Just as a pilot uses a checklist to monitor the performance of key aircraft systems and maintain safe flight, checklists can be used by boards to ensure that the board is remaining consistent in its decision-making and oversight. While it may sound complex, checklists are a straight-forward way to improve decisions and provide a common frame of reference for ongoing board discussions.

It's not "One size fits all"

Just as the checklist for a single-engine private aircraft and a multi-engine airliner aren't identical, boards will require checklists of greater or lesser sophistication depending on the size and scope of the organization's operations. All have similar characteristics, however, and generally seek to cover two different types of situations:

1. Regular monitoring and decision-making. This type of checklist links to ongoing governance and stewardship, so should capture key decision-making criteria consistent with the board's core legal, regulatory, and fiduciary obliglations. For example, an ongoing decision checklist should cover questions such as:

• Does this decision depart from our core mandate? It might be acceptable and appropriate to do so, but only if you're making a deliberate choice.
• Does this decision add any new legal, financial, or human resource requirements or risks to the organization?
• Does this decision require any further ratification from our membership, or does it necessitate consultation with organizational stakeholders?
• What opportunities are there to innovate around this decision? Can we apply this decision to other aspects of our organization's programs and services?
• Does this decision impact the sustainability or viability of existing programs and services in any way?

2. Special planning and contingencies. These checklists address situations where the board wants to engage in generative discussions like strategic planning, and where a checklist can help to guide decision-making around exploring new opportunities. Checklists for contingencies might include approaches that the board wants to take if it faces a specific type of crisis or risk.

Sample special planning questions

• Who else should be including in our planning to generate the greatest possible number of ideas and options? (you don't need to have them all there at your planning session, but you might want to find ways to include their voice through pre-planning consultation, etc.)
• What are we best at, and how can we add programs or services that follow this strength?

Do you have additional examples that you've found helpful? Send us your suggestions!

Additional Resources*

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Board Legal Risk Management Checklist [PDF] - built for the Canadian legal context, but transferrable to other jurisdictions in terms of the general ideas covered, is this comprehensive checklist from Carters.ca

Project Planning Risk Management Checklist - As many risk issues occur because of poor project management and implementation issues, this is a helpful checklist for board members and senior management to ensure that key implementation issues are covered.

Strategic Questioning - From the Co-Intelligence Institute comes this short article on strategic questioning, including how to frame generative questions and discussions.