Boards adding value: excellence in governance

Course summary

Voluntary boards can be a significant asset to 3rd Sector organisations. Everybody who regularly sits at the board table needs a chance to think about the way in which the board can add value to an organisation and what activities are best reserved for the board. This course is designed to give insight into the most effective ways in which non-executive boards can operate and how they can give an excellent grounding to an organisation.


Course outline

The course will cover:

• The purpose and practice of governance, including:
• o Legal responsibilities
• o The distinct role of the non-executive director
• o The particular tasks that boards reserve for themselves
• o The lessons available from the private sector

• The board's role in setting strategy and vision, including:
• o The leadership of the board
• o Mission, vision and business planning
• o The setting and maintenance of direction
• o The relationship with executives in relation to strategy
• o Mergers and acquisitions

• The board's role in relation to finance, audit and checks and balances, including:
• o Reports required to maintain level of required knowledge
• o Trust and confidence in executives
• o The audit committee

• The different ways in which boards can be structured, including:
• o Legal requirements for particular officers and structures
• o Structuring for efficiency and effectiveness
• o Options for appointment to ensure a consistent, balanced board

• How to conduct effective board meetings, including:
• o Timing and regularity
• o Content and focus
• o Level and length of discussion
• o Collective responsibility for the meeting
• o Questioning styles

Who is this course for?

This course is for board members and trustees of not for profit organisations, and for senior managers and executives who report directly to a board.


What will this course help me do: learning outcomes?

Participants will have the chance to examine their role on the board and both the potential and proper limitations of it, and by the end of the course will understand how a board can operate more effectively.