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	<title>IGOPPWorking Groups &#8211; IGOPP</title>
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		<title>Small and medium-sized businesses Governance</title>
		<link>https://igopp.org/en/small-and-medium-sized-businesses-governance/</link>
		<comments>https://igopp.org/en/small-and-medium-sized-businesses-governance/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2008 13:46:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mlamnini]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Working Groups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governance of SMEs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Private governance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aimta712.org/?p=1626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A Working Group of 18 prominent members of the business community issues a set of proposals promoting flexible governance adapted to the needs of Quebec’s small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs. At a time when small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are facing bigger and bigger challenges, their owners and managers need to be able to [&#8230;]]]></description>
		<content><![CDATA[A Working Group of 18 prominent members of the business community issues a set of proposals promoting flexible governance adapted to the needs of Quebec’s small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs.

At a time when small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are facing bigger and bigger challenges, their owners and managers need to be able to turn to an advisory board or board of directors to obtain guidance and insight and to maximize their business development efforts. But governance at this level needs to be adapted specifically to SMBs to avoid weighing them down and unduly complicating their decision-making processes.

This, in a nutshell, is the main recommendation of the Working Group on the Governance of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, created in December 2007 by the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGOPP). The Group is composed of 18 authorities in the support and growth of Quebec’s SMBs (see attached list of members). Together, they have come up with a series of concrete measures for improving governance among SMBs, especially non-listed companies that are not subject to regulatory requirements pertaining to governance.

In a report made public today, the Working Group, chaired by former Quebec finance minister Michel Audet, maintains that the reason so few SMBs are actively engaged in corporate governance is because existing measures are poorly adapted to their realities, there is a lack of information and there are no clear links between governance and the concrete needs of entrepreneurs.

Mr. Audet stated, “Feedback from SMB owners and managers who have worked with an advisory board or board of directors proves that the presence of external expert advisors or directors can represent an invaluable contribution.”

“Directors who have no financial or vested interest in a company can contribute to its long-term prosperity and growth, work toward its sustainability and provide advice to executives as they face numerous management challenges,” he added.

The Working Group came to the conclusion that one of the major roadblocks for introducing governance measures within SMBs is the lack of information on how access to independent advisors can benefit entrepreneurs. There is also a significant need for training programs adapted to the needs of SMB directors and officers.

Yvan Allaire, the chair of the board of directors of the IGOPP, applauded the quality of the report and the relevance of the six recommendations it contains. “The Institute will take action this fall by offering a new seminar adapted specifically to the particularities of SMBs that goes beyond simply replicating the controls associated with fiduciary governance.”

“Quebec companies have achieved their competitive edge through the extensive experience and skills they have developed from the 1960s onward. Our SMBs – the major players of tomorrow – can tap into this to support their management and decision-making needs,” Mr. Allaire said. “We have to find ways of matching up this wealth of expertise with the dynamic spirit of today’s entrepreneurs so that our entire society can benefit.”

The members of the Working Group have agreed that a concrete action plan is required to promote improved governance practices among Quebec’s SMBs. They therefore invite all those involved in this sector, particularly institutional venture capital investors which have a decisive influence over the governance structures in place in SMBs, to play a part in this process.

The Group encourages SMB investors and lenders to develop a set of best practices with respect to governance to be applied by the companies with which they join forces.

With the support of government ministries and other organizations associated with economic development, governments can promote better governance practices at the SMB level by offering incentives rather than imposing restrictions.

After establishing an inventory of the available tools, the Working Group will bring together organizations working with SMBs to coordinate and align their contributions and develop a concrete action plan. This plan will be unveiled in fall 2008 at a governance conference organized by the IGOPP and other partners.
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		<title>The Governance of Health and Social Services Institutions in Quebec</title>
		<link>https://igopp.org/en/the-governance-of-health-and-social-services-institutions-in-quebec/</link>
		<comments>https://igopp.org/en/the-governance-of-health-and-social-services-institutions-in-quebec/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:53:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mlamnini]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Working Groups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Independence of Board members]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public health governance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aimta712.org/?p=1628</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A group of experts issues a report on corporate governance in the healthcare system and proposes concrete measures for improving the oversight of health and social services institutions in Quebec ? Improved performance within the healthcare system requires the boards of directors of healthcare institutions to have broader powers and clearer responsibilities so they can [&#8230;]]]></description>
		<content><![CDATA[A group of experts issues a report on corporate governance in the healthcare system and proposes concrete measures for improving the oversight of health and social services institutions in Quebec ?

Improved performance within the healthcare system requires the boards of directors of healthcare institutions to have broader powers and clearer responsibilities so they can provide more effective service and cost control.

This is the conclusion drawn by a Working Group on the governance of health and social services institutions. The Group maintains that the oversight of Quebec’s healthcare system must be decentralized rather than remaining under the nearly exclusive control of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (MSSS), as it has for the past 35 years.

Before any consideration can be given to injecting more money into the system, and without prejudging the role of the private sector in healthcare, the Group stresses that it is essential that changes be made in the way these public institutions are run in order to improve their performance. The Working Group is made up of 10 experts who have met many times over the past year, at the initiative of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGPPO).

Chaired by André Bisson, former chair of the Hôpital Notre-Dame board and current chair of the board of directors of the CIRANO interuniversity research centre, the Working Group has issued nine recommendations, which should serve as starting points for the improvement of oversight practices for healthcare institutions. Following are the highlights of its report:

 	The majority of board members must not be employees of the institution and must be chosen for their management and other relevant expertise. Each board must have a majority of external board members who are qualified, credible, competent, attentive to the concerns of the general public and able to contribute to the decision-making process of an organization with a budget in the hundreds of millions.
 	The current system of electing board members is not a true expression of democratic ideals. It needs to be replaced with a rigorous system of appointing independent board members.
 	Boards must have no more than 15 members. The ideal composition would be five members chosen by internal stakeholders, two members from regional bodies and eight independent members appointed by way of an internal board process.
 	Board members should receive a modest level of compensation designed to foster responsibility and accountability. The Group recommends a director’s fee of $300 per meeting.
 	For greater efficiency, boards should set up committees to study the more complex aspects of corporate governance in healthcare institutions.
 	The Working Group is of the opinion that boards must focus their attention on four core priorities :

- Appointing and assessing the performance of the executive director and setting the corresponding salary based on his or her ability to achieve specific objectives.
- Guiding, reviewing and approving strategic objectives to be integrated into annual action plans. Strategic partnerships should be considered a priority.
- Assessing the performance of programs and services based on objective data on the quality of care and services provided, user satisfaction and the attainment of budgetary objectives.
- Appraising the performance of the board of the directors on a yearly basis.

 	Boards must implement stringent reporting practices. The more self-sufficient institutions wish to be, the broader their responsibilities. Boards must ensure full public transparency and accountability with respect to certain service- and budget-related performance indicators.

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		<title>Working Group on University Governance</title>
		<link>https://igopp.org/en/working-group-on-university-governance/</link>
		<comments>https://igopp.org/en/working-group-on-university-governance/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:03:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mlamnini]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Working Groups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governance of universities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Independence of Board members]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public governance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aimta712.org/?p=1630</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Working Group proposes principles for the governance of Quebec universities. In order for universities to achieve good governance, their Boards of Directors must include a majority of members who are independent of internal stakeholders. Boards must also enjoy autonomy in carrying out their functions – a prerequisite for accountability. They must follow clearly-established reporting requirements, [&#8230;]]]></description>
		<content><![CDATA[Working Group proposes principles for the governance of Quebec universities.

In order for universities to achieve good governance, their Boards of Directors must include a majority of members who are independent of internal stakeholders. Boards must also enjoy autonomy in carrying out their functions – a prerequisite for accountability. They must follow clearly-established reporting requirements, and act with transparency. Moreover, the process of appointing the Executive Head of a university should be simplified, and should ensure that external, as well as internal, candidates will be considered.

These are a few of the findings of the Working Group on university governance in Quebec, made up of ten prominent public figures (see attached for a full list). Chaired by Jean-Marie Toulouse, former Director of the HEC Montréal business school, the Working Group was formed under the auspices of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGPPO). The Working Group has put forward 12 principles that, while flexible enough to accommodate the individual traditions of each institution, should serve as a guide for improving governance practices in the university milieu:

 	Boards composed primarily of independent members: Members should be chosen through a process that ensures a diversity of points of view and adequate representation of different constituencies (principles 5 and 6). Members should be appointed to a three-year term, renewable twice, for a maximum of nine years, in order to strike a balance between stability and renewal (principle 7). The Board should carry out six essential functions (principle 4).
 	Three essential Board committees - Audit, Human Resources, and Governance and Ethics: The members of these committees should be drawn from the independent members of the Board. The mandate of each of these committees should be clearly defined (principle 8).
 	Number of decision-making bodies and adoption of a code of ethics for Board members: Decision-making bodies should be as few and as streamlined as possible and effective mechanisms for coordination among them should be established (principle 10). All members of the Board must act in the interests of the university as a whole, rather than advancing particular interests (principle 9).
 	Selection of an Executive Head: The selection process should be designed to promote the selection of an Executive Head with the standing required to carry out the duties associated with the position and to meet the challenges facing the university: The selection committee should invite candidacies from both members of the university community and those external to the community. The process should be carried out with discretion and rigour, and with respect for the individual candidates (principle 11).
 	Comprehensive, transparent processes ensuring accountability: Mechanisms to ensure accountability must address efficiency and effectiveness in using financial and other resources. Performance indicators should be developed to measure the quality of teaching and research, draw comparisons with peer institutions and assess results as a function of the university’s mission, values and strategy (principle 12).

“These recommendations are clearly consistent with the notion that an institution cannot seek increased autonomy without first showing a commitment to good governance. The Working Group has come up with 12 principles that respect the diverse traditions and values of different universities,” said Yvan Allaire, chair of the IGPPO board of directors.

“The impact of these principles will stem from the fact that they respect each university’s mission, (principle 1), and the variety of cultures, values and traditions within each institution (principle 2). These principles emphasise institutional autonomy and the accountability of Board members and of university executives (principle 3),” added Jean-Marie Toulouse, chair of the Working Group.

The Working Group consulted a number of current members of the Boards of Quebec universities, individuals who have previously served on Boards, and others interested in sharing their opinions on governance issues. It undertook an analysis of the legal frameworks of the various institutions, as well as research on governance in universities and other public-sector organizations. Members of the Working Group were selected for the personal experience each could bring to bear on issues of university governance.
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