Meeting Agendas

Who Sets the Agenda

The chair drafts the agenda so the focus is on board matters. Staff may type it and distribute it, but the agenda topics are provided by the chair, often with input from other board members.

The board, as a whole, finalizes the agenda at the beginning of the meeting—making both additions and deletions.

Agenda Structure

The meeting may be divided into sections to keep similar business together. The sections could be:

• Corporate Ends, Board Operations, Board-Management Linkage, and Operational Limits, or
• Administration (minutes, etc.), Decisions, Monitoring (reports), and Information (learning about issues without making decisions).

Time Management Tips for Meetings

The most important items are put at the top of the agenda so there is time to deal with them well. It is the lower priority items at the end of the agenda that may be rushed or carried over to the next meeting.

State how much time should be allocated for each agenda item. Does it deserve 10 minutes or 2 hours? This lets everyone know how the meeting must flow to cover all topics within the allowed time.

The adjournment time is determined at the beginning of the meeting. And it is honoured unless the board as a whole decides to extend the meeting. Send reports on all agenda items to all board members in advance so they can be read before the meeting. Then oral reports are not given at the meeting.

Consent Agendas

Place the items of straight-forward routine business on a consent agenda so they can be quickly voted-on as one. This frees up time for discussion on bigger issues.

When board members review the reports on consent agenda items they note matters of concern.

When the agenda is being discussed at the beginning of the meeting, items that anyone believes require discussion are removed from the consent agenda and listed as separate agenda items.