The minutes of board meetings are a crucial document of vital information and governance processes. They can be used as the basis for post-decision evaluations and to hold boards accountable. They also help prevent the board from taking future cuts that could pose a problem for the organisation’s stakeholder.
Minutes are typically written by the presiding body https://www.aboutboardroom.com/what-is-meeting-management-softwar or an employee of an organisation. It could be a scribe who has prior experience in the writing of board minutes, or a professional secretaire who knows what should and shouldn’t be written in minutes. It is crucial that the person writing the draft minutes is aware of the expectations. This will help to write notes that are unique and lend the board meetings credibility.
The first thing that is needed is a statement of the date, time and location of the board’s meeting, because this is crucial to 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 whether any of the attendees were in attendance via phone or online.
The minutes should be divided into two parts: administrative business and substantive business. Administrative business can include things like agenda approvals, a summary of previous minutes or the use of consent agendas (which reduces the need for debate by acknowledging items that are repeated by a single motion). Substantive business is more content-heavy items such as updates from committees, briefings on risk management and decisions on new service initiatives.