Board Evaluation

An important part of the learning cycle of any organization or individual, including non-profit boards and board members, is taking time out for evaluation. Regularly assessing the performance of the board and its individual members can:

• Improve performance
• Encourage accountability and task completion
• Act as a motivator
• Identify required changes and potential new initiatives
• Refocus efforts
• Pinpoint training and support needs
• Recognize and reinforce success

Whom and what does the board evaluate?

Your board will benefit by evaluating all the individuals, groups and activities associated with its work. Specifically, your board should be assessing:

• The overall effectiveness of the board
• The effectiveness of meetings
• The performance of individual board members
• Committees
• The organization as a whole

Evaluation criteria

A number of tools might already exist that can act as a starting point for your board's evaluation criteria. For instance, the mission statement, strategic plan, goals and objectives, governance model description, board accountabilities, job descriptions, terms of reference, and statements of board members' personal goals can all be useful in evaluating the success of your board's efforts.

In conducting evaluations, it is important to assess not only what was achieved, but also how it was achieved. A board that achieves its financial goals, but alienates its volunteers and staff in the process, for instance, is not an effective board. Conversely, a board that focuses on ensuring full consensus is always achieved, with little regard for the outcomes of their decisions, may also miss the mark.

Who is responsible?

It is the board President's responsibility to initiate evaluations, and usually the Nominating, Board Development, or Audit Committee's responsibility to coordinate evaluation activities. If your board does not have an evaluation process, then take responsibility for your own performance by doing a self-evaluation. You may also want to ask other board and committee members for feedback on your performance. This will help keep you motivated, focused, learning and aware of your personal effectiveness as a board member.

What comes next?

Don't forget the follow-up actions necessary to address any issues and needs identified in the evaluations. Your board should use evaluation results to establish new plans and goals. Then assign responsibility for these next steps, set time lines for accomplishing the next steps, and monitor progress towards your goals. This will ensure ongoing improvement in the work of your board and its members.

Just as evaluations need to be completed on a regular basis, so must board development be a continual activity. Let's explore some ideas for ongoing board development.

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