Clear policies, reporting models, and well-structured bylaws are essential, and serve as the foundation of good governance practices. Their proper implementation establishes a roadmap for constructive institutional dialogue, prevents and resolves conflict, and ensures that decision-making practices are transparent to your stakeholders.

Organizations often make the decision to restructure following a critical event. We facilitate the process by engaging in consultation that integrates institutional history, culture, and development goals. We have extensive experience reviewing, drafting, and amending governance documents in support of institutional reform. 

An example of a project in this category:

You’re a newly-elected executive at a student union and have just inherited a set of bylaws and policies that are so incoherent and out of date that people have simply stopped following them. Some rules contradict others, procedures which you’d assume would be necessary are nonexistent, and the last time someone really reviewed this document was probably in the mid-90s. Someone has to clean it up, but you’re too busy planning your orientation or running core services.

We set up a framework to do a first-run analysis and audit of your governing documents, identifying key areas in which to prioritize reform. We work with your stakeholders (be it executives, committee members, your board, council, or administrators) to bring your governance documents into legal compliance. Then we set up a formal consultation and working group to adopt a new set of policies which reflect your organization’s actual structure and values.