Board of Directors' Self-Assessment Tool

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announcements (2) tips for effective boards (103)

Tip #15 Board Self-Assessment Tool

December 1, 2016 | tips for effective boards

An important governance practice for boards committed to ongoing board performance improvement is a periodic comprehensive board self-assessment. Governance experts recommend such an assessment about every two to four years.

Boards On Course has developed a tool for such a comprehensive board self-assessment. The tool is generally applicable to all non-profit and public governing boards. The Boards On Course Board of Directors’ Comprehensive Self-Assessment Survey includes 30 statements to which respondents signify: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree or Strongly Disagree. Four open-ended questions follow to allow for board member comments.

You are free to make copies, distribute copies, and use as you may wish. I only request that you observe the copyright expectation of attributing the tool to its source, Boards On Course. If you wish to receive a completely formatted Word document version of the tool, please send an email message to jpbohley@gmail.com and I will be happy to send you an email Word document attachment of the Boards On Course Board of Directors’ Comprehensive Self-Assessment Survey.

Also, I will be happy to provide any or all of the following services for your board. I can customize the board self-assessment tool to include issues and concerns specific to your board. Your board members can send their completed questionnaires directly to me and I can prepare a summary report of their responses to the tool’s questions with the ratings and comments of individual board members remaining confidential. I can make a presentation to your board of the summary report and facilitate board discussion to identify opportunities and plans for board performance improvement. If you may be interested in any of these services, please contact me.

The Boards On Course Board Comprehensive Self-Assessment Survey follows.

Boards On Course

Board of Directors’ Comprehensive Self-Assessment Survey

For Non-Profit and Public Governing Boards

Board Member’s Name (optional)	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
1. Our board of directors is clear about and embraces the mission of our organization.
2. Our board of directors is clear about its role and responsibilities.
3. I am clear about my role and responsibilities as an individual board member.
4. Our board has an effective process for recruiting and orienting new board members.
5. Our board is effective in ensuring competent leadership of the board and its committees.
6. Our board has identified those people on whose behalf it governs and to whom it is accountable and communicates regularly with them.
7. Our board is committed to a board and organizational culture of transparency and ethical behavior.
8. Our board has written policies in place that define its expectations regarding its own performance.
9. Clear criteria are in place for defining the success of our organization.
10. Our board has clear expectations of the chief executive and communicates them clearly to him or her.
11. An effective system is in place for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the chief executive and our organization.
12. Our board’s monitoring and evaluation system includes effective monitoring of financial performance and other risk management indicators.
13. Our board delegates effectively to the chief executive and does not engage in micromanaging operational matters.
14. Our board has a clear understanding of where their authority ends and the authority of the chief executive and staff begins.
15. Our board is clear about the roles of the chief executive and board chair and how they relate to each other.
16. The number and types of board committees work well for our board.
17. Committees of the board have clearly defined roles and function effectively.
18. I am satisfied with the frequency and length of our board meetings.
19. The size of our board (number of board members) is about right.
20. Materials provided to board members in advance of board meetings are adequate and helpful.
21. Board members are well prepared for board meetings.
22. At our board meetings, most of our time is spent on the really important governance issues.
23. Our board meeting process for discussions and decision-making works well.
24. At our board meetings, everyone participates in discussions and decision-making.
25. Communication among board members is courteous and respectful.
26. We encourage diversity of opinions.
27. Board meetings begin and end on time.
28. Our board engages in ongoing monitoring of its own performance and in periodic comprehensive self-assessment.
29. Our board is committed to ongoing continuing education.
30. Our board is committed to continuous improvement, that is, to being the best board we can be.

Comments related to any of the statements above?

What do I like about our board meetings?

What don’t I like about our board meetings?

What can we do to improve our board meetings?

Copying, distributing, and use permitted if attributed to source.