UK Wants Regular Appraisals of Charity Leaders

The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations in the UK (ACEVO) wants charities to introduce formal appraisal procedures for their CEOs, chairs and board members.

The ACEVO Governance Commission has released a report called, Realising the Potential of Governance, which puts forward a range of recommendations aimed at improving voluntary sector governance in the UK.

The report recommends that trustees discuss and consider the potential benefits of establishing a subcommittee or a designated trustee with ongoing delegated responsibility for governance.

Other key recommendations include:

• Charities should be required to include in their Annual Report a section reporting on key governance processes and standards;

• Funders and commissioners should explicitly consider the strength of an organisation’s governance as part of their assessment process;

• Charities should use an open, advertised process to publicise trustee vacancies and request applications;

• Boards should consider implementing defined term limits for trustees, staggered to ensure an appropriate rate of turnover.

ACEVO said it established the Commission after seeing a 40 per cent  increase in demand for its Governance Helpline and CEO in Crisis services.

The report focuses on three main areas: appraisal and accountability; clarity and understanding of roles and responsibilities; and board management issues, including recruitment, training and dispute resolution.

“This report puts forward a range of practical suggestions aimed at supporting  the improvement and development of charity governance,” chair of the ACEVO Governance commission and former CEO of the UK Scouts Association, Derek Twine, said.

“Charities operate in a fast-changing environment and are under more pressure than ever to deliver improved outcomes with limited resources.”

He said the recommendations will help charities ensure that their governance is ready for future challenges.

Click here for the full report.