The many types of organisations to which the Standard applies – central government
and local service providers, and public sector and independent organisations – have
a wide range of governance structures; for example, some governing bodies will
be elected and some appointed. Organisations also vary enormously in size and
complexity, from, for example, a small school to a large hospital trust.
We call on governing bodies to report publicly on the extent to which they live up
to the Standard, and explain why and how they have adapted any of the principles
and their applications to suit their type and size of organisation. In doing so, we ask
organisations to demonstrate the spirit and ethos of good governance, which the
Standard aims to capture and which cannot be achieved by rules and procedures alone.