The first three columns^[1] of this four-part series discussed the business meaning of 'governance'.  We^[2] use the following definition.

a process, organizational function, set of techniques, and systematic approach for creating and deploying policy and rules into day-to-day business operations

a process, organizational function, set of techniques, and systematic approach for creating and deploying policy and rules into day-to-day business operations

This definition lists four key aspects:  a process, organizational function, set of techniques, and systematic approach.  As discussed in Part 2, business rule management provides the systematic approach.  The governance process was discussed in Part 3.  This fourth and concluding part addresses the appropriate organizational function, including roles and responsibilities.^[3]

First we must acknowledge the obvious, that the governance process is a process just like other processes, only at a higher level.  Processes need engineering (or more commonly, re-engineering) and for that you need 'engineers'.  Let's call them process engineers.  Process re-engineering comes in two basic varieties -- big bang and continuous improvement.  The governance process needs both.  It also needs engineers specializing in governance -- which, as discussed in the earlier parts of this series, unavoidably requires intimate knowledge of business rule techniques and rule management.  Voila, governance engineers, a new kind of professional, and governance (re-)engineering, a new discipline.

When a complex, critical resource emerges in a company, the organization inevitably moves toward a high-level focal point of responsibility -- for example, the CFO for finances, or the CIO for IT resources.  

The drivers leading us to an equivalent role for the governance area -- let's call that role Chief Governance Officer (CGO) -- are irrepressible.  These drivers will inevitably create responsibility items for the GGO and his staff.  Here are just some of them:  

• Fiduciary Responsibilities Support.  Demonstrate compliance by officers of the organization with their fiduciary responsibilities.

• Risk Management.  Enable more effective, timely, and focused management of risks by monitoring performance around critical items of business policy and strategy.

• Liability Management.  Reduce or eliminate legal and financial liabilities due to non-compliance with contractual obligations and statutory responsibilities.

• Quality Assurance.  Ensure consistency in business behavior, and appropriate interactions with external stakeholders.

• Regulatory Compliance.  Ensure conformance with external regulation.

• Agility.  Ensure timely and coordinated deployment of changes in business policy and strategy.

• Knowledge Retention.  Ensure that specialized knowledge, business intellectual property (IP), and core competencies are captured and managed rather than tacit, so that survivability and sustainability is less dependent on individual workers.

• Accountability.  Ensure clear lines of responsibility for interpretations and deployments of business policy and regulation into day-to-day operations.

• Transparency.  Ensure that business activity subject to external regulation is conducted in a manner that can be fully audited.

Guess what?!  These are all problems that business rules address directly.  As I always say, business rules are inevitable!

References

[1]  Ronald G. Ross, "From Rule Management to Business Governance, Part 1:  Governance and How it Relates to Business Rules," Business Rules Journal, Vol. 7, No. 11 (Nov. 2006), URL:  http://www.BRCommunity.com/a2006/b318.html

Ronald G. Ross, "From Rule Management to Business Governance, Part 2:  Governance and How it Relates to Rule Management," Business Rules Journal, Vol. 7, No. 12 (Dec. 2006), URL:  http://www.BRCommunity.com/a2006/b322.html

Ronald G. Ross, "From Rule Management to Business Governance, Part 3:  Re-Engineering the Governance Process," Business Rules Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 2007), URL:  http://www.BRCommunity.com/a2007/b327.html

[2]  Business Rule Solutions, LLC

[3]  The set of techniques gets into the particulars of rule methodology and analysis.  Unfortunately, that's too broad for a short column, so it is not discussed in this series.

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