ETF launches Further Education Governance Maturity Matrix

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has published a Governance Maturity Matrix for use by the boards of Further Education colleges.

Building on a June 2020 research report from the Further Education Trust for Leadership, the Matrix aims to provide a blueprint to guide college boards to become sources of challenge and support that add value and contribute to improving the outcomes for students. It focuses on areas including culture and behaviours, educational mission, finance and resources, purpose and strategy, risk, skills and capacity, and stakeholder engagement.

It is intended to help boards assess themselves against standards at three levels – fundamental, maturing and advancing – and to be used as an ongoing developmental tool to facilitate the journey to a place of governance maturity.

It is for use in a variety of scenarios including:

• internally assessing governance effectiveness
• as a tool for recruiting governors
• when auditing skills
• to shape training and development plans for governance
• planning the annual cycle of board work
• informing management’s understanding of the role of governance.

Fiona Chalk, the ETF’s National Head of Governance Development, said:

“The key to better board performance lies in the working relationships between it and the Executive, in the dynamics of board interactions, and in the competence, integrity, and constructive involvement of individual members. A high performing board is cohesive, competent, co-ordinated, and focused. This Maturity Matrix aims to provide a blueprint to guide boards to become more impactful.”

The Matrix can be accessed, free of charge, on the ETF website. Its implementation will be monitored at a number of colleges to see how it is being used and its impact assessed. It will then be reviewed and refreshed as required, to ensure it is kept relevant.

Details of the ETF’s wider offer to support leadership in the FE and Training Sector are available on the Leadership Hub on the ETF website.