ISO 37000:2021
ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organizations - Guidance. Provides guidance on the governance of organizations, establishing principles and key aspects of practice to help governing bodies and other stakeholders. Applicable to all organizations regardless of type, size, or sector. Focuses on purpose, value generation, strategy, oversight, and accountability.
ISO 37000:2021 is a compliance framework from International with 11 domains and 59 controls that map to 12 other frameworks. The largest domains are Operational (12 controls), Enabling (8 controls), Enabling Principles (8 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
Framework summaries on this platform are AI-assisted interpretations for educational and compliance planning purposes. They do not reproduce or replace the official standards. Refer to the authoritative source for the definitive text. Framework names and trademarks belong to their respective organisations.
Framework Domains (11)
Enabling
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GOV-ACCOUNT | Accountability Mechanisms |
| GOV-DATA | Data Informed Decisions |
| GOV-LEAD | Ethical Leadership |
| GOV-OVERSIGHT | Governing Body Oversight |
| GOV-RISK | Risk Appetite and Tolerance |
| GOV-SOCIAL | Social Responsibility Integration |
| GOV-STAKE | Stakeholder Identification and Engagement |
| GOV-VIABLE | Long-Term Viability |
Enabling Principles
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-5.1 | Oversight |
| ISO37000-5.2 | Accountability |
| ISO37000-5.3 | Stakeholder Engagement |
| ISO37000-5.4 | Leadership |
| ISO37000-5.5 | Data and Decisions |
| ISO37000-5.6 | Risk Governance |
| ISO37000-5.7 | Social Responsibility |
| ISO37000-5.8 | Viability and Performance |
Foundational
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GOV-PURPOSE | Organizational Purpose |
| GOV-STRATEGY | Strategy Setting and Review |
| GOV-VALUE | Value Generation Across Horizons |
Foundational Principles
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-4.1 | Purpose |
| ISO37000-4.2 | Value Generation |
| ISO37000-4.3 | Strategy |
Governance Foundations
Principles and structures that form the foundation of effective organizational governance.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-GF-01 | Cl. 6.9 Ethical behavior - Acting with integrity, honesty, equity, and social responsibility |
| ISO37000-GF-02 | Cl. 6.5 Accountability - Being answerable for decisions and actions to stakeholders |
| ISO37000-GF-03 | Cl. 6.7 Transparency - Disclosing information to enable informed decision-making by stakeholders |
| ISO37000-GF-04 | Cl. 5 Rule of law - Compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and governance codes |
| ISO37000-GF-05 | Cl. 6.6 Stakeholder rights - Respecting and protecting stakeholder rights across governance decisions |
Operational
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GOV-ASSURE | Assurance Arrangements |
| GOV-COI | Conflicts of Interest |
| GOV-COMP | Governing Body Composition |
| GOV-EVAL | Governing Body Evaluation |
| GOV-REM | Remuneration Governance |
| GOV-REPORT | Reporting and Transparency |
| ISO37000-6.1 | Governance Body Composition |
| ISO37000-6.2 | Governing Body Effectiveness |
| ISO37000-6.3 | Conflict of Interest |
| ISO37000-6.4 | Remuneration |
| ISO37000-6.5 | Assurance |
| ISO37000-6.6 | Reporting and Transparency |
Organizational Culture and Capability
Fostering a culture that supports purpose achievement and building organizational capability.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-CC-01 | Cl. 5.2 Governance culture - Tone at the top promoting integrity, accountability, and transparency |
| ISO37000-CC-02 | Cl. 7.6 Organizational resilience - Capacity to anticipate, respond to, and recover from disruptions |
| ISO37000-CC-03 | Cl. 4.3.2 Competence - Leadership development, succession planning, and talent management for governance |
| ISO37000-CC-04 | Cl. 6.8 Data and decisions - Data governance and information management for informed decision-making |
Oversight and Assurance
The governing body's oversight of management and organizational performance.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-OA-01 | Cl. 4.3 Governing body - Composition, independence, competence, and commitment of the governing body |
| ISO37000-OA-02 | Cl. 4.2.2 Delegation - Clear mandates with accountability for delegated oversight of management |
| ISO37000-OA-03 | Cl. 6.4 Oversight - Internal control and assurance systems for managing risks and ensuring compliance |
| ISO37000-OA-04 | Cl. 7.5 Monitoring and evaluation - Regular review of governance effectiveness and performance |
Performance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GOV-ADAPT | Adaptive Governance |
| GOV-OUTCOME | Governance Outcomes Measurement |
| ISO37000-7.1 | Governance Outcomes |
| ISO37000-7.2 | Adapting Governance |
Purpose and Value Generation
Establishing and pursuing the organization's purpose to generate value for the organization and its stakeholders over time.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-PV-01 | Cl. 6.1 Purpose - Defining organizational purpose aligned with stakeholder expectations |
| ISO37000-PV-02 | Cl. 6.2 Value generation - Creating and preserving value for the organization and stakeholders over time |
| ISO37000-PV-03 | Cl. 6.6 Stakeholder engagement - Understanding and responding to stakeholder interests and expectations |
| ISO37000-PV-04 | Cl. 6.10 Social responsibility - Integrating economic, social, and environmental considerations into governance |
Strategy and Direction
Setting organizational strategy and direction aligned with purpose, managing risks and opportunities.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO37000-SD-01 | Cl. 6.3 Strategy - Formulating strategy aligned with organizational purpose and stakeholder expectations |
| ISO37000-SD-02 | Cl. 7.3 Risk governance - Identifying and managing risks to strategic objectives through risk-based thinking |
| ISO37000-SD-03 | Cl. 7.4 Resource governance - Ensuring resources are deployed to achieve strategic priorities and generate value |
| ISO37000-SD-04 | Cl. 6.11 Viability and performance - Setting measurable objectives and monitoring outcomes for sustained performance |
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with ISO 37000:2021, you already cover:
ISO/IEC 38500:2024
15%
9 controls mapped
Compare →WHO Global Competency Model
10%
6 controls mapped
Compare →OECD/G20 Principles of Corporate Governance
10%
6 controls mapped
Compare →+ 9 more: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) Model (8%), Argyris Double-Loop Learning (8%)
See all 12 mapped frameworks ↓Maps to 12 other frameworks
What is ISO 37000:2021 and who does it apply to?
ISO 37000:2021 is a compliance framework from International with 11 domains and 59 controls. ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organizations - Guidance. Provides guidance on the governance of organizations, establishing principles and key aspects of practice to help governing bodies and other stakeholders. Applicable to all organizations regardless of type, size, or sector. Focuses on purpose, value generation, strategy, oversight, and accountability. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does ISO 37000:2021 actually require?
ISO 37000:2021 has 59 controls organised across 11 domains. The largest domains are Operational (12 controls), Enabling (8 controls), Enabling Principles (8 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of ISO 37000:2021 do I already cover?
ISO 37000:2021 maps to 12 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are ISO/IEC 38500:2024 (15% coverage), WHO Global Competency Model (10% coverage), OECD/G20 Principles of Corporate Governance (10% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I implement ISO 37000:2021?
Start your ISO 37000:2021 compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about ISO 37000:2021 requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 59 controls and track your progress.
Start Your Compliance Journey
Create a free account to run self-assessments, get AI advisory, and track your compliance progress across 686 frameworks.
Get Started Free →Free forever — no credit card required