Board and Committee Evaluation

Board and committee self-evaluation, and external evaluation, are now a standard requirement of most governance codes.  Evaluation is also a characteristic of good governance.  We provide a range of services in this area, as described below:

EXTERNAL EVALUATION

We carry out external evaluations for public sector bodies:

The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016) requires that public sector Boards be evaluated every 3 years. We carry out these external evaluations.

Our approach is adapted to the organisation that we are working with, and how it is structured. It includes:

-Meetings with the Chair of the Board and Board members
-Meetings with the Chief Executive and other senior members of the organisation
-Documentation review [including legislation]
-Relevant public sector policy analysis
-Questionnaire analysis
-The provision of a detailed report and recommendations

We take an analytical approach to external evaluation that is assisted by our experience of working in the public sector.  We look at every organisation in the context of how its governance aligns with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and how it is assisting the organisation to meet its objectives.

We carry out external evaluations for not-for-profit organisations:

To continuously strengthen their governance, not-for-profit organisations often commission external reviews.

In undertaking these reviews, we work with not-for-profit organisations to agree an appropriate methodology, which often includes the elements described above for public sector organisations. Our focus is on the principles and standards of the Charities Governance Code and on the objectives of the organisation.

PODCASTS

BOARD AND COMMITTEE SELF-EVALUATION

In addition to external evaluation, public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations are expected to conduct regular internal self-evaluations. The purpose is to continually check on how effectively their Boards and committees are operating and to make improvements where necessary.  We find that Board members really benefit from being prepared for these self-evaluations, and so we provide workshops for Board and committee members on:

• Preparation for self-evaluation against the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (half-day workshop)
• Preparation for self-evaluation against the Charities Governance Code (half-day workshop)

These workshops use self-evaluation as a means of working through these Codes with Board and committee members and seeing how they can contribute to meeting organisational aims.

ONE QUESTION GUIDES: SELF-EVALUATION

Our One Question Guides are available for download and aim to make the complicated simple.  We have produced three online guides to support you in conducting your board and committee self-evaluation, all of which are currently available free of charge via the Download Page:

• One Question Guide # 1 Board Self-Assessment Evaluation (an 8-step process for conducting a self-evaluation, a fillable pdf questionnaire that is ready-to-use by Board members, and templates for analysing, reporting and following-through on the results)
• Supplement to Guide # 1 Checklist for the Effectiveness of Audit and Risk Committees (a brief guide to self-evaluation and a fillable pdf questionnaire that is ready-to-use by Audit and Risk Committee members)
• Supplement to Guide # 1 Self-Assessment Evaluation Questionnaire for Board Committees (a brief guide to self-evaluation and a fillable pdf questionnaire that is ready-to-use by other Committees of the Board)

OTHER REQUIREMENTS?

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