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Table of Contents
 
The Carver Policy Governance Guide Series
Praise
Title Page
Copyright Page
 
CARVER POLICY GOVERNANCE® GUIDE
 
Policy Governance in a Nutshell
Finding Out What We Don’t Know
Keeping the Focus on the Right Kind of Information
Monitoring CEO and Organizational Performance
Board Self-Evaluation
Conclusion
 
About the Authors
Notes

The Carver Policy Governance Guide Series
The Policy Governance Model and the Role of the Board Member
A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Revised and Updated
 
 
Ends and the Ownership
A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Revised and Updated
 
 
The Governance of Financial Management
A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Revised and Updated
 
 
Adjacent Leadership Roles: CGO and CEO
A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Revised and Updated
 
 
Evaluating CEO and Board Performance
A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Revised and Updated
 
 
Implementing Policy Governance and Staying on Track
A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Revised and Updated

Praise for the Policy Governance Model
“Reading these guides is a great way to start your journey towards excellence in governance. All the essentials are there, short but clear. And these six guides will also prove to be an excellent GPS device along the way.”
—Jan Maas, PG consultant, Harmelen, The Netherlands
 
“The guides are a great way to introduce busy board members to the basic principles of Policy Governance. Their bite-size approach is inviting, covering the entire model, albeit in less detail, without overwhelming the reader. They are succinct and easy to read, including practical points of application for board members. Consultants asked to recommend initial reading about the model can do no better than these guides.”
—Jannice Moore, president, The Governance Coach™, Calgary, Canada
 
“Boards introduced to Policy Governance quickly become hungry for information but are short on time. These guides help board members quickly absorb the key principles of the Policy Governance model. They are invaluable.”
—Sandy Brinsdon, governance consultant, Christchurch, New Zealand
 
“For some board leaders the governance elephant is best eaten one bite at a time. The Carver Policy Governance Guide series provides a well-seasoned morsel of understanding in a portion that is easily digested.”
—Phil Graybeal, Ed.D., Graybeal and Associates, LLC, Greer, South Carolina
 
“Would you or your board benefit from a quick overview of essential governance concepts from the world’s foremost experts on the topic, John and Miriam Carver? Thanks to their new six-booklet series, you can quickly familiarize or refresh yourself with the principles that make Policy Governance the most effective system of governance in existence. These booklets are the perfect solution for board members who are pressed for time but are dedicated to enhancing their own governance skills.”
—Dr. Brian L. Carpenter, CEO, National Charter Schools Institute, United States

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CARVER POLICY GOVERNANCE® GUIDE
Everyone seems to be busy. Board members read materials and crowd board and committee meetings into their personal and business lives. Staff members report to work daily, and many leave tired when it’s time to go home. Computers compute, transportation transports, and all manner of special machinery hums continuously. It all looks impressive, seems well intended, and runs as if it had a life of its own. But does all this admirable activity actually work? How do we know we aren’t all fooled by our own busyness? Is everything happening that should? Is anything happening that shouldn’t? Is the staff spending its time wisely? Are employees adequately trained? Are we paying too much for rent? Are there any off-balance sheet transactions going on? Is the board using its scarce availability well? Is it being a good employer? Is it spinning its wheels?
There are people at every level from board to upper management to frontline staff working hard with the intention of doing good jobs. The board, at the very top of the heap, not only wants to know whether all those jobs add up to something right and honorable but is legally and morally accountable that they do. It is no wonder that board members are continually worried about the weight of this accountability. In this Guide, we address the board’s need to know whether the board itself and its operational organization are getting their jobs done.
As important as evaluation is, it is only one part of a total systematic view of governance. The upside of that integrated view is that every part makes more sense in the light of the whole. The downside is that no single question can be answered properly unless the whole is understood.
Therefore, we encourage you first to read the Carver Policy Governance Guide titled The Policy Governance Model and the Role of the Board Member for an overview of the Policy Governance model. For the reader who doesn’t have that Guide, here is a brief summary.

Policy Governance in a Nutshell