Though there is much to be said for governing "beyond governments," it is a treacherous area with little practical guidance of how it can be done successfully. Collective governance should reinforce and strengthen government systems and enable the formal institutions to do their jobs. Certain challenges cannot be addressed by governments alone.This book sets out the first framework for those wishing to implement collective governance, involving civil society, companies and governments as key actors. Based on over six years of running the most advanced example of collective governance at the international level, the Head and Deputy Head of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) outline the practicalities and pitfalls, and draw out the experience of the EITI as a case example. It draws together the development of the process from an initiative, to an international multi-stakeholder forum, to a global standard. The authors explore the challenges of designing an appropriate standard.Beyond Governments tells a positive story of how this type of innovative governance can make real achievements, but also cautions against those who see governance as a silver bullet to solve development challenges. It provides practical guidance from the perspective of practitioners and will be essential reading for those in government, business and academia.