Scope of Services

Most nonprofit boards of directors use a governance approach cobbled together from bits and pieces of each board member's experience and opinions, rather than a carefully constructed, integrated system of governance thinking. One board member prefers a certain way of conducting meetings. Another has a strong opinion about board committees. While board members may be individually responsible and intelligent persons the only approach to running a board has been a collection of opinions fixed into a tradition.

Finally a complete model has been developed which clarifies how a board can function effectively and responsibly. It begins from its assumptions and builds a set of generic principles of governing. The Policy Governance model, developed by Dr. John Carver in the mid-1970s, allows boards to work well. It is not an improvement. It is a complete transformation of board governance. John and Miriam Carver personally trained Barbara Hanna in this approach. Hanna & Associates is a consulting team working with nonprofit and elected boards of directors.

Learning Policy Governance and adopting it as a board's form of governance is a process that can take varying lengths of time. Reading and studying the variety of materials noted in Study Materials is recommended. Individual board members can read books and listen to the audiotape. The board as a whole can watch a video together. If the board is interested in having assistance in their journey, Hanna & Associates can support them in a number of ways:

1. A four-hour presentation will provide a brief overview of the model.

2. Introduction to Policy Governance Workshop. By the end of the one-day workshop board members will understand the elements of the Policy Governance model. Their awareness about the board's responsibilities and possibilities will have expanded.

3. A two-day program includes the "Introduction to Policy Governance" and a second day of a "Blitz Policy Workshop". During this second day, Hanna & Associates provide the templates of perhaps three-quarters of the policies the board will ever need. The board is guided through a process to "fill in the blanks" with their values. Hanna & Associates facilitates the process; the board gives it content. Inevitably, through the interaction, the Board will develop a much better grasp of the model and how they will function under it. One or two months later Hanna & Associates return for a two-hour workshop to complete the initial development of the policies. During the interval the board should have legal counsel compare the policies with their bylaws to determine if any changes need to be made in the bylaws. Once the policies are completed, the board votes on adopting the new policies. For the next year board and staff may contact Hanna & Associates via phone, fax or e-mail with any questions or concerns at no additional cost. At your request, we will review minutes and any additional policies under consideration as to consistency with the model.

4. Boards using the Policy Governance model can invite Hanna & Associates to train new board members or new CEOs to help the board more fully realize the model's potential.

5. Hanna & Associates can train staff on the implementation of Policy Governance.