Impactful Board Advisory Services

Our advisory services enable objective evaluation of your Board and the quality and performance of Members both individually and collectively.

The Arbiter Team has developed approaches to Board reviews that combine experience, skill and behavioural attributes in a well-developed framework. Working with Board Chairs and members we apply this with sensitivity and bring a level of informed objectivity to Board Review and Evaluation processes. We work with Boards to assess their capabilities on multiple dimensions.

Client outcomes:

Multi-layered Board Assessment Review

•    For a member-based organisation we worked with the Chairman in designing a comprehensive Board Assessment Review including three key elements. The first was an Overall Board Assessment Survey covering topics such as roles and responsibilities of the Board, Membership of the Board and group dynamics and procedures and practices. The second component was an Individual Director Self-Assessment Survey covering topics such as goals, preparation and participation for Board meetings, behaviour, added value, committee work and relevant sector/board knowledge. The engagement was completed with a Peer Review Survey covering topics such as colleague collaboration, team trust and team dynamics.

Strategic Facilitation of a Major Cultural Institution

•    A large cultural institution was facing challenges in relation to the gap between the demand for its services and the funding available to provide those services. Digital services were playing an increasingly important role in service delivery and prioritisation of services was now paramount. The Arbiter Team worked with the Executive and Board, using a combination of design-thinking techniques and scenario planning to clarify key priorities for future service delivery. This process also developed a shared language amongst the executive and Board members enabling more informed and frank discussions.

Development of a Media Organisation Board

•    The Arbiter Team worked collaboratively with members of a media organisation Board to identify the expertise that the Board required, the current expertise of Board members, and the gaps that then put the Board at risk. The team then worked with the Chair and Board members to recruit three new Board members to deliver a well-rounded, capable and highly functioning Board team.

The work completed by the Arbiter Team built a strong experience, skills and behaviour base for a regenerated and renewed Board.

The approach taken by the Arbiter Team gave us a completely new lens and objective base on which to discuss and make our recommendations in the future.