Governance Perception Across Stakeholder Groups
Illustrative data- Board
- C-suite
- GOVERN
Scores shown on a 0–5 scale.Swipe to explore
The Governance Compass© – a pillar of the GOVERN360° Toolkit, developed by experts for experts – gives the board and management an informed, shared reading of how your organisation is governed with a roadmap to strengthen it. Developed by senior practitioners with experience creating governance standards, the Compass is based on a trademarked methodology, adaptable to sectors, ownership, and regulatory parameters.
The methodology was built on international standards including the OECD, IFC, World Bank, ISO and GRI principles and guidelines. Your board and C-suite members provide targeted inputs on specific KPIs, ranging from treatment of RPTs to board independence - we examine results and produce a comprehensive analysis. Our experts prepare a report for your board or management, identifying low-hanging fruit and long-term priorities to elevate your governance to a best-in-class standard.
The challenge
Governance depends on your vantage point
01
Governance Compass© is not a board tool nor a management tool. It combines board and C-suite perspectives — precisely because challenges are shared.
02
Differences in perceptions represent the single most important point of failure in effective governance which requires orchestra-like coordination.
03
The tool addresses the chasm between the board — looking at the organisation from the top of the mountain — and management, which has a granular outlook.
04
The Compass creates integrated intelligence to address this challenge for the benefit of all – the shareholders, stakeholders, the board and management.
Unique value add
The typical approach
01Governance ratings based on public disclosures, reflecting what a company reports rather than its governance practices.
02Generic governance checklists scored against a standard question bank, with no adjustment for your sector, jurisdiction or ownership structure.
03A one-off internal review, filed away once completed and rarely checked again against external benchmarks or regulatory change.
04A fixed-scope engagement that ends the moment the report lands, leaving you to work out implementation on your own.
Our approach
01An internal, confidential reading built on the views of individuals who run the organisation — designed to improve governance from the inside.
02A structured instrument built on international standards — customisable to your sector, jurisdiction and ownership structure.
03Benchmarking against international best practices and local requirements, with regular monitoring by the board and C-suite.
04Flexible timing and support, from presenting the final report to helping your organisation address identified gaps.
The solution
Bringing stakeholders on the same page
Governance Compass© is a proprietary tool that surveys the board, the board secretary and each relevant C-suite function. Whether you are a listed company or a family business, financial or industrial company, the tool can be tailored to your unique parameters including governance maturity, ownership structure, as well as sectoral and regulatory aspects.
Board survey
Our board survey gauges board confidence across all ten domains, immediately highlighting commonly perceived differences between the Chair, board members and committee members.
Anonymous or attributed
You choose how responses are reported back — anonymised to protect candour or attributed where individual accountability is required. Either way, the results provide a basis for a tangible corporate roadmap.
Management surveys
The tool includes surveys customised to each role, whether the CEO, CRO, CLO or CHRO, to gauge how well the processes under their oversight are governed. The responses are cross-referenced to other roles for added veracity.
Internal or verified
Confidence does not always equal adequate governance. While our customised option adds sector- and jurisdiction-specific questions, our verified option reconciles perceptions with documentary evidence reviewed by our senior practitioners.
The methodology
10 critical governance domains tracked and analysed
The Governance Compass© is designed to deploy customised questionnaires for over 80 KPIs structured in 10 domains. Jurisdiction- and sector-agnostic by design, the tool can be adapted to private or listed companies.
01
Corporate Governance Framework
02
Board Structure and Composition
03
Ethics and Business Conduct
04
Shareholder Engagement
05
ESG and Sustainability
06
Stakeholder Engagement
07
Disclosure and Transparency
08
Shareholder Rights
09
Board Effectiveness
10
The Control Environment
Governance dashboards
All your perspectives reconciled into a single outlook
Board and management inputs are systematically analysed for adherence to best practice, tracking specific variances within and between management and board to highlight areas of consensus and divergence.
Governance Maturity by Domain
Illustrative data- Board
- C-suite
- GOVERN
Scores shown on a 0–5 scale.Swipe to explore
Weighted Domain Alignment
Illustrative data- Board
- C-suite
- GOVERN
Bubble area represents domain weight.Swipe to explore
The execution
3 pathways to suit diverse contexts
The assessment can be structured as a rapid baseline execution, as a customised process (particularly suitable for regulated sectors), or an in-depth, verified engagement with our experts by your side throughout the project.
BASELINE
Level 1
Board and management complete questionnaires, with responses informing a dashboard, report and a roadmap.
Report in ~3 weeks.
- Survey-based, board and management in parallel
- Maturity reading across every domain
- Report and roadmap in as little as a month
CUSTOMISED
Level 2
The assessment is tailored to your organisation - additional questions and framing adapted to your size, country and sector.
Report in ~4 weeks.
- Inclusion of regulatory requirements
- Customised questionnaires for each role
- A reading that reflects your reality
VERIFIED
Level 3
A customised assessment (level 2), with supporting evidence independently verified by our senior experts to validate findings and identify gaps.
Report in ~6 weeks.
- Review of all relevant policies
- The most objective result
- Provides the strongest level of assurance
Govern with 360° confidence
The assessment will result in a comprehensive prioritised roadmap, allowing monitoring by the C-suite and the board. Our experts stand ready to support you in addressing priorities revealed by the assessment exercise. Evaluation process outputs can be used as a basis for governance framework updates, as well as inputs to facilitate board retreats and other specific objectives.
01
A maturity assessment
with detailed statistical analysis and benchmarking against best practice.
02
A future roadmap
containing concrete, sequenced steps to strengthen governance going forward, and a baseline for optional monitoring.
03
A company presentation
delivered by a senior expert team member to the board or the C-suite.
04
Assessment verification
by our senior experts, such that you have full assurance of results and priorities.
Framework
Four tools: one integrated view of governance
The Governance Compass© can be combined with other tools of the GOVERN360˚ Toolkit or implemented on a standalone basis. Collectively, the 4 tools provide boards and executives with a practical reading across shareholder rights, disclosure and transparency, management and board effectiveness, the robustness of the three lines of defence, and emerging areas such as AI and technology governance.
Governance Compass
A detailed outlook on the corporate governance framework, culture, policies and implementation.
AI Compass
A shared reading of how AI and related technologies are overseen in your organisation.
Risk & Resilience Compass
A single, evidence-based view of how risk, cybersecurity, business continuity and compliance are overseen.
Board Effectiveness Compass
A thorough, evidence-based perspective on both board and committee effectiveness.