Literacy Basics - Community Literacy of Ontario

The purpose of evaluation

Board evaluation is linked with planning and is directly tied to achieving the outcomes and results outlined in the board's strategic plan. While it's important to not wait until your board is in crisis mode before doing an evaluation, an evaluation can bring to light warning signs that your board is getting off track. Charity Village has a comprehensive article on the importance of board assessment and evaluation which can be viewed here. The article talks about the correlation between evaluation and high organizational performance and states that, among other things, a high performance organization is more likely to have:

• Competent board and staff leadership
• Board engagement in strategic planning
• A customer and results focus
• Positive relationships with key stakeholders
• Good financial stewardship
• Effective and efficient use of resources
• Clear lines of accountability
• Good meeting management
• An organizational culture that encourages good teamwork, respect for organizational norms, values staff, and encourages excellence
• Low levels of internal conflict
• Perceived legitimacy and credibility

As noted above, one of the main drivers for board evaluation is often an accountability expectation by funders. However, it's also important for the board to evaluate its work to provide accountability to individual board members, staff, clients, its membership and the broader community it serves. If done properly, it also is an effective way to gain feedback and learn how to improve its work.

Organizations that work within a Continuous Improvement Performance Management System (CIPMS) understand that evaluation is a key part of measuring effectiveness, efficiency and client satisfaction.

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