Board Decision Papers

Board Decision Papers

Board decision papers are written documents for board members to perform their oversight responsibilities and make informed decisions about company matters. They must be concise and informative, with a clear summary as well as annexes.

Directors can be assisted to make the right choices by an analysis of alternatives and a review of the most important metrics and research findings and an understanding of the operating environment that influenced their decision-making. They may also think about a simulation on the impact of different options on the business. It is also useful to illustrate how management made the most appropriate option. This could involve describing the various options that were considered, or a summary of the pros/cons for each, as well in describing how the suggested approach scored against the criteria.

Board documents should be written in a formal business style and free of jargon or legalese. This will help keep the content current and accessible to all directors. Charts and graphs can be used to provide a www.boardroomofficial.com/what-do-you-think-about-virtual-board-meeting-software/ summary of information and data trends and break up large blocks of text. It’s recommended to read the paper loud to your colleagues or peers to assess clarity and ensure that the most important points are conveyed. If clarification is required it’s usually better to ask comments, questions or even alternative perspectives from the board.