Board Evaluation Process Overview

Note:The attached resource is intended to be an example that boards should adapt to meet their individual needs. Adapted with permission from the Ontario Hospital Association’s Guide to Good Governance, 2005. Original materials provided by and/or authored by Anne Corbett, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

1. The evaluation tools can be combined. Completion of all of the potential evaluation tools can lead to “evaluation fatigue.”

2. There is a risk that evaluations that are done too frequently can lose their effectiveness. For example, it may be more appropriate to conduct periodic evaluations of board or committee meetings.

3. Results should be evaluated by the person or committee charged with making decisions that are relevant to the results of the evaluation.Where the purpose is self-improvement the results should be confidential and communicated respectfully by the board chair.

4. In cases where there is a significant board behavior issue, an outside evaluation could also be considered. Some hospitals have had an independent consultant or other outside resource observe board proceedings and present a report to the board or give confidential feedback to individual board members.

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