Whilst many Steering Groups work really well, there are a few misunderstandings that often get in the way.

• A Steering Group is a communications forum: No it isn’t. It’s purpose is to make decisions that help move the programme forward
• Steering Groups are monthly and last 2 hours: They might be, but let the needs of the programme dictate the schedule
• The more attendees the better: Never; go for the minimum attendees you need to make the decisions on the agenda
• Lots of large decks of slides are needed: No, they won’t be read; only present the information that is needed, and present it clearly
• The Programme Manager should be challenged hard: Sometimes; support is also needed – this is collaboration, not a trial.

The better the Steering Group, the more likely it is that the programme will be successful, so investing some time in getting it working well is always worthwhile.

The Steering Group Self-Assessment tool asks you to describe the programme. This data helps us to calibrate the data and provide additional future insights. Then you are asked a number of questions grouped into themes.

Some suggestions when you use the tool:

• Flip between the data-entry and the results panels as much as you need
• If you want to come back to the data later, simply bookmark the page in your browser. We will keep the data (which is completely anonymous) for you
• If you want to share your data with colleagues, simply forward your saved bookmark to them
• It’s worth considering asking every member of the Steering Group to complete the tool themselves, collate the data and decide collectively any improvements that are needed
• Use the suggested “What Good Looks Like” in the tool to help you think about your own specific actions

We hope the Steering Group Self-Assessment helps you to build and run a great Steering Group, and we would welcome any and all feedback you have.