4. Roles and Responsibilities of the Board of Management

Members of an organisation’s Board (also referred to as a governing committee, Board of directors or Board of management) take on a lot of responsibility when accepting a place on the Board. Communities place their trust in the hands of their Boards and expect them to work with principles of good governance. Governance is about organising processes for:

·       decision making

·       implementation of agreed decisions

·       gathering the necessary resources to support implementation

·       reviewing processes and outcomes

·       supporting processes and outcomes that achieve desired results

·       adjusting processes where the desired outcomes fall short.

 

The Board should review its focus on a regular basis to ensure it is operating well and in the best interests of the community. This may lead to reaffirming current practices or a shift in priorities, changes to processes or meeting arrangements.

The Board should devote its attention to strategic matters, and to organisational development and improvement. The day-to-day management of the organisation is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Being elected to the Board can be a daunting experience for some people, especially if it is the first occasion they have had the honour. Board members must become familiar with what the organisation does and how it operates. Do some research on the organisation, other similar organisations, attend an induction and ask questions.

 

Discussion Point:

How should newly elected members be inducted and what should be included in an induction?