Styringsråd

Styringsråd is a governance body responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight for a project, program, or collaboration. It is tasked with ensuring that the initiative remains aligned with organizational strategy, policy requirements, and stakeholder expectations. The council reviews progress, approves major decisions, and serves as the escalation point for risks and issues that cannot be resolved within the project team.

Composition and mandate vary by organization, but a styringsråd typically includes senior representatives from participating organizations, sponsors or funders, and often a chair and deputy. Members bring political, financial, and operational perspectives, and the terms of reference define their mandate, decision rights, voting rules, and meeting cadence. The council may operate alongside or above a program management office or project management team.

Responsibilities commonly include approving the business case, budgets, and changes to scope or timelines; authorizing major milestones and deliverables; monitoring risk, quality, and value delivery; and ensuring compliance with laws, procurement rules, and strategic objectives. The styringsråd also handles major disputes, alignment with external stakeholders, and decisions requiring broader consent or investment beyond the project team’s authority.

In practice, the styringsråd functions as a higher-level governance mechanism, distinct from day-to-day management. It may be referred to as a steering committee in English, and its exact authority depends on the organizational framework and the project’s terms of reference. The concept is common in both public and private sectors for coordinating cross-organizational initiatives.