Minutes of the Board Meeting
The minutes of board meetings are a crucial document of crucial information and governance processes. When well prepared and endorsed they serve as the basis for post-decision evaluations and help boards hold themselves accountable to their agreed decision-making processes. They can also help prevent the board from making a mistake in the future, which could be harmful to the company’s stakeholders.
Minutes are usually written by a member of the board who is the presiding officer or a member of the organization’s staff. It could be a scribe with prior experience in the writing of board minutes, or a professional secretaire who knows what should and shouldn’t go into the minutes. It is essential that the person writing the draft minutes is clear about the requirements. This will enable them to produce notes that are unique and gives the board meetings credibility.
The first thing required is a declaration of the date, time and location of the board’s meeting, as this is vital to ensure the accuracy of the minutes. The next thing to do is create the list of officers who preside directors, directors and non-voting attendees. It’s also important to note the members who were present by telephone or online.
The main body of the minutes must be divided into two parts: administrative and substantive business. Administrative business could include items such as agenda approval, the summary of minutes previously approved, and the use of a consent agenda (which reduces the need for debate by recognizing regular or administrative issues with a single motion). Substantive business includes more content-heavy items like updates from committees, briefings on risk management and decisions on new service initiatives.