Standards: The Enabler of Meaningful Governance
Governance without standards lacks the power of international consensus best practice. Standards without experience is theory. We bring both—having co-authored the frameworks and implemented them across all types of organizations. This combination of theoretical depth and practical wisdom cannot be replicated by AI or learned from textbooks.
Core Governance Standards
ISO 37000:2021 - Governance of Organizations
We co-authored this foundational standard
The standard establishes governance as the system by which the whole organization is directed, overseen and held accountable to achieve its defined purpose. It recognizes that every organization, regardless of type or size, exists within a societal context and has impacts beyond its boundaries.
The framework rests on eight interconnected principles: Purpose clarity ensures the organization knows why it exists beyond profit. Value generation recognizes that sustainable success requires creating value for all stakeholders, not extracting it from some for others.
How we apply it:
We don't implement ISO 37000 as a checklist. We use it as architecture for governance systems that breathe with your organization. Each principle interconnects, creating resilience through redundancy. Our experience across cultures teaches us that while principles are universal, their expression must respect local wisdom.
ISO 37004:2023 - Governance Maturity Model
Our framework for meaningful progression
This standard provides a globally applicable means to measure the maturity of organizational governance, enabling consistent assessment, comparison, and improvement over time. The model evaluates maturity across three dimensions: Behavior, Effectiveness, and Efficiency.
Each dimension progresses through five levels: Undefined (no intentional governance), Limited (ad hoc governance), Emerging (inconsistent governance), Measured (systematic governance), and Optimizing (continuously improving governance).
Our edge:
Having assessed governance maturity across hundreds of organizations globally, we recognize patterns instantly. We know that Saudi family businesses often show high effectiveness but low formalization. German Mittelstand typically demonstrate strong efficiency but may lack stakeholder engagement. This pattern recognition, combined with ISO 42001-compliant AI analysis, accelerates diagnosis.
ISO 37005:2024 - Indicators for Effective Governance
Measurement that creates meaning
This standard guides the development, selection, and use of indicators to monitor and demonstrate governance effectiveness. The framework distinguishes between leading indicators (predictive of future performance) and lagging indicators (confirmatory of past performance).
It warns against common pitfalls: gaming (manipulating metrics), myopia (short-term focus), misalignment (indicators disconnected from purpose), and overload (too many metrics diluting focus).
Our standard:
Every indicator we develop achieves minimum B-grade quality—precise definition, documented measurement method, clear data lineage, assigned ownership, defined cadence, and established assurance path. We use AI to identify indicator correlations and predict gaming risks, while human judgment ensures indicators drive purposeful behavior.
ISO 37011 (Committee Draft) - Purpose-driven Organizations
Actively shaping this emerging standard
This developing standard addresses a critical governance gap: how organizations can systematically govern their purpose beyond traditional mission statements. The framework addresses purpose governance across its lifecycle: Discovery, Definition, Activation, Monitoring, and Evolution.
As committee members:
Our current implementation programmes are informed by our work on co-developing ISO 37011. We will start using the ISO 37011 standard when it will be published as draft international standard in December 2025. We don't wait for publication—we implement emerging best practices now, refined through real-world application. Our facilitation of purpose discovery sessions across cultures has shaped our understanding that purpose must resonate locally while serving globally.
Compliance & Ethics Standards
ISO 37301:2021
Compliance Management Systems
This standard establishes requirements for organizations to develop, implement, maintain, and improve an effective compliance management system. Beyond checkbox compliance—we build systems where ethical behavior becomes organizational habit.
Our implementation spans from Saudi anti-corruption programs to German supply chain due diligence to Eastern European regulatory frameworks.
ISO 37001:2016
Anti-bribery Management Systems
This standard provides requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an anti-bribery management system. Corruption thrives in ambiguity. We bring clarity through systematic risk assessment tailored to your operational context.
Whether navigating complex gift-giving cultures in the Gulf, managing third-party risks in emerging markets, or ensuring supply chain integrity in Europe.
ISO 37002:2021
Whistleblowing Management Systems
This standard provides guidance for implementing, managing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving a robust whistleblowing management system. Protected disclosure channels that actually work require more than hotlines—they need trust.
We design systems that balance confidentiality with investigation effectiveness, protection with accountability.
Sustainability & Impact Integration
UNDP SDG Impact Standards
For Enterprises, Private Equity, and Bond Issuers
These standards operationalize impact management and measurement, moving beyond ESG reporting to embed impact considerations into strategy and governance. They establish four pillars: Strategy, Management Approach, Transparency, and Governance.
Our expertise spans both developing and delivering UNDP's train-the-trainer curriculum, as well as achieving certification as practitioners through comprehensive training. We don't treat SDG alignment as a mapping exercise but as fundamental governance transformation. We are currently leading contributors to the development of the ISO/UNDP DIS 53001 Management systems for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — Requirements standard.
ESRS/CSRD & IFRS S1/S2
Sustainability Disclosure Standards
These standards establish comprehensive baselines for sustainability-related financial disclosures, with governance as the foundational pillar. They require organizations to disclose governance bodies' oversight of sustainability risks and opportunities.
We ensure boards have genuine capability, not just claimed oversight.