Good Governance Tip 2 - Sort out your policies
Attention all Chairs of Charities – Good Governance Tip 2: “Sort out your policies”.
After a series of reviews of governance in charities over the last few weeks, one issue that emerged is the often ad hoc approach to policies.
Your board is responsible for setting and overseeing policies so you need to get it right.
Good Governance Tip 1: Complete your annual governance review
Good Governance Tip 3: Manage your Conflicts of Interest
If you don’t have a structured approach to your policies, here are some quick suggestions for your voluntary board or committee.
- Make sure you have enough policies, covering your organisation’s operations. You face a series of risks and you’re probably managing them, but do you have a Risk Policy? (Risk will be covered in a future Good Governance Tip). You recruit and use volunteers, but do you have a Volunteer Policy? And what about GDPR? Or Cyber Risk? Or…..?
- Develop a clear “Policy Framework”. This is a schedule of your policies, showing when they were last reviewed and when they will be reviewed again. A rolling review schedule will help you keep your policies up to date and relevant.
- Try to ensure your policies look and feel the same – ideally all in the same format with an introduction, a summary, an approval date and a future review date. So they cover all the essential elements.
- Include your policies in your induction pack for new trustees and for new staff.
- Remember that policies and procedures are different.
Follow the above Good Governance Tip 2 suggestions to sort out your policies and help make your board and organisation more effective.
Read our Board Meeting Top Tips here
If you would like some guidance about your policies, send me an email here:tony@admorbusiness.com
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