'governance-wise' is formed in English by combining 'governance' with the suffix '-wise', where '-wise' means 'in terms of' or 'regarding'.

The suffix '-wise' has been used in English since the Middle Ages to form adverbs indicating 'in the manner of' or 'with respect to'. 'Governance-wise' is a modern compound, likely emerging in the late 20th or early 21st century.

Initially, '-wise' was used to form adverbs of manner, but in modern English, it is often used to mean 'with respect to' or 'regarding', as in 'governance-wise'.