Committee Effectiveness Profile
Illustrative data- Audit Committee
- N&R Committee
- Risk Committee
Scores shown on a 0–5 scale.Swipe to explore
The Board Effectiveness Compass© – a pillar of the GOVERN360° Toolkit, developed by experts for experts – gives the board, its Chair and its Nomination & Remuneration Committee a thorough, evidence-based reading of both board and committee effectiveness. Entirely customisable, the Compass goes far beyond a typical board self-assessment in both its concept and rigour. Based on international standards, including OECD, IFC, World Bank, ISO, ICGN, IIA, it is the first methodology facilitating a full-spectrum board evaluation.
While the views of the Chair and the directors are in focus, the inclusion of the C-suite and board secretariat builds a bridge between board and management perspectives. Committee members also input their views, with specific questions developed for Audit, Risk and other board committees. Implementation of the Compass is scalable regardless of sector or jurisdiction – the tool can be deployed in private or listed, financial and industrial companies.
The challenge
The board typically evaluates its own effectiveness
While boards evaluate management, board evaluations tend to be self-referential: directors evaluate the board for the board. The NRC, typically responsible for board evaluations, also needs to be independently assessed. These blind spots are structural and inherent to how board evaluations are conducted. The results speak for themselves:
4/10
executives report high confidence in board impact, highlighting a gap between how boards perceive themselves and how executives do.
9/10
executives say their board assessment process could be improved — though methodologies for board assessments have remained static.
Only 7%
of boards say their evaluation process actually produces a specific action plan to address the weaknesses it has identified.
Unique value add
The typical approach
01A self-assessment questionnaire directors complete, scored and filed once a year.
02Generic board-evaluation templates applied to every committee, without accounting for their different responsibilities.
03The board evaluates itself through a hermetic process closed to all outside perspectives and inputs.
04A report that lands, gets discussed once, and is rarely tested again to determine board composition or its effectiveness.
Our approach
01Documents, interviews (including with the C-suite) and observation are triangulated to get a complete picture.
02Each standing committee is assessed individually, with consideration of its specific role and responsibilities.
03Board evaluation is supplemented with anonymous or attributed feedback from the C-suite and board secretary.
04A methodology that enables continuous tracking of action points on an annual basis.
The solution
An all-inclusive view, where objectivity is at the core
The Board Effectiveness Compass© is a proprietary instrument underpinned by relevant international standards. It surveys directors and draws on the relevant C-suite roles and the Board Secretary so that the board's own reading is tested rather than assumed.
Board survey
Every director completes a custom questionnaire based on our proprietary methodology and set of KPIs. Committee members receive additional questions relevant to their specific committee(s).
Anonymous or attributed
You choose how responses are reported back — anonymised to protect candour or attributed where individual accountability is required. Either way, the results provide a basis for a tangible corporate roadmap.
Management surveys
The tool includes surveys customised to each relevant management role and the company secretary to gauge how well the processes under their responsibility are governed. The responses are cross-referenced to board views to get the full picture.
Internal or verified
Confidence does not always equal adequate governance. While our customised option adds sector- and jurisdiction-specific questions, our verified option reconciles perceptions with documentary evidence reviewed by our senior practitioners.
The methodology
Structured board evaluation complemented by committee assessment
Based on the OECD, IFC, World Bank, ISO, ICGN, IIA and other standards and principles, the Board Compass© spans 8 domains and over 60 KPIs. All responses are scored and weighted to provide an overall perspective of where your board effectiveness stands.
02
Board Composition & Independence
03
Board Oversight Responsibilities
04
Board Dynamics
05
Succession Planning
06
Committee Effectiveness Assessment
07
Board Meeting Conduct
08
Director Development & Effectiveness
09
Leadership Structure
Board Effectiveness dashboards
Board and committee views enriched with C-suite perspectives
All your dashboards are created concurrently - while the board view naturally dominates, management inputs highlight any dissonance that might otherwise remain unaddressed.
Individual Director Effectiveness Profile
Illustrative data- Director 1
- Director 2
- Director 3
- Director 4
- Director 5
Scores shown on a 0–5 scale.Swipe to explore
Board Effectiveness Domain Profile
Illustrative data- Company
- GOVERN
Bubble area represents domain weight.Swipe to explore
The execution
A fully customisable process facilitated by senior experts
We move at your pace. The assessment can be structured as a rapid execution exercise, as a customised process (more suited to regulated sectors), or a verified project where our experts engage with you throughout the exercise. The questionnaire can be scaled to include a 360˚ board evaluation, generating feedback on each individual board member from their peers.
BASELINE
Level 1
Board and management complete questionnaires, with responses informing a dashboard, report and a roadmap.
Report in ~3 weeks.
- Survey-based, board and management in parallel
- Maturity reading across every domain
- Report and roadmap in as little as a month
CUSTOMISED
Level 2
The assessment is tailored to your organisation - additional questions and framing adapted to your size, country and sector.
Report in ~4 weeks.
- Inclusion of regulatory requirements
- Customised questionnaires for each role
- A reading that reflects your reality
VERIFIED
Level 3
A customised assessment (level 2), with supporting evidence independently verified by our senior experts to validate findings and identify gaps.
Report in ~6 weeks.
- Review of all relevant documents
- Direct observation of a live board meeting
- Interviews with board members, if required
Receive a comprehensive assessment of your board
The assessment will result in a comprehensive report, allowing you to inform your board nomination and election process and the ongoing upskilling efforts. Our experts stand ready to support you in addressing priorities revealed by the assessment exercise. Assessment process outputs can be used as a basis for governance framework updates, as well as inputs to facilitate board retreats and other specific objectives.
01
Customisable evaluation
anonymised or attributed scoring by each board and committee member, enriched by management perspectives.
02
Comprehensive report
spanning all topics from regulatory requirements to realigning behaviours, including committee and 360˚ evaluation, if required.
03
A board presentation
delivered in person or online, by the same senior expert who led the evaluation process.
04
Continuous engagement
regular interaction with your board and committees that builds trust and a cohesive approach to common challenges.
Framework
Four tools: one integrated view of governance
The Board Effectiveness Compass© can be combined with other tools of the GOVERN360˚ Toolkit or implemented on a standalone basis. Collectively, the 4 tools provide boards and executives with a practical reading across shareholder rights, disclosure and transparency, management and board effectiveness, the robustness of the three lines of defence, and emerging areas such as AI and technology governance.
Governance Compass
A detailed outlook on the corporate governance framework, culture, policies and implementation.
AI Compass
A shared reading of how AI and related technologies are overseen in your organisation.
Risk & Resilience Compass
A single, evidence-based view of how risk, cybersecurity, business continuity and compliance are overseen.
Board Effectiveness Compass
A thorough, evidence-based perspective on both board and committee effectiveness.