Provide governance for your food and drink business

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to provide governance for your food and drink business. Providing governance is important in ensuring the food and drink business conforms to a legal format. It is important in influencing the strategy, policies, vision and culture of a food and drink business. It is also important in ensuring the strategy and policies are deployed across the food and drink business adhering to social, ethical and regulatory procedures. Governance is essential to the formation and operation of a food and drink business. It is the overarching area, governing body or board, of an organisation that ensures it is operating to regulatory requirements with transparency and accountability. It also provides input into the direction and strategic operation of the food and drink business and ensures it adheres to ethical and social responsibilities. You must have the skills and understanding to make informed decisions around the viability of the food and drink business, establish roles and systems to ensure provision of governance. You must also have the skills and understanding to ensure the food and drink business operates within regulatory requirements. You will need to know and understand the regulatory requirements, requirements and responsibilities of the governing body. You must also know and understand the limits of authority and possible risks associated with the operation of a food and drink business. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink operations and/or supply operations and are involved in providing governance for a food and drink business.

Support roles and systems

1. confirm the behaviours and values of the governing body and all

   people working in the food and drink business are in line with

   organisational policies

2. adhere to the clearly defined roles of the governing body, the role

   of the business executive leader and other board members

3. follow the systems and procedures to ensure the food and drink

   business is directed and managed with transparency, adhering to

   regulatory requirements

   Make informed decisions

4. make informed decisions with transparency and accountability to

   ensure the success and continued viability of the food and drink

   business

5. engage with relevant people to agree and determine the food and

   drink business's strategy, policy and structure

   Ensure implementation and compliance

6. delegate authority to the relevant people within the food and drink

   business to implement strategy, policy and structure through

   organisational plans, systems and procedures

7. confirm compliance with the regulatory and organisational

   requirements of the food and drink business

8. agree finance and resources for the implementation of the food

   and drink business's objectives and plans

9. monitor and review the performance of the food and drink

   business in line with objectives and use to contribute to the annual

   report

10. contribute to decision making around the continued viability of a

    food and drink business

1. what the regulatory requirements relating to the operation of a

   food and drink business are and the governing body's

   responsibility in ensuring adherence to them

   2. the legal, regulatory, organisational, systems and procedures

   relating to the operation of a food and drink business governing

   body

   3. why it is important to provide governance that is transparent and

   accountable and how to do this

   4. why it is important to define the responsibilities of the chair of the

   governing body and the Chief Executive Officer of the food and

   drink business

   5. what the requirements of the governing body are to strategy,

   culture, policy and planning development, their implementation in

   a food and drink business and how to carry this out

   6. what the requirements and responsibilities of the governing body

   are with respect to setting objectives and plans for a food and

   drink business and why it is important to know and implement

   limits of authority

   7. why it is important to ensure the food and drink business has

   sufficient resources to carry out the organisational objectives and

   how to do this

   8. how to support development and change within a food and drink

   business and why it is important to do so

   9. the importance of informed decision making and the

   consequences if informed decision making does not take place

   10. how to liaise with people within the food and drink business and

   stakeholders to input into decision making and why it is important

   to do so

   11. how to delegate authority when providing governance for a food

   and drink business

   12. how to monitor and review the performance of the food and drink

   business in line with objectives

   13. the importance of producing an annual report and how to do this

   14. the regulatory requirements of those providing governance to a

   food and drink business and the processes and systems required

   to provide governance to a food and drink business

   15. the remit of the governing body and the limits of its authority

   16. the regulatory requirements relating to the operation of a business

   and those specifically relating to the operation of a food and drink

   business

   17. the different options available for the legal format of a food and

   drink business including sole trader, partnership, limited company

   or not for profit community interest companies and industrial and

   providence societies

   18. the advantages and disadvantages of each legal format and how

   it affects the operation of a food and drink business

   19. how the legal format can affect the tax position of the food and

   drink business

   20. the social and ethical responsibilities of the governing body of a

   food and drink business

   21. the specific liabilities that lie with the governing body of a food and

   drink business including health and safety, insurance, public

   liability, fire regulations, copyright and patent and others who this

   liability ultimately lies with

   22. why adherence to compliance with regulations, codes of practice

   and organisational requirements is essential to the success of a

   food and drink business and why it is important for the governing

   body to recognise and understand this

   23. the importance of informed input into decision making around

   strategy and policy development in a food and drink business

   24. the financial risks associated with the operation of a food and

   drink business and the implications to those providing governance

   if the food and drink business were to fail