Governance is one of the most important issues facing Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today. Demands for transparency and accountability have never been greater and good governance is central to National Societies’ ability to adapt to change and respond to needs and challenges now and in the future. What is good governance? Is there a framework for good governance that is relevant for all National Societies? If so, how can it be applied?

No single relationship in a National Society is as important as that between the board and the senior manager, the chief executive officer. No single relationship causes as much misunderstanding, potential conflict and actual friction. And no relationship has as much promise for providing a solid base for the effective functioning of a society.

Boards are to provide direction, take a proactive stance, focus on the big picture and the long term; management deals with operations, the specifics and the details. Management has the expertise and the time to run the society but the board has the overall legal authority. The legal position is clear – on behalf of the general assembly the board has the ultimate power. In practice, however, the distinction between governance and management, the board issues and the staff issues, often gets blurred.

Boards want to carry out their mandate but how best to do so with respect to what management is doing is not always clear And, although management may recognize the desire of board members to contribute, their efforts are often viewed as interference, with management wondering how volunteers, who do not work full time with the society, can adequately provide direction and discharge their responsibilities.

The relationship between the board and management may become characterized by a “we-they” approach, a cycle of misunderstanding and mistrust and sometimes even a power struggle. These relationships are stressful, deflect energy from the goals of the organization, affect the performance of the board and CEO alike and ultimately affect the performance of the entire Society. This less than desirable situation can be improved through three concrete steps – recognizing that the optimal relationship is a partnership, clearly defining roles and responsibilities and defining lines of authority.