John Carver, Miriam Carver
ISBN: 0-7879-8181-8
Hardcover
336 pages
February 2006, Jossey-Bass

In the second edition of this best-selling Policy Governance operating manual, John Carver and Miriam Carver make this exciting approach to effective governance even more accessible and user-friendly, gleaning lessons learned in years of practice to help readers understand and use this invaluable model.

Carver’s groundbreaking Policy Governance model is the best-known, respected, and talked about governance model in the world and has fundamentally influenced the way organizations are governed. Reinventing Your Board,Boards That Make a Difference contains the nuts-and-bolts materials needed for implementing Policy Governance. The authors illustrate effective board decision making, show how to craft useful policies, and offer practical advice on such matters as setting the agenda, monitoring CEO performance, defining the board role, and more. Step-by-step instructions and sample policies make this a must-have resource for boards in the public and nonprofit sectors aiming to govern their organizations with excellence. second edition, is a hands-on, step-by-step guide that puts the model to work in the meeting-to-meeting lives of board members. It includes new policy samples and a new chapter on monitoring performance, as well as other practical “put-the-model-in-motion” advice. This popular and highly successful companion to

John Carver is the creator of the internationally-known, breakthrough approach in board leadership known as the Policy Governance model. and has worked with boards worldwide for over 20 years.

Miriam Mayhew Carver consults extensively with boards in the fields of health, education, social services, charity, and mental health, as well as library boards and city councils. She was executive director of Canada's first AIDS hospice.

Table of Contents

Policies.

Figures and Exhibits.

Preface to the Second Edition.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

The Authors.

PART ONE. PREPARING FOR CHANGE.

1. Setting the Stage: Are You Sure You're Ready for This?.

2. The Theoretical Foundation: The Practicality of Sound Theory.

3. Deciding to Implement Policy Governance: Looking Before You Leap.

PART TWO. CRAFTING POLICIES.

4. Executive Limitations Policies: Optimizing Empowerment by Setting Limits.

5. Governance Process Policies: Defining the Board's Job.

6. Board-Management Delegation Policies: Linking Governance to the CEO.

7. Ends Policies: The Real Bottom Line.

PART THREE. READY, STEADY, GO.

8. Monitoring Organizational Performance: Getting the Right Information About the Right Things.

9. The Board's Documents: Preserving the Board's Decisions.

10. Implementation and Beyond: Concrete Steps Mirror Conceptual Integrity.

Resources.

A. A Sample Board Policy Manual.

B. Sample Ends Policies.

C. Sample Monitoring Reports.

D. Selected Readings.

Index.