Plain Governance in practice

Applying Plain Governance

Start with the arrangement, act, or decision you need to examine. Choose a task below, then use the relevant sections of the framework.

Examine a role or arrangement

Start with an arrangement you need to explain, design, or review.

Who holds the role, and in what capacity do they act?
What responsibilities, duties, powers, and authority are assigned?
To whom must they give an account, and for what?
Which instruments establish these arrangements, and how do they operate in practice?

Specify each relationship Examine how relationships connect Describe the whole arrangement

Assess the application of an arrangement

Use this route to examine an act done under a governance arrangement, such as closing a meeting or selecting a successful bid.

What act does the arrangement enable people to perform?
Does the arrangement exist, and is it accepted within the organisation?
Are the people and circumstances appropriate? Is the arrangement carried out correctly and completely?
What attitudes or subsequent conduct does the arrangement require?
What was accomplished, in what respect did it fail, and how serious was the failure?

Examine all seven stages Identify the grounds for your judgement

Prepare or examine a decision

Identify the decision being sought or assessed and where it is in the decision-making process.

Who may decide, under which authority and conditions?
What information and contributions must be available?
What steps must be completed before this decision?
Who will carry out the decision, and what must be brought back for review or a further decision?

Use the nine decision requirements Map the roles, bodies, and channels Examine how the decision is made

Write or review a policy

Begin with the policy’s purpose, readers, and intended use.

Which arrangements must the policy establish, record, or explain?
What does each provision do: commit, require, permit, assign, or explain?
Can each reader identify what applies to them and what they must do?
Do the requirements, authority, related instruments, and practical circumstances work together?

Use the policy writing guidance Specify roles and relationships Prepare the policy for a decision

Evidence and reasons for judgement

Identify the instruments, evidence, and circumstances that support your account. Record unresolved matters and explain what would be needed to settle them. A completed checklist can leave important questions about practice or effectiveness open.

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