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Policy Governance is a conceptual model of boardsmanship that provides a framework for strategic leadership by governing boards. The model enables boards to free themselves from unnecessary, time-consuming details and to focus on the major purpose of governance - creating and sustaining a vision of what the organization contributes to the community. Boards are primarily concerned with the "ends" of the organization (what good is produced for what people) and delegate the "means" (programs, services, and operations) used to achieve the ends to the staff. Boards govern on behalf of an identifiable "ownership" and are externally and future-oriented.

In fulfilling their role, boards essentially perform three jobs. They link with the communities that "own" the institution, they make policy, and they assure institutional performance through CEO performance.

The model is based on ten principles of trusteeship:

1. Boards exist to represent the "ownership" of the institution. The first job responsibility of the board is to define and connect with the ownership.

2. Boards have authority only as corporate units; individual trustees have no individual power to govern the institution or direct staff.

3. Board decisions and directions are expressed as policy, which is the expression of the values and perspectives of the board. The second job responsibility for a board is to make policy.

4. In making policy, boards start with large policy statements and systematically narrow their policy statements a step at a time, until they are comfortable with any reasonable interpretation staff may make.

5. Boards proactively define and delegate authority to staff for the means of the organization, rather than reacting to and ratifying staff proposals. They are not involved in managing operations, staff, or facilities.

6. A pivotal duty of governance is to determine the ends (the desired results) of the organization. Ends define what good will be produced for which people, at what cost. The Ends policies will be based on external needs and should be linked to strategic planning.

7. Boards address the means used by staff to achieve the ends by defining as policy the boundaries beyond which staff must not go. The definitions comprise the Executive Limitations policies.

8. Boards are responsible for designing their own job responsibilities and standards for board practice, defined in the Governance Process policies.

9. Boards define relationships with management that are empowering, responsible, and clear. The relationships are stated in Board-CEO Relationship policies.

10. Institutional performance is monitored rigorously against policy criteria. The third job responsibility of the board is to assure executive and institutional performance through monitoring progress toward Ends and adherence to Limitations.

Policy Categories

Boards that use the Policy Governance approach set policy in the following four areas:

Ends: The board’s most important job is to devise the mission and mission-related statements that clearly state what the desired results-the Ends-of the organization’s actions are to be. What needs are to be met, for whom, and at what cost? How will the world be different as a result of the organization’s actions? What are the expected outcomes of the institution’s programs for those it serves?

Executive Limitations: While the board prescribes the ends for the institution, it only sets limits on the means with which the staff operates. These limits are principles of prudence and ethics that form a boundary of staff practices, activities, circumstances and methods.

Board-CEO Relationship: In addition to setting a vision and defining what constitutes inappropriate staff practices, the board must set policies about how it relates to staff. In essence, the CEO is the board’s sole employee and the link between the board and staff. Board-CEO Relationship policies define the CEO’s role, delegation, and accountability.

Governance Process: The board sets policies for it own workings-its responsibilities (see the three jobs of the board, above), its structure, how meetings will be conducted, and standards for the board. The policies reinforce the board’s responsibilities to provide vision and governing leadership.

Adopted from materials prepared by Cindra J. Smith, Community College League of California