governance good practice guide

roles and responsibilities: action/reflection

This section contains all the action/reflection points from the Roles and Responsibilities section.

• Do you have access to the Instrument and Articles of Government?
• Do you understand the roles and responsibilities set out in the Instrument and Articles of Government?
• Do you understand how your college fits into the local, regional and national FE environment?
• Do you know the needs your college aims to meet – and how these relate to local, regional and national priorities?

• What is the composition of your governing board?
• How do you recruit members to your governing board?
• Is the composition of your governing board an accurate reflection of your local and college communities?
• Does your governing board have an appropriate mix of skills and expertise to fulfil its role and responsibilities?
• Is a skills audit used by the search committee when it recruits new governors?
• Do you have a role description for governors that is used for recruitment?
• Do you have an annual procedure for reviewing the eligibility and interests of governors?
• Against what criteria does your governing board elect the chair and vice chair?
• How does your governing board plan for succession?
• Do your governing board's Standing Orders cover all the necessary areas where the board needs to make its own internal rules?

• Do your governing board and the principal share a clear understanding of the distinction between governance and management?
• Do individual governing board members understand the role and powers of the governing board and of individual members – including the chair?
• Does the chair (and vice chair) have a role description that is approved by the governing board?
• Does the principal have an up-to-date job description, which includes his or her non-delegable responsibilities, relationship with the governing board and role as principal accounting officer?
• Does the clerk have an up-to-date job description, which emphasises the post holder as proactive professional adviser to the governing board, with a key role in the development and effectiveness of the governing board?
• Is the clerk part of a regular three-way dialogue with the chair and the principal?
• Can the clerk demonstrate independence from college management? How is this shown?
• How frequently are the principal and clerk appraised?
• What form does the appraisal take?
• Do the principal, clerk and designated senior post holders have personal targets for governing board priorities and corporate aims?
• How is the effectiveness of the chair appraised, and by whom?

• What are the responsibilities the governing board may not delegate to committees, working parties and/or the principal?
• What has your governing board delegated to committees, working groups and/or the principal?
• Do you have a clear scheme of delegation and committee structure?
  

• Do your student governors receive an effective induction?
• Do your staff governors receive an effective induction?
• Do your student governors have access to development opportunities?
• Do your staff and student governors make an effective contribution?
• Does the governing board receive feedback on the level of ongoing support, opportunities for development and induction processes for student and staff governors?
• Is this feedback routinely analysed and, where necessary, action taken to improve?

• What models of governance are used by your board?
• How do these link to the external context and the internal culture of the board?
• What drives the use of these models?
• Do they work well? If yes, why? If not, why not?
• Would looking at other models help improve your board's effectiveness?

• Thinking back over the past few months, have you been aware of your governing board operating in different modes? If yes, what have they been?
• How do you know which mode(s) to use?
• Have the different modes of operation always been appropriate?
• Do you need to strengthen your governing board's ability to recognise the most appropriate mode(s) to use?
• Could you make use of modes of governance to improve your governing board's effectiveness?