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Board/Board Committee Meeting Materials

  • 18 Dec 2017 11:51 AM
    Message # 5641288
    Deleted user

    My organization continues to struggle with the quality, quantity and timeliness of pre-meeting information provided to directors to review in advance of board and board committee meetings.  (Directors say they get too much information, some of it coming too late).  I am looking for best practice guidance and success stories from organizations who have got it right.  I would also be interested in any recommendations for advisory services to conduct a third party assessment and provide recommendations for improvement.  Thank you. 

  • 29 Jan 2018 10:40 AM
    Reply # 5707226 on 5641288
    Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Not-for-profit (~700 FTEs)


    For Board/Board Committee materials, our briefings notes are typically no longer than 3 pages, the majority being 1-2 pages. Appendices are attached if needed. Board material is provided 6 business days prior to the meeting. Board committee material is provided 5 business days prior to the meeting. We recently used KPMG (Ottawa) for a Board governance review.
  • 29 Jan 2018 11:51 AM
    Reply # 5707437 on 5641288
    Deleted user

    Hi 

    We post all our Board and Committee packages one week in advance.  All materials are expected to be complete and in final form prior to that time, and the package is posted in its entirety.  The aim is to eliminate materials dribbling in and out to the Board over a period of time.  Anything that comes in after that , is a walk on.  We prepare 1-3 page cover reports for each item on the Agenda that provide context, essential information, and recommendations.  

    Recently, our governance reviews have been Board driven as part of the annual evaluation process.  In the past we have tended to use independent consultants rather than larger firms.

    Hope that helps a little!

  • 29 Jan 2018 1:32 PM
    Reply # 5707611 on 5641288
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    (Medium, 50-100 employees) Government- Federal Crown Corporation

    We use drop box to get reading material out to board members a minimum one week before meetings.  Management prepares their reports based on the one week rule.  Any exceptionally large reports are sent out asap to give the directors sufficient reading time.  Each director is issued an ipad that syncs to the drop box folder, very inexpensive overall, easy to update or revise reports and customize for committee work.  Highly recommended.  All board reports are numbered and they match the official agenda for that meeting.

  • 16 Feb 2018 11:17 AM
    Reply # 5740405 on 5641288
    Deleted user

    My organization struggles with the timeliness and having management presentations ready for review by the CEO prior to the delivery to our directors.  We attempt to provide the material a week prior to the meetings and end up reaching that goal; however, concerns with the quality, quantity and timeliness of pre-meeting information is a major concern.  We are changing at the last minute and constantly probing and waiting for information to meet this timeline.   

    I am looking for best practice guidance and recommendations on procedures that I could implement to ease the stress of this process and assist in meeting our deliverable to the board. 

    Thank you

  • 01 Mar 2018 7:12 AM
    Reply # 5883448 on 5641288
    Deleted user

    Our preparation timelines for the Board, 4 Committees and an Advisory Council (all happen in the same week) are as follows:

    6 weeks in advance the Executive Committee meets to review the agendas

    5 weeks in advance we meet with the Board Chair and Committee chairs individually to review the agendas

    3 weeks in advance, a first draft of the materials are due to the Board Secretary, then reviewed two days later by the whole Executive Committee

    2 weeks in advance, the final draft is due, then reviewed (shorter meeting)

    1 week in advance we release all complete materials via board portal

    The first draft is the biggest struggle as far as meeting the deadlines, but it gets everything on the table and makes it easier to get to the final materials by surfacing any issues earlier. We try to keep briefing notes to 2 pages, then an attachment if needed. 


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