Accreditation Canada's Governance Standards help health organizations meet demands for excellence in governance practice. They are a response to system-wide changes in health care delivery structures and the increasing need for public accountability.
The Governance Standards are meant to be used by the governing body in conjunction with Accreditation Canada's Leadership Standards, used by the organization's leaders. The responsibility of the governing body to be engaged and involved in the activities of the organization is critical for the organization's success.
The Governance Standards are built on five key functions of governance, aligning with J.L. Denis et al.'s Towards a Framework for the Analysis of Governance in Healthcare Organizations. These five key functions are: developing the mission, vision, and values; collecting and using knowledge and information; developing the organization; building relationships with stakeholders; and demonstrating accountability.
The standards are grouped into four sections based on these functions:
Functioning as an effective governing body: Addresses the internal development of the governing body, including composition, structure, and roles and responsibilities including the division of responsibility with organization leaders.
Developing a clear direction for the organization: Addresses the process for defining the organization's mission and long-term vision, including broad organizational goals and values.
Supporting the organization to achieve its mandate: Addresses the governing body's role in the processes that support the organization's achievement of its strategic goals and objectives. It includes the recruitment and evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), relationships with the CEO and the organization's other leaders, and resource allocation.
Being accountable and achieving sustainable results: Addresses accountability and organizational performance, including quality improvement and risk management.
The approach a governing body takes to address these responsibilities will differ according to the organization's size, structure, mandate, and governance model. In some cases the organization's CEO and other leaders will be directly involved in many of the governance activities and responsibilities outlined here, while in other cases there will be a more distinct division of responsibilities.
In some jurisdictions, government may be involved in the operations of the organization's governing body, and will be responsible for certain activities outlined in these standards. When this is the case, the governing body should remain as involved as possible in the process.