Governance Reviews and Modernization

Governance lies at the heart of how organizations are guided and held accountable. Rooted in the Latin term gubernare - meaning “to steer” - governance is fundamentally about direction, clarity, and intentional leadership.

Effective governance is more than structure; it’s the foundation that supports public trust, confident decision-making, and ethical service delivery. Strong governance frameworks are built on core principles such as transparency, accountability, the rule of law, and inclusive participation.

We help organizations assess the strength of their current governance practices and identify where gaps or risks exist. From there, we support the design and implementation of practical, resilient governance frameworks - ensuring policies, processes, and decision-making structures are aligned, transparent, and capable of serving communities effectively.

Service and program review is a core governance function that supports efficient, cost-effective, and accountable public service delivery. It provides a structured basis for evaluating service relevance, performance, and sustainability, while identifying opportunities to improve outcomes and better respond to evolving community needs.

We approach service and program review and modernization as an integrated component of governance and organizational effectiveness. Our work includes service journey mapping, interest-holder engagement, jurisdictional reviews, and analysis of costs, risks, and performance. We identify practical opportunities for improvement and innovation, with recommendations grounded in policy, delegated authority, and financial frameworks - supporting clear accountability, defensible decisions, and sustainable service delivery over time.

Strategic planning is a foundational governance tool that supports clear direction, modern decision-making, and accountable leadership. It translates vision and organizational values into prioritized outcomes that guide policy development, resource allocation, and operational planning.

Our strategic planning approach is grounded in meaningful engagement with Councils, Boards, and leadership teams to establish clear, shared priorities. We facilitate structured discussions that connect community values, local context, and organizational capacity to practical strategic direction. Engagement with interest holders and staff informs the process, ensuring diverse perspectives are reflected. The result is a focused, realistic strategic plan that responds to the unique needs of each community, supports informed decision-making, and provides clear direction for implementation and ongoing progress. 

Operational demands often take precedence, leaving policy and bylaw updates on the back burner - even though they are essential tools for consistent, modern, and defensible decision-making.

We support organizations in developing clear, effective, and up-to-date governance instruments. Whether drafting new policies and bylaws or reviewing and modernizing existing ones, we ensure they:  

• align with current legislative and regulatory requirements  
• reflect organizational priorities and policy direction  
• are practical, sustainable, and easy to implement  
• support innovation, clarity, and service excellence
   

Our approach balances legal compliance with real-world usability - resulting in governance documents that both guide sound decisions and work in day-to-day practice.

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, privacy is no longer optional - it's a core responsibility for governments and non-profits. A strong privacy management program protects the organization, its clients, and its reputation by reducing financial, legal, operational and reputational risks.

We work with organizations to design and strengthen privacy programs that are compliant, practical, and sustainable. Our services include: 

• privacy reviews to determine where an organization is at in its privacy management journey 
• privacy management frameworks that build and strengthen a culture of privacy 
• development and modernization of privacy policies and procedures 
• Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) tools and templates  
• clear guidelines, forms, and training modules
• on-site and virtual training for staff and leadership
   

We tailor privacy tools and training to reflect your community, organizational context, and legislative requirements. By increasing awareness, skills, and accountability in managing personal information, we help organizations prevent privacy breaches and build public trust through responsible stewardship of data.

Local governments, non-profit organizations, and First Nations and Indigenous governments regularly face complex issues that require clear, defensible analysis to support sound decision-making. Emerging legislation, evolving community expectations, operational pressures, and heightened accountability all create demand for timely, credible research and policy advice. 

We bring deep experience from senior statutory and executive roles to deliver research and policy analysis that is grounded in real-world public sector and community development practice. Our approach combines rigorous research, legislative and jurisdictional analysis, and an understanding of how decisions are implemented on the ground. We focus on clarity, relevance, and practical implications—translating complex information into concise, decision-ready advice for Councils, Boards, and leadership teams. The result is policy and research work that supports informed choices, manages risk, and stands up to public and organizational scrutiny. 

Delivering fair, transparent, and well-run elections is fundamental to public trust and democratic participation. We support governments and organizations in administering elections that are compliant, accessible, and operationally sound—from planning and preparation through delivery and post-election review.

Our services include:

• Chief Election Officer services
• development or modernization of election policies, bylaws, and procedures  
• election project planning and critical path development   
• worker recruitment, training, and oversight  
• voting place logistics, accessibility planning & contingency management  
• advance, mail-in, and special voting process design  
• ballot and records management  
• public communications and stakeholder engagement  
• post-election evaluation and reporting
   

We bring extensive experience in election legislation, privacy requirements, and procedural compliance—ensuring election operations are defensible, efficient, and equitable.

Whether you need full end-to-end election management, support for a specific component, or advisory oversight to strengthen capacity, we help ensure your election process meets the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and public confidence.