How to Write Effective Board Decision Papers

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Board decision papers are a crucial tool to assist directors in making informed decisions. They are written to provide the information and analysis that a board needs in order to consider and approve the proposed decision. They can be used to discuss major capital investments and subsequent revenue implications, acquisitions/dispositions, introducing new services or changing existing ones, organisational structure changes, budgetary decisions, granting contracts or joint ventures etc.

The best papers for boards begin by specifying their purpose information only, discussion or seeking the board’s opinion – and clearly state the board’s recommendation. The document should then contain brief information on the matter, including an executive summary (ideally not higher than 4 paragraphs in a single paragraph just a few lines) and a full justification, including strategies, risks and financial information. It should also include an overview of options and the reasons why this option is best for the business.

A variety of board development experts as well as chairs we spoke to suggested that executive teams utilize an approach that is focused on the decision making process for their documents. This is where the headings on the paper reflect the decision to be made instead of arranging them according to theme. this helps boards to better process information, and challenges them to think about how they might take each issue.

Edit your board papers until they are clear and concise. It is beneficial to read your draft a second time the next morning following a night’s sleep.