Corporate governance has never been more demanding. Boards are expected to provide strategic direction, oversee risk, monitor performance, ensure accountability, and safeguard the long-term sustainability of their organisations. Yet despite these expanding responsibilities, one fundamental question remains surprisingly difficult to answer: How do boards know whether strategy is being executed? The traditional answer is simple: through board papers.
Every quarter, management presents reports, dashboards, PowerPoint slides, and narrative updates describing progress against the organisation’s strategic priorities. These reports are often comprehensive, professionally prepared, and reassuring. But they also expose one of the greatest gaps in modern corporate governance. So, the question is – where is the evidence?
Management reports that strategic initiatives are on track. Where is the evidence? A transformation programme is described as successful. Where is the evidence? Customer experience is said to be improving. Where is the evidence? Traffic lights are green, risks appear controlled, and milestones seem to have been achieved. But beyond the summaries and narratives, what objective evidence can directors examine to satisfy themselves that strategy is truly progressing as intended? These don’t show up in the board papers!
