“Our organisation undertook an external board review which was conducted by Jillian van Turnhout, in association with Carmichael. The process worked very well in terms of being appropriate to our particular circumstances, manageable for board members in terms of time commitment, which also helped with engagement. Jillian’s expertise in this area also added significant value regarding eliciting feedback and offering useful suggestions and aids for future effectiveness.”
Michael, Mid-sized charity and CLG
Board evaluation is increasingly acknowledged as essential for improving board performance and effectiveness. Board Evaluation refers to a process that assesses effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of board members. These evaluations should be carried out regularly, to assure that the activities of the Board are geared towards effective corporate governance.
An external evaluation should not solely be limited to assess whether a Board and its committees have performed satisfactorily. The evaluation process should test the dynamics and processes of the Board, its structure and composition, its financial oversight and risk management, its strategic approach and capacity, and its values and compliance.
This approach reflects more than 3,000 years of continuous meaning of the word governance in our society. It derives from the Greek Kubernetes, the steersman of a ship. This direction-giving role is complemented nowadays by the term cybernetics (from the same root) concerning the feedback and learning mechanisms showing whether the direction is effective.
The comprehensive nature and objectivity of the evaluation will identify gaps and areas for improvement whilst signposting how to improve the effectiveness and performance of the Board.
I provide an objective and independent assessment of how effective your board and board committees are in practice. I provide clear and practical next steps to take to improve board performance and effectiveness.
For each evaluation, I tailor an approach to ensure a rounded evaluation which will include a formal questionnaire, interviews and review of documentation. A Board report brings together the results, findings and recommendations and is used as a basis for a Board discussion and agreement on the next steps.
If you feel your Board can benefit from a third-party assessment, please contact me.