What is Governance committee?

Understanding Governance committee

A formal body of personnel who determine how decisions will be made within the organization and the entity that can approve changes and exceptions to current relevant governance. A governance committee is a formal group responsible for oversight, direction, and decision-making regarding specific aspects of organizational management, typically including security, risk, compliance, or IT governance. These committees establish policies, review exceptions, monitor metrics, and ensure strategic alignment. Governance committees are recommended in frameworks like COBIT, ISO 27001, and various regulatory guidance. Organizations implement governance committees through formal charters, regular meetings, documented decisions, and clear authority structures with representation from relevant business units. For example, an Information Security Governance Committee might include executives from IT, security, legal, compliance, and key business units, meeting quarterly to review security metrics, approve major policy changes, and determine security investment priorities. Related terms: Board of directors, Executive oversight, Steering committee, Change advisory board, Risk committee, Accountability, Decision authority.