Governance is the system of decision rights, approvals, and gates that governs execution: who may authorize an initiative, who controls its funding, and who has the authority to stop it. It defines the formal structure of accountability and control around a portfolio of work.
Governance is often confused with cadence, but the two are different things working together. Governance defines who decides and under what authority; cadence is the operating rhythm in which deciding actually happens. Strong governance with no cadence stalls; strong cadence with no governance makes motion without the authority to commit resources.
