The US-based Issue Management Council offers nine best practice indicators and implementation reference points for the development of effective issues management in organisations. The indicators are:
1. There is an established mechanism to identify current and future issues through environmental scanning and issue analysis.
2. The organisation has adopted a formal process to assign and manage issues.
3. Responsibility for stewardship of the issues management process is clearly assigned and mechanisms are in place to build organisational expertise in the discipline.
4. Ownership of each major issue is clearly assigned at an operational level with accountability and results linked to performance reviews.
5. Progress against key issues is formally reviewed with organisational ‘owners’ on a regular basis and the status of each is monitored at the highest management level.
6. The Executive Committee or Board of Directors has fiduciary oversight of issues management; has mechanisms in place to report progress to directors and/or external stakeholders; and has authority to intervene in the event of non-compliance or misalignment.
7. Formal channels exist for managers at all levels to identify and elevate potential issues for possible integration into broader strategic planning, including external stakeholder management.
8. Management of current and future issues is well embedded within the strategic planning and implementation processes of organizational clients or owners.
9. Issues management is recognised and organisationally positioned as a core management function which is not confined to a single function or department.
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