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How to create and implement a steering committee?

Rationale & Structure

​By Mansour Baker, SHRM-CP

Posted  30 March 2020

​The company Steering Committee provides oversight and quality review of the implementation of the management agenda and strategic initiatives.

Steering Committee Rationale

• A Steering Committee is a group of senior-level managers who provide oversight and quality review for implementation of change initiatives.
• A Steering Committee is a mechanism to ensure implementation of change initiatives is aligned to the organizational strategy and operational activities, has full transparency and coordination, maintains quality assurance, and ensures the primacy of company objectives in all activities.
• The Steering Committee would have 5-10 members made up of directors from core and support services departments.
• A primary subcommittee of the Steering Committee, the Management Agenda Subcommittee, would be made up of 4-5 members and oversee implementation of the management agenda initiatives included herein.
• All non-capital (strategic) projects could be overseen by a Non-Capital (Strategic) Initiatives Subcommittee, a potential secondary subcommittee of the Steering Committee made up of 4-5 members to ensure integrated and consistent oversight.

Exhibit 1

Company Steering Committee Organizational Structure

​Steering Committee

​The Steering Committee is chartered to provide management, guidance, and subject matter expertise to the company management and strategic initiatives.

Charter

• Identify projects that fall under the purview of the Steering Committee, baseline program timeline by Subcommittee, status, and outstanding issues.
• Provide oversight to all management agenda and non-capital (strategic) initiatives and take necessary actions to resolve issues and mitigate identified risks.

Key Members

5-10 Members:

• Chair: CEO 
• Members: Core Department Directors
• Members: Support Services Department Directors

Scope

• Implementation of management agenda
• Oversight of implementation of new and existing capital strategic initiatives

Reporting

• The Steering Committee receives bi-weekly reports from Subcommittees on each project’s progress and new and existing issues.
• The Steering Committee reports to the Board of Directors through quarterly reports that present critical issues and recommended actions.

Management Agenda Subcommittee

​The Management Agenda Subcommittee provides expertise and manages management agenda projects outlined in the blueprint.

Scope

• Management agenda projects outlined in the blueprint 
• Other projects approved by the Steering Committee

Reporting

• The Management Agenda Subcommittee receives weekly reports from Project Managers on each project’s progress and new and existing issues.
• The Management Agenda Subcommittee reports to the Steering Committee during the bi-weekly meetings, presenting critical issues and recommended actions, and requests Steering Committee decision on matters.

Non-Capital (Strategic) Initiatives

​The Non-Capital Strategic Initiatives Subcommittee provides expertise and manages non-capital strategic projects.

Scope

• Implementation of non-capital (strategic) projects (taken from company strategic plan) 
• All new non-capital (strategic) projects with a dedicated full-time project manager

Reporting

• The Non-Capital (Strategic) Initiatives Subcommittee receives weekly reports from Program Management on each project’s progress, new/existing issues, and pending change requests.
• The Non-Capital (Strategic) Initiatives Subcommittee reports to the Steering Committee during the bi-weekly meetings, presenting critical issues and recommended actions, and requests the Steering Committee decision.

Exhibit 2

Structured and regular meetings will promote effective implementation

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