Mission Directed Governance

This book introduces a mission-directed governance system designed to help the school advance its mission and provide focused accountability while holding fast its essential positions of faith and philosophy. The purpose is to help Christian school leaders to more effectively address organization, purpose, and priority through a new organizational structure that will challenge familiar traditions and culture.

Christian school leaders need to reflect carefully on the leadership and governance processes that can best guide their schools. This book introduces a mission-directed governance system designed to define educational ideals, focus leadership energies, advance the school, create accountability, and measure results. While holding fast to essential positions of Christian faith and educational philosophy, these ideas can help leaders of Christian schools more effectively address purpose, priority, and organization through fresh approaches to governance.

This book offers readers the chance to learn from the experiences of researchers involved in integrated mission-directed research, particularly in the areas of natural resource management and regional development. Integrated Mission-directed Research covers important issues in integration science, supported by case studies that detail how to engage individuals and communities, and support policy decisions and development. The authors explore case studies undertaken in Australia, Europe, Thailand and Indonesia, as well as perspectives from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Closing chapters demonstrate key challenges for researchers and essential questions that should be answered when trying to set up integrated research. Potential benefits that could be obtained from effective integrated mission-directed research are included, as well as assessment questions to assist researchers to see if such benefits have been truly obtained. Written by experienced researchers, many of whom were involved in CSIRO’s Social and Economic Integration Emerging Science Initiative, the book explores how integrated research is now seen as crucial in achieving sustainability outcomes in natural resource management.

BEST SELLER This BEST SELLIING book provides a comprehensive guide to effective governance for board members and their senior executives. The author offers a new framework for understanding boards and proposes practices that boards can use to fulfill their stewardship responsibilities, strengthen board performance and improve organizational effectiveness. The book discusses the basics of governance - what it is and why it matters; essential duties and liabilities of the board and its members; and the essentials of an effective board/management partnership. It provides detailed guidance on the seven primary areas of board responsibility: i) mission and planning; ii) financial stewardship; iii) human resources stewardship; iv) performance monitoring and accountability; v) community representation and advocacy; vi) risk management; and, vii) managing 'critical events' and 'transitional phases'. It discusses the legal structure of nonprofits, who owns them and how to organize for accountable governance. Governing for Results will assist boards in dealing with recurring issues around board and committee structures; their terms of reference and effective use; and job descriptions for key officers. The discussion of board development, board management, decision-making and organizational culture will prove invaluable in helping many boards deal with these complex issues. A discussion of the essential principles of governing for results includes a logical framework for planning and evaluation. The book provides tools that can help boards decide which governance practices will best fit their particular organization and strengthen their performance as a governing body. It outlines the factors that may interfere with a board's ability to adopt appropriate governance practices and presents twelve keys to successful governance that were identified through research. It offers a sample letter of agreement for new board members, and samples of an agenda for board meetings, an oath of confidentiality, a values statement, conflict of interest and donor confidentiality policies, a template for financial monitoring, self-assessment tools for the board and individual directors and a basic guide to 'Rules of Order' for conduct of meetings. It also provides outlines for comprehensive by laws and governance policies, and references to additional resources. Although this book is intended to fill a gap in the resources available to volunteer members of nonprofit boards of directors, much of its guidance will also be useful for directors of public and private sector corporations. The strong research base underpinning this work also makes it of interest to researchers, academics, and consultants. It adds perspective to the debate about governance models and offers guidance to board members with respect to board structure, responsiblities, governance practices, and problems that commonly afflict boards. It is designed as a user-friendly guide for busy directors and executives who want concise, compact and well-researched answers to perennially troubling questions about governance, the role of boards and their relationship to staff.

Build a more effective board with insight from the forefront of corporate governance The Handbook of Board Governance provides comprehensive, expert-led coverage of all aspects of corporate governance for public, nonprofit, and private boards. Written by collaboration among subject matter experts, this book combines academic rigor and practitioner experience to provide thorough guidance and deep insight. From diversity, effectiveness, and responsibilities, to compensation, succession planning, and financial literacy, the topics are at once broad-ranging and highly relevant to current and aspiring directors. The coverage applies to governance at public companies, private and small or medium companies, state-owned enterprises, family owned organizations, and more, to ensure complete and clear guidance on a diverse range of issues. An all-star contributor list including Ram Charan, Bob Monks, Nell Minow, and Mark Nadler, among others, gives you the insight of thought leaders in the areas relevant to your organization. A well-functioning board is essential to an organization’s achievement. Whether the goal is furthering a mission or dominating a market, the board’s composition, strategy, and practices are a determining factor in the organization’s ultimate success. This guide provides the information essential to building a board that works. Delve into the board’s strategic role in value creation Gain useful insight into compensation, risk, accountability, legal obligations Understand the many competencies required of an effective director Get up to speed on blind spots, trendspotting, and social media in the board room The board is responsible for a vast and varied collection of duties, but the singular mission is to push the organization forward. Poor organization, one-sided composition, inefficient practices, and ineffective oversight detract from that mission, but all can be avoided. The Handbook of Board Governance provides practical guidance and expert insight relevant to board members across the spectrum.

The Space Studies Board (SSB) was established in 1958 to serve as the focus of the interests and responsibilities in space research for the National Academies. The SSB provides an independent, authoritative forum for information and advice on all aspects of space science and applications, and it serves as the focal point within the National Academies for activities on space research. It oversees advisory studies and program assessments, facilitates international research coordination, and promotes communications on space science and science policy between the research community, the federal government, and the interested public. The SSB also serves as the U.S. National Committee for the International Council for Science Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). This volume reviews the organization, activities, and reports of the SSB for the year 2010.

This book unveils a gap in the governance of development projects that ultimately hinders effective, transparent and accountable usage of resources. Illustrated with entertaining examples, the book develops a Project Governance model. The models six modules build an integrated, strategically oriented and ethically reflected platform for a more truthful and efficient cooperation in difficult projects or programs such as in development.

Global Governance Enterprises focuses on a specific multi-sector collaboration—the formation of an entity that carries out global governance—providing a detailed analysis of the context of their emergence, as well as how they are created, managed, and sustained. Forrer considers the growing challenges to successful global governance and the role of multi-sector collaborations in overcoming these challenges, arguing that such partnerships should be considered successful only when they meet specific conditions that ensure they are “doing well” and “doing good.” By establishing a coherent framework to define global governance enterprises across a wide span of sectors, the book develops a strong theoretical foundation for this type of partnership and provides the reader with an understanding of the practical, operational realities of organizing, financing, and sustaining global governance enterprises. It includes a full section of case studies, ranging from healthcare to environmental organizations, providing practical insight into this form of governance and its function. This book should be on the shelf of any professional or student interested in global governance, public–private partnerships, or public management.