Board Excellence is a leading provider of external board evaluations and reviews for State, Semi-State and Public Sector boards in Ireland, the UK and over 20 countries internationally. Within Ireland, we have a strong track record in delivering external board evaluations with a key focus on compliance with;
- Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016)
- Annex on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion (2020)
- Relevant Legislation
Board evaluation is increasingly acknowledged as a vital process for improving board performance and dynamics whatever the size, status or type of organisation. Our philosophy is that a highly effective board of directors makes a significant contribution to the success of the organisation beyond its statutory requirements and is a powerful source of added value for the organisation, its customers, shareholders, directors, employees and many other stakeholders. The comprehensive nature and objectivity of our evaluation programme will, if thoroughly embraced by the board and executive team, establish a strong foundation to assess the current strengths and weaknesses of the board and drive a measurable plan of sustained improvement.
Our external board evaluation programme consists of the following phases;
- Completion by the board and executive team members of a confidential board effectiveness questionnaire
- Review of the last 12 months of board and committee materials, governance materials, Committee Terms of Reference and key materials in the area of culture, ESG, cyber-security, risk management, strategy and shareholder/stakeholder engagement etc.
- Confidential one-to-one interviews with board directors and senior executives
- Optional attendance as an observer at a board and selected committee meetings
- Development of a draft external board evaluation report for initial review by the Board Chair
- Presentation of the draft report key findings and recommendations to the board
As part of our standard external board evaluation/review programme and representative of our strong commitment to support our board clients drive sustained improvement in their board effectiveness and governance, we provide at no additional cost to our board clients, 12 months of follow-on support to the Board Chair, Secretary and CEO on;
- Implementation of the board evaluation recommendations
- New board effectiveness, governance and performance issues arising during that period
Some of Our Clients
What Our Clients Say
“Kieran Moynihan carried out an external evaluation of the HIQA Board at the latter end of 2019. Because of Kieran’s experience in the wider business world, he was able to offer a unique perspective on Board operations.”
“We selected Board Excellence to assess the performance of the board of Tusla – the Child and Family Agency. We found their methodology thorough, professional and probing and their delivery efficient and on time. Jonathan Westrup, the lead assessor, quickly grasped the sensitivity and complexity of our sector and their Report was both insightful and balanced. We are working through their recommendations which board members believe will further strengthen governance and enhance concentration on medium and longer-term strategic direction”
“Board Excellence, through Jonathan Westrup, completed a thoroughly professional Board evaluation of the Board of Management of Oberstown Children Detention Campus. In addition to identifying good practice and areas of improvement for the Board, the evaluation also provided some entirely fresh perspectives on our approach, linking recommendations to the organisation’s strategic direction in a most helpful manner. The evaluation exceeded expectations in every respect and I could not recommend Jonathan highly enough.”
“Paul George did a great job for the NAO Board. He conducted our board effectiveness review with tact and rigour, bringing considerable experience and insight to the process and enabling us to become an even more effective Board as a result of the process.”
“The external board evaluation Board Excellence conducted for our organisation shone a light on some critical opportunities for improvement as a board. Their approach is collaborative, thorough, insightful, engaging and professional. The fact Board Excellence stay engaged to support the implementation of the recommendations is a real value add for boards. I would definitely appoint Board Excellence for any future board evaluations.”
“Board Excellence carried out an external review of the FSPO Council’s 2021 effectiveness, in early 2022. The Council found it to be a very useful exercise. Kieran’s final report was extremely comprehensive and contained several helpful recommendations, many of which the Council has implemented.”
Board Excellence is a leading provider of external board evaluations and reviews for Public Sector boards inIreland, the UK and over 20 countries internationally. We have a strong track record in delivering external board evaluations with a key focus on compliance with;
- Relevant Governance Codes
- Relevant Sector-specific Code of Practices and Guidelines
- Relevant Legislation
Board evaluation is increasingly acknowledged as a vital process for improving board performance and dynamics whatever the size, status or type of organisation. Our philosophy is that a highly effective board of directors makes a significant contribution to the success of the organisation beyond its statutory requirements and is a powerful source of added value for the organisation, its customers, shareholders, directors, employees and many other stakeholders.
The comprehensive nature and objectivity of our evaluation programme will, if thoroughly embraced by the board and executive team, establish a strong foundation to assess the current strengths and weaknesses of the board and drive a measurable plan of sustained improvement.
- Our external board evaluation programme consists of the following phases;
- Completion by the board and executive team members of a confidential board effectiveness questionnair
- Review of the last 12 months of board and committee materials, governance materials, Committee Terms of Reference and key materials in the area of culture, ESG, cyber-security, risk management, strategy and shareholder/stakeholder engagement etc.
- Confidential one-to-one interviews with board directors and senior executives
- Optional attendance as an observer at a board and selected committee meetings
- Development of a draft external board evaluation report for initial review by the Board Chair
- Presentation of the draft report key findings and recommendations to the board
As part of our standard external board evaluation/review programme and representative of our strong commitment to support our board clients drive sustained improvement in their board effectiveness and governance, we provide at no additional cost to our board clients, 12 months of follow-on support to the Board Chair, Secretary and CEO on;
- Implementation of the board evaluation recommendations
- New board effectiveness, governance and performance issues arising during that period
Some of Our Clients
What Our Clients Say
“Paul George did a great job for the NAO Board. He conducted our board effectiveness review with tact and rigour, bringing considerable experience and insight to the process and enabling us to become an even more effective Board as a result of the process.”
“Following a tender process IFI engaged Board Excellence to complete its external review of the effectiveness of the Board of Inland Fisheries Ireland. Eileen Cole conducted an in depth review of the information flowing to the Board and Board governance policies and procedures. She administered questionnaires and conducted individual interviews with Board and Senior Management Team members. Her final report was delivered and presented following this review. Ms Cole worked closely with the Chair and Board Secretary during this project. We were very satisfied with the breadth and depth of Eileen Cole’s experience and the quality of the final report. Eileen brought excellent insight and knowledge to the process and we would hope to have the opportunity of working with Board Excellence in the future.”
“Board Excellence, through Jonathan Westrup, completed a thoroughly professional Board evaluation of the Board of Management of Oberstown Children Detention Campus. In addition to identifying good practice and areas of improvement for the Board, the evaluation also provided some entirely fresh perspectives on our approach, linking recommendations to the organisation’s strategic direction in a most helpful manner. The evaluation exceeded expectations in every respect and I could not recommend Jonathan highly enough.”
“Kieran Moynihan carried out an external evaluation of the HIQA Board at the latter end of 2019. Because of Kieran’s experience in the wider business world, he was able to offer a unique perspective on Board operations.”
“The external board evaluation Board Excellence conducted for our organisation shone a light on some critical opportunities for improvement as a board. Their approach is collaborative, thorough, insightful, engaging and professional. The fact Board Excellence stay engaged to support the implementation of the recommendations is a real value add for boards. I would definitely appoint Board Excellence for any future board evaluations.”
“Board Excellence carried out an external review of the FSPO Council’s 2021 effectiveness, in early 2022. The Council found it to be a very useful exercise. Kieran’s final report was extremely comprehensive and contained several helpful recommendations, many of which the Council has implemented.”
