Steering groups

There is no one right way to organise a steering group as management structures and cultures will vary between and within different sectors of employment, It is however, important to have a representative group to steer and drive your action forward. It is also possible to utilise an existing working group or groups to carry out the functions of a steering group as described here,

Some users of the Management Standards approach have set up multiple sub- groups of the main steering group that reflect their specific organisational structure. For example, an organisation may have specific directorates or I departments that have semi-autonomous management structures in such cases the use of sub-groups to steer the process is appropriate.

Who should be part of a steering group?

Typical members of a steering group are:

• senior management;
• employee representative;
• trade union representative;
• health and safety manager;
• human resources representative;
• occupational health person;
• line manager.

[back to top]

What are the key activities of a steering group?

Their main function is to oversee and facilitate the Management Standards project, acting as a project management group or board. Key activities include:

• project naming;
• project management;
• planning;
• securing and managing resources;
• marketing;
• managing communications;
• monitoring progress;
• approving action plans;
• generating and approving management reports.

Top tips from users:

• Have people with the capacity to do actions that result from steering group meetings
• Have someone on the group with project management experience
• The Unions need to be involved
• The 'steering group' is key; it should have individuals who are keen to make a contribution and make the project work
• You need a team who can be mutually supportive

"If a structured steering group is used to drive the project, resources can be kept to a reasonable level."
Wrexham Borough Council

[back to top]

Key roles within the steering group

There are normally two key roles within a steering group:

The 'Project Champion':

• represents the project at board level;
• updates the board on progress;
• ensures the project is adequately resourced;
• is typically an HR director or Facilities director, depending on the organisational structure. These positions normally have responsibility for sickness absence and/or health and safety.

The 'Day-to-Day Champion':

• takes the role of project manager;
• organises and facilitates meetings;
• documents decisions, to provide an audit trail;
• keeps the project on schedule and on budget;
• is typically a health and safety manager or, in some cases, an occupational health or HR professional.

After you have set up a steering group, the project should be planned, resources allocated and communications strategies set out with details of how you will engage with staff.

There is a more detailed guide to setting up and running steering groups here.