The minutes of board meetings are an important document that contains important information and governance processes. When well prepared and endorsed they serve as the basis for post-decision reviews and help boards be held accountable to their decisions. They can also assist in preventing the board from taking shortcuts in the future, which could cause problems for the organisation’s stakeholders.
Minutes are typically written by the chairman of the board or someone on the staff of an organization. This could be a scribe who has previous experience in writing minutes for boards or an experienced secretary who knows the content that should not be included. It’s crucial that the person writing the draft minutes is aware of the requirements. This will assist them to produce notes that are unique and give the board meetings credibility.
It is essential to include the date, time and the location of the meeting in the minutes. A list is required of the chairman directors, non-voting attendees and the presiding officer. It’s also important to determine whether any members attended via phone or online.
The body of the minutes should be divided into two sections: administrative and substantive business. Administrative business comprises things like agenda approvals, a summation of previous minutes, or the use of consent agendas (which reduces debate by acknowledging repeated items with a single motion). Substantive business is more content-heavy items such as updates from committees, risk management briefings and decisions on new service initiatives.
