How to begin a review process
Any organisation thinking about its governance and the possibility of carrying out a review should first identify what it is they are seeking to address; is this a question around governance and the structure or make up of the board, or is it more of a question of effectiveness. Partnering with someone external to the board to carry out the review is best practice and will give you the outside perspective needed to consider areas for improvement, benchmarking and an outside view of dynamics. While best practice is to carry out an external review every three years, most board reviews will include a survey to be sent out to members and this presents an opportunity for organisations to continue to collect this data in the intervening years to identify any changes or trends. A good board review should include a skills audit that doesn’t just address what gaps are present in the current board, but any coming up in the future so that the Chair can work to proactively fill those gaps and start recruitment campaigns earlier.
As well as the more standard aspects of a governance review, increasingly we are seeing trend to including external stakeholders as part of the process – something that translates well into the arts and culture world where organisations may want the view of funders or external partners represented. While these people and organisations are not always well placed to comment on the structure of the board per-se, they can provide invaluable insight on how effective the board is seen by those outside the organisation. This facilitation of stakeholders is best done through a dual approach of interviews and access to any previously collected survey or data to inform these conversations.
Boards of arts organisations hold a unique responsibility to the organisations they lead and the sector. Ensuring these organisations have the right skills, experience and structure around them to provide the strategic lead for organisations navigating a changing sector and challenging funding environments must be a priority and governance is a key part of this.
Saxton Bampfylde is globally recognised as a trusted, values-driven leadership advisory firm. We have a firm commitment to the arts, culture and heritage sectors and are proud of the impact of the leaders our dedicated practice has helped bring to our clients. We advise a broad range of organisations and institutions, from the iconic and world-leading to the small and distinctive.
For an initial discussion about how we can help and discuss our range of leadership services, contact Ed Bampfylde: ed.bampfylde@saxbam.com / 020 7227 0862.