Board Manual

Introduction

A board manual is a summary of the expectations, rules and modes of work for the governing board of the organisation.

Why

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This toolkit is useful when your organisation:

• needs to ensure the effective functioning of the existing board.
• is in the process of expanding the board and needs to ensure that the new members are aligned to the organisation’s and board's objectives, goals and policies and method of operation.
• needs to attract and retain board members.

What you can expect

In six steps this toolkit will guide you to write a manual for your organisation's board of trustees. Here you’ll find a step-by-step guide, tools, examples and other resources for making a board manual.

Step 1: Assigning Responsibility

• Identify a board member who can take ownership of the board manual and provide the needed inputs. This board member would also be involved in updating the board manual and ensuring the orientation of all board members.

Step 2: Assessing the Need

• Let this board member conduct a needs assessment to see which board systems, processes and policies are already there, in a formal or informal way. Then discuss what needs to be formalised and what needs to be developed from scratch.

Step 3: Adressing the Gaps

• Identify systems, processes and policies that need development or improvement.
• Identify what activities to do and/or policies to enact to fill in the gaps.
• Establish a timeline for each change to take place, and identify who will be responsible for overseeing them.

Step 4: Documenting the Board Manual

• Prepare the manual based on the trust deed, the existing as well as newly introduced systems processes and policies of the organisation. Use the tool Contents of a Board Manual for this. The scope and detail of the manual may differ depending on the needs and nature of the organisation.
• Share the board manual with key members of the board and the organisation leaders for approval.

Step 5: Orienting Board Members

• Orient existing and new board members to the contents of the manual during a board orientation session.
• Give them a copy of the manual.

Step 6: Review

• Review the board manual periodically. A selected board member or a board development committee (in case of large boards) should review and update the board manual.

Key To Success

• The scope and detail of the manual may differ depending on the needs and nature of the organisation.
• Every member of the board should have a copy of the manual.
• The board development committee, if in existence, should be in charge of updating the manual.

Challenges

• The organisation may not have job descriptions, policies, systems and procedures for the board prepared.