Foundations of Governance - 5 Week Course

Foundations of Governance Course online will now be broken down over 5 weeks (every Tuesday) covering key areas of governance, which include: the role of the governance professional, director management, advising the board, board dynamics, effectiveness, culture, relationships and conflicts.

Within each of these areas, practitioners in governance will take a thorough look at central elements of practice and how to navigate difficult situations, apply best practices and important tools in the day to day running of a governance office. This course is a comprehensive view of the key foundations and practice of governance, and essential for professionals both seasoned and new to the role. 

Program Schedule:

Day 1 - Core of Governance - January 11, 2022; 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET

This session will examine the key principles of organizational governance, and the legal commonalities and differences among various kinds of organizations and how they impact oversight, strategic and operational functions.

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

• What is a Governance Professional – Job description
• The legal, regulatory and public policy basis of governance for not-for-profits, state-owned organizations, private and public corporations;
• How the 5 key pillars can be practiced effectively in different organizational of effective governance can be enhanced in various contexts;
• Practical tools for developing effective governance practices under different organizational cultures
• Legal Entities/structures (differences and similarities)
• Director responsibilities and duties: the law and in practice

• Day 2: The role of the governance professional - January 18, 2022; 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET
• This session focuses in more detail on the role of boards and the expectations and growing role and responsibilities of the Governance Professional in supporting and enhancing board effectiveness.

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

• Board composition – size and diversity
• The issues and advantages of term limits for directors
• Board-management relations: managing friction points
• Shareholder/member relations and the importance of Accountability, Transparency, Independence, and Participation
• Emerging Issues – the emergence of Purpose Governance

Day 3 – Director Management – Driving Board Effectiveness throughout the Director Life Cycle - January 25, 2022; 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET

The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for developing critical processes to enhance Board effectiveness from before directors join the Board, through their tenure and until they leave – with the objective of improving the Board’s decision-making processes

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

·         The legal, regulatory and best practice requirements for key director processes

·         The role of the Governance Professional in supporting and encouraging good governance practices with regard to recruiting, orienting, education, evaluating and removing directors

Day 4 - Board Committees Framework - February 1, 2022; 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET

The purpose of this session is to provide information on the tools and framework for the purpose of committees, relationship to the board, roles and responsibilities, board delegation along with committee rights and authority.

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

Committee focus and work

·         Types of Committees

·         Committee mandate template

·         Committee reporting process and template

·         Structuring the Committee

Day 5 – Soft Skills – Managing and Influencing Board Dynamics, Culture, Relationships & Conflicts – February 8, 2022; 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET

Boardroom dynamics have a significant yet largely unrecognized impact on good governance.  The governance professional has a critical role in supporting their board in fostering a more conducive boardroom culture by mastering the required soft skills to do so.

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

•       Boardroom dynamics significant impact on good governance.

•       Corporate secretary has a critical role supporting the board in fostering a more conducive boardroom culture

Faculty:

·         Janis Riven, BCL, LLB, MBA, FCIS, Acc.Dir (bio)

·         Heather Laxton, Chief Governance Officer & Corporate Secretary, Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (bio)

·         John Dinner, President, John T. Dinner Board Governance Services (bio)

Important Note:

This series of events is one of three courses that make up the full GPC-EP education program and which leads to the GPC.D (Governance Professionals of Canada Designation). You must attend all 5 courses live and in full in order to receive a certificate of completion.

You have the option to register and attend this event without committing to GPC.D designation, however you are committing to attending all 5 weeks in full. You will not be eligible to the professional designation GPC.D, unless you complete all  5 weeks/full weekend courses for all 3 modules as well as complete their individual exams and the final evaluation. 

Participants who are registered for the GPC.D will be required to write an exam after the completion of this course. 

If you wish to enroll to obtain the GPC.D designation and save on the cost of the entire program, you can change your registration HERE.