Governance responsibilities and job outputs

Welcome back! [originally published 2005]

Most descriptions or list of governance responsibilities include activities. In Policy Governance the emphasis is on job outputs.

These board products are the unique job contribution of the board and are undelegable. The board cannot responsibly govern without accomplishing this list of job products.*

1. The board's first direct product is the organization's linkage to the ownership. The board acts in trusteeship for someone, usually a group, as the "ownership", and serves as the legitimizing connection between this base and the organization.
2. The board's second direct product is explicit governing policies. The board has the obligation to fulfill fiduciary responsibility, guard against undue risk, determine program priorities, and generally direct organization activities
3. The board's third direct product is assurance of organizational performance. Once the board has explicitly stated its values as policy, it must ensure that the staff faithfully serves these.

There are other optional, delegable outputs. These include: Fund raising, public image, legislative impact, etc.

What kind of activities are required for a board to accomplish these outputs?

* Derived from the writings for John Carver and Miriam Mayhew Carver

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.