In case you want to read more about Policy Governance, here are links to several suggested articles. The first group covers the general concepts of Policy Governance. All links will open in a new page.
Policy Governance Overview – .If you are new to Policy Governance, this short explanation of Policy Governance, issued by the International Policy Governance Association, will get you started. 2-pages
What is This Business of Board Governance – this article by Dr. Biery provides a good summary of the whole subject of Board governance, outlines the Policy Governance model, and explains why more Christian organizations are turning to Policy Governance. 4 pages
About Governance and Why Policy Governance Works – another article by Dr. Biery that discusses Policy Governance in more detail than his one-page summary. 5 pages
Governance and the Concept of Best Practices – an article by Dr. Biery that summarizes the purpose of Governance and discusses a commonly-used practice by Boards of using Governance ‘best practices’ instead of a system. 14 pages
What’s Biblical About Policy Governance -this short article by Dr. Biery provides a good summary for Christian organizations of the Biblical aspects of Policy Governance. 5 pages
Why Do Christian Ministry Boards Switch to Policy Governance – this is a simple one-page list summarizing the reasons Boards make the switch to Policy Governance. 1 page
Origin and Development of Policy Governance – a published interview with John Carver about how he came to invent Policy Governance – from the Jan-Feb 2013 issue of Board Governance newsletter. You will find other interesting sidebars in this newsletter section, too. 8 pages
Policy Governance Overview – this 17-page document by John Carver is the ‘official’ comprehensive summary of the Policy Governance Model.
The following articles deal with specific aspects of Policy Governance.
Myths We’ve Heard About Policy Governance – this is a link to an article compiled by Dr. Biery that answers some of the questions raised about Policy Governance. 5 pages
Checklist – this is a great checklist to help you quickly determine the extent to which the principles of Policy Governance are being used by a Board. It also gives some desirable structural components for a Board, as well as some desirable attributes for Board members. 3 pages
Desirable Board Member Attributes – this is a link to an article by Dr. Biery that outlines a number of attributes to look for when searching for new Board members. 1 page
Ends That Make a Difference – Speech by John Carver to the International Policy Governance Association 2005 Annual Conference. This is very helpful in understanding how to craft Ends Policies. 4 pages
CarverGuides – this PDF provides a summary of the six (2009) Carver guides that provide an excellent overview of the Policy Governance model. John Carver especially recommends the first one – The Policy Governance Model and the Role of the Board Member – as a good introduction for any Board members considering Policy Governance. Please contact Dave for more information on how to obtain these guides. 2 pages
If you have questions or want more information, please contact Dave.