Literacy Basics - Community Literacy of Ontario

Stakeholders and Tools

At a minimum, board evaluation needs to include each board member and senior staff person, but boards should also consider involving committee members, members-at-large, organizational stakeholders (including funders) and past board members. Organizations can choose a variety of tools to conduct evaluations and gather information including surveys and questionnaires, self-assessment tools, personal interviews and focus groups.

Board members should conduct self-assessments regularly. This can include a brief check-in after each meeting along with a more comprehensive one annually or at the end of a term. An annual self-assessment may be kept confidential for the member's own personal growth and development goals, or it may be collected by the chairperson or board development committee so that a broader perspective can be gained about possible board training needs. A self-assessment can include items such as:

• The percentage of meetings attended over the year (or term)
• The satisfaction level of meeting preparation
• The satisfaction level of meeting participation
• Personal strengths and weaknesses
• The success level of meeting the criteria laid out in the board job description

Sources for board member self-assessment tools include Board Member Self-Assessment Evaluation of Job Performance and Am I A Good Board Member?

When collecting information from past board members and organizational stakeholders consider using an online survey tool such as SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com) that provides templates and allows you to design your own questions. This can allow boards to reach a large group of people who can complete the survey within a timeframe provided and allows for anonymous collection.

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