Policy Governance® is more than a structure. It is an integrated model of principles, philosophy, structure and process. The governing style of a Policy Governance board is best described in the following broad policy, entitled Governing Style:
"The board will govern with an emphasis on (a) outward vision rather than an internal preoccupation, (b) encouragement of diversity in viewpoints, (c) strategic leadership more than administrative detail, (d) clear distinction of board and chief executive roles, (e) collective rather than individual decisions, (f) future rather than past or present, and (g) proactivity rather than reactivity.
On any issue, the Board must insure that all divergent views are considered in making decisions, yet must resolve into a single organizational position.
Features of the Model:
- The Board is accountable to the Owners (the group that gives the organization its legitimacy and for whom the board serves as the moral trustee). Customer accountability is the job of management. The Board, however, establishes and monitors the direction of the organization through Ends policy which determines, “what good, for which beneficiaries, at what cost to the organization.” The Board also establishes policy to define parameters for unacceptable operational performance as well as its own rules of engagement for linking with the external ownership and the internal operational organization.
- The Board acts as the moral trustees of the entire ownership, rather than constituency representation.
- The Board has only one employee, the CEO.
- Policy is developed from broadest conceptual concern to smaller policies. The Board stops making policy when it can accept ANY reasonable interpretation of its words.
- Policy is developed in four categories: Ends, Executive Limitations, Board-CEO Linkage, and Governance Process/Ownership Linkage.
The philosophical bases for the model:
- Clear and defined accountability
- The Board and CEO demonstrating servant-leadership
- Empowerment of the Board and CEO to do what they do best
- Clarity of group values where the Board seeks the range of diverse opinion within the ownership community, but resolves into a single organizational voice.
The Process of Policy Governance:
- Policy drives EVERYTHING
- When an issue comes before the Board, the entity first establishes:
- Is this a shared issue? If so, then:
- Whose issue is this?
- What have we already said in policy relating to this issue?
- Do we need to say more about the issue?
- The Board monitors compliance with all policies established, including a self-assessment of its own practices that may undermine operational accountability.
Policy Governance® is the service mark of John and Miriam Carver. The authoritative website for Policy Governance® is www.policygovernance.com.
The CAE Exam Preparation Program is a collaborative effort between the Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) offering three different products, all geared to preparing association executives who are pursuing the designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE). The products include 3 online courses, each offered twice annually. The collaboration also published a study guide that was used by Allied Societies around the US. It is believed that this collaboration directly prepares at least 1/3 of the candidates entering the rank of CAE.
Capacity Canada: Identified as an Executive in Residence with Capacity Canada, Radwan developed the Modern Board Series, an online course on what it takes to become a modern board. The courses focus on governing from the "helicopter view". This coursework is delivered by Conestoga College, based in Kitchener, Ontario. Radwan was commissioned by the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador to co-author a course on Inclusive Governance, focused on governing from a Feminist Perspective. The course includes a tool to assess board readiness for diversity. This project was then integrated into the Modern Board Course.
Radwan is a lead designer of the Governance Bootcamp, an annual event focused on enhancing the governance capacity of Canada's registered charities. Additionally, Capacity Canada calls on Radwan to work with Boards that desire governance orientation toward becoming more strategic.
Policy Governance® Specific Topics:
General Governance Topics:
Other Topics:
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