The minutes of board meetings are a crucial record of important information and governance processes. They can be used as a basis for post-decision reviews and to hold boards accountable. They also can prevent the board from taking future shortcuts that could be problematic for the stakeholder of the organisation.
Minutes are typically prepared by the presiding board or one of the staff members of the organization. This could be a scribe who has prior experience writing board minutes or an experienced secretary who is familiar with the contents that should not be included. It’s important that the person writing the draft minutes is aware of the expectations. This will help to create notes that are unique and gives the board meetings credibility.
The first thing required is a description of the date, time and location of features of meeting management software the meeting as this is vital to the accuracy of the minutes. A list is required of the presiding officers directors, non-voting participants and presiding officers. It is important to note whether any of the attendees attended via phone or via the internet.
The main body of the minutes must be divided into two parts that are substantive and administrative. Administrative business could include items like agenda approval, an overview of the minutes from previous meetings and the use of an agenda of consent (which reduces the necessity for debate by acknowledging the recurring or administrative items in the use of a single motion). Substantive business includes more content-heavy items like the latest reports from committees, briefings on risk management and the decision-making process for new service initiatives.