Understanding more about governance and board work

The board's role: Hire a chief executive

In preparation for a new hire, the board should review the mission and strategic plan.

The board's role: Assure availability of resources and protection of assets

The boards job is to see that the organization manages the organization's resources effectively. It also has a role to protect accumulated assets.

The board's role: Support chief executive and evaluate performance

Supporting the CEO means backing up the CEO in public and addressing any concerns privately with tact and diplomacy.

The board's role: Maintain oversight of programs and services

The board is not responsible for creating new programs or services, but to assure that what the organization offers is directly in alignment with the organization’s mission.

The board's role: Determine strategic direction

The board’s fiduciary duty incorporates the function of defining direction, assuring that there are long range goals toward sustainable and relevant service to those served.

The board's role: Enhance public image

The board members serve as ambassadors as well as trustees. As such, the board should be the link between the “members as owners” and the operational organization.

The board's role: Assure effective organizational planning

There is considerable debate about who should create the strategic organizational plan. It doesn’t matter who does it as much as it matters that it is done. It is the board’s job to assure that effective planning is done.

The board's role: Assure legal and ethical behavior and accountability

Under the Duty of Obedience, the board is ultimately accountable for legal compliance in the organization,

  1. The board's role: Build governance capacity and evaluate the board's own performance
  2. Keys to the Policy Governance Model's Effectiveness
  3. PG Benefits and Challenges for Organizations
  4. What is special about Policy Governance®?
  5. Excellence in governance
  6. Fiduciary duties and how they are fulfilled in Policy Governance
  7. Choosing a framework
  8. Different frameworks for governance
  9. Different types of boards
  10. What is the board’s role?