Board Governance PDF Print E-mail

"Knowledgeable expert, professional treatment and advice, and an excellent investment in growth and development for our agency."
- Nadereh Salim, CEO Children's Network of Southwest Florida

Process Consultation and Training for Governance Boards

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Board development is to cultivate a dynamic process of governance for the Board of Directors.  This process empowers the Board to align the strategic identity of the organization with its responsibility to provide guidance.

OUTCOMES:

  1. The board will build upon the strengths and values of the organization.
  2. The board will grow in the awareness of a common, shared vision.
  3. The board will select strategic outcomes that will focus the mission.
  4. The board’s organizational structure will be able to accomplish its mission.
  5. The board will establish an ongoing evaluation and renewal process.

If you are hoping to improve your Board ability to accomplish its mission, you need to evaluate its structure.

EFFECTIVE BOARD STRUCTURE:

  1. Matches the developmental stage of the organization.
  2. Is chosen, taught and embraced by the board.
  3. Offers stability and flexibility.

YOU DO HAVE CHOICES:

OPERATIONAL: Board members do the work of the organization as well as governing it. This is typical of a board in the founding stage and organizations, such as service clubs, that have no staff and that must rely largely on board members and other volunteers to achieve their aims.

MANAGEMENT: The board manages operation and will have modest staff, e.g., a single staff coordinator. Board members actively manage finances, personnel, service delivery, etc. Staff members may report to board member managers directly, through a staff coordinator or through a dual reporting line.

TRADITIONAL: The board governs and oversees operations through committees but delegates management functions to the CEO. Committees are used to process information for the board and sometimes do the work of the board. The CEO may have a primary reporting relationship to the board through the board chair.

ADVISORY: A board whose principal role is to support the CEO who may well play a significant role in selection of board members. Provides legitimacy to the organization but exercises its governance role in a hands-off manner. Board members selected for community profile and contacts.

REPRESENTATIONAL: An approach used by organizations where governance is partially or wholly in the hands of publicly elected officials. This is the case for example with school boards, federations or other organizations where there is a need to ensure direct representation of constituents' interests. The challenge for board members is to balance the interests of their particular constituents against the best interests of the overall organization.

POLICY: The board governs through policies that define the board/CEO relationship, and establish organizational aims (ends), governance approach, and management limitations. The CEO has broad freedom to determine the means that will be used to achieve organizational aims. The CEO reports to the full board. It does not use committees but may use task teams to assist the board in specific aspects of its work.

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