Board documents must be clear and concise with the highest level of understanding. Only dig into the operational level when it is required for strategic decisions. Use graphs or charts to provide a summary of information or to show trends in data. In an appendix, it is important to include a hyperlink for more technical information or statistics.
The paper should clearly state the purpose (information, discussion, or seeking an agreement) and include an executive summary that outlines the recommendations. In the ideal scenario, the executive summary should not go on more than 4 – 5 lines.
The paper should outline the most important issues and risks associated with the proposal. If the risk is a major one there should be a clear mitigation plan and likely impact should be identified. It is crucial to include the potential for future risks if the plan is not fully implemented or not achieved even it is thought to be low.
The report should contain an overview of the different options that were considered in the decision-making process, and provide a summary with pros/cons. It should also provide the score of the preferred option on the relevant criteria. It is crucial to include an alternative analysis because it gives the Board more than one option to consider when they perform their governance responsibilities. This ensures that they have thought about all possible outcomes.
