CYCLE OF CORPORATE INTEGRITY
The natural cycle of corporate integrity has five elements that maintain a rhythm of continuous improvement in high integrity organisations and teams. Our members have expertise to interact with organisations at any stage in the cycle where changes or enhancements are required to grow, recover or sustain the business.
1. Developing policies and strategic objectives that underpin the corporate vision
Modern civil society expects companies to provide a fair return to their investors whilst delivering exceptional products and services responsibly and sustainably at a competitive price.
To meet this expectation, high integrity organisations have the ambition to ensure that whilst organisational objectives are met their activities are conducted ethically, that people and assets are safe, and the environment and communities in which they operate are protected or enhanced.
Our members can work with management teams and boards to evaluate the the business, the market and the long term aims to assist in developing the high level policies and strategic objectives that underpin the corporate vision. We aim to bring simplicity to an area that can otherwise become frustratingly complex.
2. Building organisational, governance and risk management frameworks
In high integrity organisations, the staff deliver quality outcomes consistently and continually. Staff will be inspired by effective leaders organised into enabling structures that provide clear governance and accountabilities and which align with the corporate strategies. As markets and global politics evolve and change, such as the British exit from the European Union, high integrity leaders and management structures adapt to remain effective and to assure the sustainability of the business.
Risk frameworks provide ‘lines of defence’ and address both business risk and operational risk. They are critical in assuring stakeholders that the organisation’s exposure to risks has been controlled and mitigation is in place.
Our members have industry executive and regulatory experience and can give an independent perspective on the existing organisational blueprint. We can help you assess the optimum requirements for your business, and the calibre of current resources, corporate strengths and capabilities, and support realignment of the organisation.
3. Creating and implementing corporate business and operational management systems
Organisations with ethical vision and policies and effective and reliable governance structures will build and implant the processes that inspires high quality performance and productivity, and drive out dysfunction and inefficiency.
High integrity organisations successfully deliver safe operations, minimise environmental impact and add value to their communities. The efficacy of the operating processes in high integrity organisations secure comfortable relationships with the laws and regulations applying to them; such organisations have no need to seek compliance as a thing of itself.
Corporate Integrity members have experience and knowledge to assist organisations to develop governance processes that align with the company vision and support staff in executing principal business functions. We can assist in developing robust and productive stakeholder relationships and critical supply side management systems. We bring unique experience to bear on improving control of major accident hazards
4. Monitoring and evaluating execution of the strategic business model
Organisations strive to operate efficiently with minimal unplanned outages in their part of the supply chain with variable dependencies and in a continually changing market place. The risks and opportunities prevailing when launching the current strategic plan will change over time. The plans to be attained may become less effective to the business and challenges can accrue. Unanticipated events, such as a serious accident to the company or a truly major accident within the business sector, may swiftly and significantly alter the operating priorities.
High integrity organisations will aim to have effective monitoring and assessment programmes within corporate processes that enable management and adaptation of the business. The organisation will try to evaluate both how efficiently it executes its business plan, and how effectively the plan is delivering value in current market circumstances or a changing regulatory environment.
Our members can place wide corporate and regulatory experience at the disposal of management to assist in evaluating the efficacy of the business either in a periodic context, or in the aftermath of a critical event in the company or its business environment.
5. Driving continuous improvement in business activities
A healthy system of ethical policies and strategic objectives, related organisational frameworks, governance and operational processes and ongoing evaluation of performance produce an organisational ‘life force’. This produces commitment to the corporate vision, a ‘fruitful anxiety’ for identifying the unfactored business risks, business opportunity-seeking, and plenty of useful data.
Organisations imbued with this force will drive continuous improvement by undertaking periodic and ad hoc review of the wellbeing of the business, reassessing the risks, opportunities, and practicalities of an ever changing commercial and political environment. Over time, the four elements of our taxonomy will be reintegrated by an evolving process of review and modification – the fifth element. The more assiduous are the processes of monitoring and review, the fewer will be the shocks.
Our members can assist organisations by ascribing an expert third party overview of the strategic vision of the business and the related governance structures, processes and management systems. We can produce a big picture overview to contribute to corporate discussion on the future direction of travel and accompanying adaptations of the integral organisation.