Program:

Day 1 

Meeting Processes and AGMs

The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for holding successful meetings – the ultimate decision-making process for all organizations including:

• The legal and regulatory requirements for Board, committee and shareholder or member meetings
• Tools and processes for organizing and holding successful and effective meetings
• The special nature of shareholder and member meetings and best practices

Financial Literacy for the Non-Financial Governance Professional

The purpose of this module is to help give you an understanding of business finance, and the role of the Board, Audit Committee, Auditors and the Governance Professional in the preparation, presentation and analysis of financial information.

Participants will develop an understanding with respect to:

• Accounting terms and the significance and relevance of financial information
• The budgeting process including the fundamentals of preparing and mastering budgets
• Basic concepts underlying the preparation and presentation of financial statements
• Controls and policies that help ensure accuracy and reliability of accounting systems

Day 2 

Minutes and Minutes Management

The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for preparing minutes that protect the organization and its directors – with the objective of evidencing the due-diligence of the Board in its decision-making processes.

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

• The legal and regulatory requirements for minutes
• Tools and processes for implementing and maintaining effective minutes
• Best practice minute taking, preparation and maintenance procedures
• Records Management

Policy Principals

In this course participants will explore purpose of policies in the context of governance, examine the six-step policy process and framework, learn techniques for developing clear and effective policies, and review strategies to manage common policy challenges.<

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

• Understanding the purpose of policies in the context of governance, such as code of conduct, conflict of interest, CEO compensation, CEO recruitment and evaluation, and position policies.
• Understanding nomenclature/terminology including the general differences between bylaws, policies, and procedures
• Awareness of how corporate secretaries can support the Board and the CEO in policy
• Knowledge of common pitfalls to avoid when creating policies
• Awareness of the six-step policy process: research, direction, drafting, communication, implementation, review
• The ability to use a structured framework to draft and develop policy
• Understanding of the elements which constitute a well-developed policy
• Awareness of language use in policy development
• Knowledge of processes to manage difficult or complex policy situations

Day 3

Carefully Crafting Bylaws to Enable Sound Governance

In this session, the use of bylaws as an importance foundation of sound governance will be explained, including their sources of content and drafting considerations.

Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

• The direct role of bylaws in supporting many facets of governance
• The typical topics found in bylaws and various approaches to deciding their content
• How to research which sources of information when crafting bylaws