New Governance Code for Culture brings more clarity

Good governance and supervision require clear roles, careful consideration, and an open conversation about responsibilities. With the updated Governance Code Culture, Cultuur+Ondernemen offers cultural organisations more guidance in applying the code in daily practice. Titia Haaxma, Director-Manager of Cultuur+Ondernemen, states: “Organisations indicated they needed more support in applying the code. That's why the updated code offers more clarity on how the governance principles can be applied in practice.”

The previous version of the Governance Code for Culture dated back to 2019. Over the past year, Cultuur+Ondernemen, in collaboration with the sector, investigated the issues organisations encounter when applying the code. This revealed, among other things, that organisations need a more accessible code, more attention to current societal issues, and more support in translating principles into daily practice.

Practical, more accessible and up-to-date

The revised Governance Code for the Cultural Sector continues to be based on the ‘comply or explain’ principle: organisations have room for tailor-made solutions, provided they adequately justify deviations from recommendations and communicate openly about them. To better support organisations in this, the code has been made more accessible in terms of language and structure, and direct links to guidelines and practical examples have been included.

The code makes it clear what the roles of directors and supervisors are, and how they can reinforce each other without stepping on each other's toes. According to Haaxma, the updated code helps to make this more concrete in practice: “With this code, we’re clearing the fog: directors and supervisors will have a sharper view of their role, what they can expect from each other and how they can strengthen one another.”

New recommendations on conflict resolution and a supervisory vision provide additional tools for the interplay between management and supervision. Furthermore, the code aligns with current issues within the sector. Themes such as social safety, ecological sustainability, and employee engagement have been made more explicit in the new code.

Invitation to lasting dialogue

The Governance Code Culture is a form of self-regulation and is considered an important standard for good governance and supervision within the cultural sector. With the revision, Cultuur+Ondernemen aims to support organisations in having discussions about responsibility, behaviour, and the quality of governance and supervision.

“Good governance and oversight arise not only from clear agreements, but primarily from the way people work together and hold each other accountable,” according to Haaxma. “The code is therefore once again an invitation to have that conversation and to learn together.”