How to Conduct a Board Self-Assessment

Board Self-Assessment

It is crucial to take a look at the entire board. There is no one who is responsible for overseeing the board. Self-assessments on board members play a vital role in governance of boards and ensure that boards are able fulfill their leadership roles during turbulent times.

Effective assessments reveal strengths in governance and weaknesses, as well as areas where the board can enhance its performance to better fulfill its governance responsibilities. They can provide valuable insights that will help guide the board’s attention and efforts for the next year. A board can make use of an available tool for commercial use or the assistance of an expert to conduct its own assessment. One option that is suitable for many non-profit organizations is the Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire, developed by the Center and https://novalauncherprime.pro/full-board-self-assessment-checklist/ utilized by thousands of board members throughout the US and across the globe since 2009.

We recommend that you first determine the scope of your evaluation should you decide to conduct it yourself. Many boards choose to evaluate the entire board, the board’s leadership and/or specific committees. The clarity of the assessment’s purpose and process is crucial for a successful conclusion.

After you have defined the scope of the assessment, you may want to consider hiring an independent third-party facilitator to help guide the process. A knowledgeable facilitator can help to guide the discussion and ensure that everyone on the board feels at ease giving honest feedback.

Some boards compare their findings with those of other hospitals or health systems. However, due to the significant differences in structure, size, and scope of authority, many databases don’t provide apples-toapples comparisons.