Governance is the highest form of organisational leadership. It is a distinct activity, different from, but linked to, the functions of executive management. It describes the exercise of ultimate authority in an organisation. Those who exercise governance over an organisation are responsible for it achieving the outcomes for which it exists. The Arts Council is committed to the principles of effective governance and recognizes the importance of this within our funded organisations. Indeed, in our new 5 year plan 'Creative Connections' we make an explicit commitment to 'make sure that leadership in the arts sector is strong.' To do this we have established a 'Chairs Forum' to encourage new approaches to governance issues. The Governance survey is a standalone questionnaire, which was administered as part of the overall Regularly Funded Organisations(RFO) Survey 2006/07. This report is based on information provided by 115 arts organisations in receipt of regular funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland for the financial year 2006/07. It is clear that all funded organisations have some form of governance system i.e. all have a Board of Management. However, the actual effectiveness of the governance systems is difficult to gauge from the questionnaire, indeed it is recommended that further research be undertaken in this area, with an increased focus on qualitative research. Despite this, there are a number of key areas requiring further consideration by ACNI for possible action. These are in relation to the following: - Term of Office: 23% of Boards have an indefinite term of office. - Training: 55% of Boards do not receive any training.

http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/departs/all/report/research/governance_report.pdf