How to review and strengthen your governance

Organised by: Lead Partner:

Media Partner:

Sponsors:PM3: HOW TO REVIEW & STRENGTHEN YOUR GOVERNANCE

SPEAKERS:• ANNE MOYNIHAN, SENIOR

GOVERNANCE CONSULTANT, NCVO

• LINDSAY MITCHELL, TRUSTEE & CHAIR OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, NEBDN

• PHIL HUGHES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NEBDN

Drinks sponsor:

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PURPOSE OF THE SESSION

• Consider why boards should review & discuss the effectiveness of their governance arrangements

• Look closely at how one charity is seeking to strengthen the way it is governed

• Hear from others – insights, tips & tools• Provide an introduction to - and opportunity to use

- NCVO’s Governance Wheel (a tool to measure & support change in board performance)

• Signposting to additional support

TRACKING GOVERNANCE PERFORMANCEIf the buck stops with the board, how do boards know they have all the bases covered? You get feedback….. & reflect

How are we doing?How could we improve the way we do things?Do we/the board add value?How much time do we spend on strategy and risk?Do we provide sufficient challenge – staff, each other?

• To make sure nothing gets lost & keep the board and charity on track

• To ensure it is appropriate for the charity’s size, complexity & stage of development

• To improve the performance of the board & the charity

• To enable the board to focus on strategy, results, impacts and outcomes of the charity's work – deliver greater public benefit!

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REVIEWING YOUR GOVERNANCE: WHY?

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“Our evidence suggests that in future greater attention should be given to the

behavioural characteristics such as conducting formal individual and board performance reviews, ensuring greater

focus on strategic topics at board meetings and team working.”

Delivering Effective Governance, Compass Partnership/Cass Business School, 2012

• Systems and processes • Performance of trustees and the board • Delegated authority • Risks • Outcomes and impact

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REVIEWING YOUR GOVERNANCE: WHAT?Best practice is that a charity periodically reviews it governance. This can include a review of:

How to review and strengthen your

GovernanceCase Study

National Examining Board for Dental Nurses

National Examining Board for Dental Nurses

Phil Hughes – CEOLindsay Mitchell - Trustee

Why Review Governance?

• Strategic Focus• Policies / Procedures• External Forces / Regulation

What did we do?

• Working Group / Committee• Review:• Memorandum & Articles• Risk• Trustee Recruitment, Selection,

Support

Considerations• Skills• Enthusiasm• Willingness

Achievements• Revised Mem & Arts with more

streamlined membership structure• Appointed 4 new Trustees• Risk management policy, register

and incident log• Governance Manuals• Improved Annual Reporting

Benefits

• Greater clarity / focus across organisation

• Less reactive• Greater confidence / understanding• Making a difference

What Next?

• More hard work!• Committee support / focus• Review and monitor• Impact

Who has reviewed (or is planning to) their organisation’s governance/board performance? • Approach taken?• What worked?• What proved to be problematic?• Lessons learned?• Benefits achieved?• Next steps?

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EXERCISE: SHARE INSIGHTS, TIPS & TOOLS

Level one if the main text level

Level two is used for subtitles• Level three is the first level of bullets

• Level four is the second level of bullets• Level five is the third level of the bullets

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• Discussion and diagnostic tool• Takes each of the six Code principles in turn• Indicates the questions a board should ask itself in relation to each• Board makes an assessment based on the description of the

journey of change (full board consensus)• From the assessment, strengths and areas for improvement can be

identified and an action plan for improvement devised• Assessment should be repeated periodically and results compared

– why do they differ?

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GOVERNANCE WHEEL: HOW IT WORKS

Use the Governance Wheel to begin to review your organisation’s governance and ask the right questions:

• Agree on confidentiality – it’s important to be as truthful as possible

• Spend a couple of minutes introducing your Board/Governance arrangements to your partner

• Work through one (or more) of the principles and mark where each of you think your Board is on the journey of change

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EXERCISE: DISCUSSION AND ASSESSMENT

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FURTHER INFORMATION & SUPPORTNCVO www.ncvo.org.uk or www.knowhownonprofit.org NCVO consultancy www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/consultancyGood Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector www.governancecode.org Charity Commission guidance: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commissionThe Good Trustee Guide, 6th ed., NCVO 2015Good governance: a practical guide for trustees, chairs and CEOs, NCVO

Anne MoynihanAnne.Moynihan@ncvo.org.uk

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