A board of directors oversees the activities of a company and is made up of individuals with relevant expertise. They play an important governance and oversight role. Different types of boards include policy boards, collective boards, and working boards. Effective boards are team-oriented, independent, and encourage open discussion to achieve results. Board performance should be regularly evaluated to assess achievement of objectives, skills, and individual member contributions.
2. What is a Board of Directors
A group of individuals who over see the
activities of a company
Different names of Board
The Board
The Board of Governors
The Board of regents
Board of Trustees
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3. Why Board of Directors
Growing size of business leading to separation
of management from ownership
Need for expertise in management
Need for independent views
Oversee activities of the organisation
Control business activities
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4. Different Types of
Organisations
Private sector
Private limited company
Public limited company
NGO sector
Public Sector
Productive government Enterprise
Regulatory Enterprises
Prof.WaswaBalunywa,PhD
5. Different Types of Boards
Policy Governance Boards
These exclusively set policies and are unlikely to have
committees because their staff perform their work.
Policy Boards
These exclusively set policies and are unlikely to have
committees because their staff perform their work. But
they also have committees.
Collective Boards
A group of like minded people who work towards a specific
goal. Members share responsibility for policy, management
and operations. They tend to be in NGOs
Working/Administrative Boards
Provide policy and general direction. They also have board
committees that do work e.g commission
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6. The Role of the Board
Approve goals and strategies
Appoint CEO and determine compensation
Ensure availability of financial resources
Approve annual budgets
Ensure compliance with laws and regulations
Ensure organization is supplied with right staff
Monitor and control
Identify and manage risk
Represent interests of stakeholders
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7. Risk Function
Establish different types of Risk
Establish the levels of Risk
Establish how to measure the risk
Establish how to mitigate risk
Monitor and manage risks
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8. Control Function
Establish an audit committee
Appoint some internal Audit staff
Approve Financial Controls
Ensure Compliance with relevant laws, regulations and
codes
Monitor and evaluate goals, policies, plans and strategies
Prof.WaswaBalunywa,PhD
9. How are Boards are
Constituted
Depends on the law establishing the
company
Take care of interests of different
stakeholders
constituteTeam of different experts
relevant to the business
Political interest of founders or
government
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10. Board Committees
Depends on types of the Board
Finance committee
HR committee
Audit Committee
Capex committee
Technical committee
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11. Role of Board Committees
Vary from type of Board
To undertake detailed scrutiny of the
business
Enables Board have detailed review of
specific issues
To get expert skills to deal with an issue
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12. The Board and Management
These are distinct organizations
The board does NOT manage the
company
Management does day to day work
Board does strategic operations
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13. What is an Effective Board
One that achieves results
Team oriented
Independent
Has culture of trust
Encouraged open discussion
Attempts to build consensus
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14. Who are Stakeholders
These are people with interest in or who are affected by the
operations of the company
These include;
Shareholders
Management
Creditors
Government
Consumers
Legislators
General public
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15. The Business of the Board
Financial Reports
Report of C.E.O
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16. Skills required by Board
members
Board provides leadership and
members require central skills to
effectively manage after of the company.
Some are specialized, others are general;
Leadership skills
Financial analysis
Specific technical skills
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17. Leadership skills
Management of teams
Conflict management
Ability to communicate effectively
Social skills (emotional intelligence)
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18. Financial skills
Ability to interpret financial statements
Ability to ask financial control
Specific technical skills e.g engineering,
marketing
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19. Meetings of the Board
Meetings should be frequent as by law
Adequate preparations and notice
Papers circulated in advance
Reports written with adequate information
Involvement of all members
Avoid domination by Chair
Avoid overly long meetings
Agree on rules on how to behave during meetings
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21. Objective of Evaluation of
the Board
Assess how board is performing
Whether objectives are being achieved
Board contribution to goal setting,
strategy, risk taking
How the team is performing
Assess skills of the Board
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22. Objectives of evaluating
Individuals
Whether the individual is contributing
effectively
Whether the individual is committed to
the Board
Whether the individual is the right
person to sit on the Board
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23. Wh0 Evaluates
External third party may conduct the
evaluation
Non-executive member should evaluate Chair
Outsider can be engaged to evaluate Chair
Chair can evaluate individual members
Peer Evaluation
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24. What to Evaluate in a
Board
Performance against the set objectives
Contribution of Board to goal and strategy
setting
Board management of risk
Responsiveness of Board to organizational
challenges
Relationship of board with management
Conduct of meetings
Composition of skill set of the Board
Effectiveness of committees
Prof.WaswaBalunywa,PhD
25. What to Evaluate in an
Individual
Commitment of members through attending
meetings and contributing to Board
Their preparation for meetings and quality of
the constitution
How they examine the knowledge and
expertise is handling board matters
Their continued interest in different board
matters through research, study and
readiness to debate
Relationship with fellow board members
including communication, respect etc.
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26. Role of Chairman
Ensure success of organization by achieving goals of the
organization
Cause business of meetings to be availed in time, setting
agenda, giving notices, availing paper in a timely manner
Conduct of meeting of Board to ensure participation of
members, taking solid decisions and follow-up decisions of the
Board.
Manage relationships among board members and between
board and management
Ensure high standard of integrity, open communication and
compliance with corporate governance standards.
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27. Board Room Behaviour
A clear understanding of the role of the board
A common vision
Independent thinking
Rigorous Debate
A usage of appropriate knowledge texture
Team work
Respect for colleagues
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28. Disqualification of a
Board Member
Become of unsound mind
Become bankrupt
Is convicted of an offense of a criminal nature
When disqualified by a professional qualification where
he is a member with a professional body.
Prof.WaswaBalunywa,PhD