

Principles

BIG is underpinned by several principles that guide its implementation. We plucked out a couple of examples:

• Strategy as a Necessity: A clear and understood strategy is essential for achieving the organization’s purpose.
• Data as a Foundation: Data underpins information and should be treasured and managed effectively.
• Empowerment and Accountability: Individuals must be empowered and held accountable to achieve strategic objectives.
• Governance is not about control and compliance, it is about establishing a joined up culture.

Components

The BIG Framework includes various components that work together to create an integrated governance ecosystem:

• Organization: Structuring the organization to support BIG.
• Leadership: to drive change and oversee operation,
• Governance: Establishing clear governance culture, processes and structures.
• Accountability: Defining roles and responsibilities clearly.
• Management Information and Data: Ensuring that data and information flow effectively throughout the organization to enable quality decisions.
• Business Support: Positioning a business support function correctly within the organization to orchestrate BIG.

Challenges and Solutions

BIG addresses the challenge of moving from ad hoc governance processes to a holistic approach to governance and decision-making. It does so by creating a well-defined capability for communication, performance oversight, decision-making, re-steering, and course correction. The BIG Framework is not a one-size-fits-all solution but rather a toolbox to deliver solutions with¹.

Governance in Practice

In practice, BIG is about embedding good governance throughout an organization. It’s not about control and compliance or replacing project management methodologies. Instead, it’s about ensuring that governance reflects the organization’s purpose at all levels and is agile enough to adapt to changes.

Methodologies

The methodologies within BIG provide tools for delivering the necessary change to operate a more integrated form of governance. These include readiness assessments, standard agendas for governance bodies, and information models.

What BIG is Not

It’s important to note what BIG is not:

• It’s not control and compliance gone mad.
• It’s not a replacement for project portfolio or program management.
• It’s not a complete set of tools you can just whip out-of-the-box.
• It’s not simple or easy.

BIG is a comprehensive approach that requires thoughtful implementation and a commitment to aligning governance with the organization’s strategic objectives and operations.

For further exploration and a deeper understanding of BIG, there are resources available, including a Body of Knowledge, which breaks down the framework into chapters and sub-chapters, providing rich content accessible to members.

The discussion highlights the importance of aligning corporate governance with an organization’s purpose and decision-making processes. The key points emphasized include:

• Compliance vs. Purpose: There’s a concern that governance has become a compliance checkbox exercise rather than being aligned with the organization’s purpose and enabling quality decision making.
• Strategy Integration: Corporate governance should be integrated with strategy at all levels of the organization, not just at the top.
• Clear Decision-Making: Decision-making should be clear and reflect the organization’s culture and purpose – and done using the best information.
• Accountability and Measurement: There’s a need for everyone to have a clear understanding of expectations of the leadership and thence accountability in actions and decisions, which can be challenging to measure, especially for intangible aspects.
• Agility: Organizations must be agile, adapting their governance and strategies to reflect changes and maintain alignment with their purpose.
• Avoiding Misrepresentation: It’s important to challenge misrepresentations (both conscious and unconscious) and involve a wider range of talents in decision-making to ensure diverse perspectives and avoid errors. Everyone needs to challenge misinformed choices.

The conversation suggests that Business Integrated Governance (BIG) should be a tool that helps embed good governance throughout the organization, ensuring that every action reflects the overarching purpose and is not limited to compliance or strategy layers alone. The methodologies discussed aim to provide a framework for achieving this integration and ensuring that governance is purpose-driven and grounded throughout the organization. The emphasis is on the need for a culture of aligned actions, clear decision-making, and accountability that ties back to the bigger picture.