Strong governance in awarding organisations starts with the right board. Understanding what good governance looks like in practice helps boards lead with clarity and accountability.
Awarding organisations sit at the centre of trust: learners depend on them, regulators watch closely and employers rely on the quality of their awards. Major policy reforms like the Lifelong Loan Entitlement and the rapid growth of digital credentialing are also changing the sector. Boards need to look beyond compliance and take a more active role in shaping organisational strategy.
Over the past three years, OCN London has demonstrated how intentional trustee recruitment can transform a board’s capability, confidence and impact. Their experience highlights an important point for the sector: strong governance depends on deliberate investment in people.
Read more: Ofqual governance principles and what AO boards need to know
Why governance in awarding organisations matters more today
Awarding organisations sit between regulatory oversight, public trust and learner outcomes. Boards need a deep understanding of:
- Education policy and regulatory requirements
- Long‑term financial sustainability
- Labour market needs and skills planning
- Organisational culture, people strategy and change leadership
- The realities of FE and HE delivery
- Digital transformation and new models of learning
Traditional governance experience alone is no longer enough. Your board needs to blend sector expertise with strategic perspective and lived experience to challenge constructively, anticipate risks and guide organisational strategy.
Start trustee recruitment with an honest board skills review
Like many organisations in the sector, OCN London knew the next few years would bring significant change. The board wanted to make sure it had the right mix of skills to guide the organisation through that period.
Their approach began with a principle often overlooked: good trustee recruitment starts with self-reflection.
We worked with OCN London to map the board’s strengths and identify the skills they wanted to bring in. We supported the board through a structured skills review and then led two trustee recruitment campaigns. The recruitment process also widened the search beyond traditional trustee networks, helping the board reach candidates with different backgrounds and experiences.
This skills‑based, forward‑looking approach allowed them to target key areas including finance, HR, FE leadership, awarding regulation, higher education policy and London’s skills ecosystem.
Rather than simply filling vacancies, OCN London focused on building the mix of expertise the organisation would need in the future.
How diverse experience strengthens governance and board decisions
Through two recruitment campaigns, OCN London attracted senior leaders from across further and higher education, local government, professional services, awarding organisations and economic inclusion policy.
This breadth of expertise has strengthened board discussions and decision-making.
Trustees now bring:
- Frontline understanding of learner experience
- Insight into employer needs and regional skills priorities
- Leadership expertise from large FE groups and universities
- Specialist regulatory and awarding‑sector experience
- Corporate HR and people‑strategy capability
- Strategic experience in social mobility, adult education and economic inclusion
The result is a board that debates issues more openly, challenges decisions more effectively and considers the organisation’s operating environment in greater depth.
Carlos Cubillo-Barsi, CEO of OCN London, emphasised the positive shift in board dynamics:
“The quality of candidates has improved, and the way we’ve been able to bring in a breadth of skills that we didn’t have before is great. The board feels more impactful; it feels like it’s driving decisions in a way that perhaps it wasn’t able to before because it has more confidence. Peridot understood our needs, they understood the sector, and they understood what we were looking for. And they were able to bring forward candidates that really met the brief.”
Read more: How cross-sector trustees strengthen awarding organisations
How stronger governance builds confidence across the organisation
Strengthening board expertise has had a direct impact on the wider organisation.
Internally, staff report increased confidence in board leadership and clarity of direction. Trustees report more informed discussions, stronger alignment with the organisation’s mission and greater confidence in strategic decision-making.
Externally, OCN London has continued to grow its partnerships, innovate its digital credentialing offer and broaden its regional influence, supported by a board able to engage meaningfully with the opportunities and risks ahead.
What other awarding organisations can learn
OCN London’s experience offers valuable insights for any organisation seeking to strengthen its governance:
1. Begin with an honest skills audit
Understanding your current board’s strengths and gaps is foundational to effective recruitment.
2. Recruit for future need, not past experience
Trustees should bring sector knowledge and a strategic perspective aligned to where your organisation is going.
3. Value diversity of background and thinking
Boards strengthened by different career paths, life experiences and professional domains make better decisions.
Read more: Why cognitive diversity on boards leads to better decisions
4. Treat trustee recruitment as a strategic investment
A stronger board builds organisational confidence, accelerates impact and enhances credibility with regulators and stakeholders.
5. Work with partners who understand your sector
Specialist insight ensures that recruitment is targeted, efficient and aligned with organisational purpose.
Why governance in awarding organisations matters for the future
As the education and skills landscape continues to shift, awarding organisations face both challenge and opportunity. Your organisation can navigate these changes more confidently when the board understands the sector and asks the right questions.
OCN London’s journey demonstrates what is possible when trustee recruitment is approached not as a compliance exercise, but as a catalyst for organisational development.
Boards shape the direction of an organisation. When you take time to bring the right people around the table, governance becomes more than oversight. It becomes leadership.
Read our full Trustee recruitment case study for OCN London.Rajia Alam is a Principal Consultant in Awarding, Assessment and Professional Education Appointments at Peridot Partners. She has worked in education recruitment for over 15 years and is a qualified recruiter through the REC. Rajia works closely with organisations to understand their needs and find leaders who can create lasting impact.
