In 2018 Betterboards were selected to carry out a Board evaluation of an Irish plc, with significant offices overseas. The process consisted of detailed discussions with the Chair, CEO, and the Chairs of each of the sub – committees, together with a customized
questionnaire for Board members. A key part of our review focused on succession planning and the risk management framework .We produced a detailed report with a series of recommendations and matters for the Board to consider.
In 2023 Betterboards were again selected by this client to carry out a Board effectiveness study, which focused on the role of the Chair (who was newly appointed), and a continued review of succession planning for the Board . This study was completed in collaboration
with the Company Secretary following one to one discussions with all Board members after completion of a customized questionnaire and review of best practice options in benchmark companies. It concluded with a detailed discussion with the Governance and Nominations Committee on the proposed recommendations .
We were commissioned in 2017 to help a large commercial semi-state entity to review their Board and Sub-Committee responsibilities, carry out an assessment of the current skills and competencies on the Board and Sub-Committees, define the future skills required linked to their strategic aims, identify any short-term gaps and long-term requirements and provide them with a roadmap to meeting these against the timeframe of future appointments.
We brought our wide experience of working on and chairing state Boards to this assignment together with our deep understanding of the public appointments process for such Boards.
We were invited back in 2020 to consider how our recommendations had been implemented, to look at the current make-up and composition of the Board against a renewed strategy and refresh the future requirements while ensuring that the latest developments in best practice for Board succession were adopted.
Our work addressed an immediate need for our client but also empowered them to maintain ongoing skills and succession planning for their Board and Sub-Committees in future.
BetterBoards worked with the Chair of a new Board of a large State body over an eighteen month period to establish the overall governance framework and a robust way of working for the Board.
This involved one to one discussions with all Board members and members of the senior leadership team and culminated in a series of joint Board and management team workshops to agree respective
roles and responsibilities, and an effective way of working that met the needs of all.
Key outputs included a Board annual workplan, agreed formats for Board papers , and Key Performance Indicators for the Board itself to monitor its progress and maturation. This process also involved ongoing one to one discussions with the Chair while each of the items was being addressed.
Over a 4 year period BetterBoards provided support to the CEO of a state body. This support evolved from one-on-one coaching to help the newly appointed CEO to define their role, deal with legacy issues and build relationships with relevant stakeholders.
We then began to conduct development workshops with the Board and Management Team to facilitate mutual understanding of the strategic aims of the organisation and their roles in delivering this.
Our support to the CEO continued as a new Board Chair was appointed and a new working relationship was established. Our work concluded with a piece of work on Board Evaluation and Development
which provided the Board and CEO with a number of suggestions to improve their ways of working and empower them to get the best from the Board members and the management team.
BetterBoards worked with a large state body over a five year period and much of the work was Board and Management Team facilitation around strategy, management organization and Board structure, and defining the role of the Executive Management Team and Board.
Our methodology included a series of one-to-one interviews and workshops over this period, gathering feedback after every interaction to help tailor further interventions. We supported the senior leadership team in their strategic planning and helped to build trust and understanding between the Board and Executive Management Team.
Five years after we first started work with this body we were invited to conduct a Board Evaluation and Skills audit, the results of which demonstrated that the Board had been empowered to deliver the best
outcome for the organisation. At this point, we believed that our work with this client had been successfully completed.
In 2018 BetterBoards worked with a large representative organization to conduct a review of its committee structure, following the adoption of a new strategic plan. Our approach included issue of a customised survey to Council members, a number of workshops with Committee Chairs, a workshop with the Executive Leadership team and a joint workshop between the Council and ELT, to agree the revised committee structure.
In 2021, we were commissioned to conduct an effectiveness review of the committees, culminating in the preparation of a comprehensive report, feedback sessions to all committees, and a workshop with the Council on follow-up actions recommended.
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