Board Governance 101 | Board Composition & Structure

• Develop a proactive succession plan to attract new talent and fill casual vacancies in accordance with your Constitution.

• Implementing formal governance tools, such as Board Charters, role descriptions, and Codes of Conduct, to provide clarity for new directors.

• Ensuring election processes are managed strictly to the letter of the law to prevent legal challenges or invalid appointments.

• Conducting structured risk assessments to identify, rate, and prioritise potential threats to the organisation using a ‘traffic light’ system.

• Evaluating strategies to manage risk, including the use of insurance, policy development, or the cessation of high-risk activities.

• Maintaining risk management as a standing agenda item to ensure the board remains vigilant regarding ongoing organisational safety.

• Defining a clear, documented long-term vision to ensure the organisation remains relevant and sustainable for future generations.

• Utilising "position papers" and SWOT analyses to evaluate internal strengths and external threats before setting strategic goals.

• Building a solid foundation for growth by aligning the board, management, and stakeholders around a common future plan.

• Mastering the essentials of financial reporting, including Profit & Loss statements, Balance Sheets, and critical cash flow forecasts.

• Implementing robust internal controls for payments, to eliminate the risk of fraud or embezzlement.

• Upholding the collective legal duty to ensure the organisation remains solvent, noting that financial ignorance is not a valid legal defence for any director.

Courses completed through CTA Training Specialists are designed for individual learners to access and revisit your units with ease. If your whole board wishes to complete our Board Governance training, we can offer discounts when there are more than 5 individual learners.

The certificate of completion will be issued (following successful completion) to the individual learner registered at the time of purchase

Simply fill out the Bulk Purchase Enquiry Form or email [email protected] and let us know what you need.

If you have further questions about any of the topics covered in this unit, we encourage you to please look at the links and resources we provide at the end of each module first and foremost, as they delve even further into specific governance topics.

Our presenters are available for further questions if you need, however please keep in mind that they are professional governance consultants. They cannot provide specific information relating to your Club unless you would like to contract them. If you have a general question about the content covered in this topic, we will be happy to pass on your question to the presenters if it meets the nature of being a general question. Please email [email protected] if you have any general questions about any of the content covered in these courses.

We recommend the 101 Series for board members of organisations without liquor and gaming licences, such as local sporting clubs, co-operatives, and community groups. This series provides a practical overview of the core duties and challenges most relevant to smaller associations.

For directors of larger organisations, Companies Limited by Guarantee, or clubs offering liquor and gaming services, we recommend the Board Governance Toolkit. This series offers a more rigorous and comprehensive overview of your statutory responsibilities, which is essential for effective governance in highly regulated environments.

Note: As many governance principles apply to all organisations regardless of size, directors of smaller clubs who wish to deepen their expertise in specific areas may also find significant value in the advanced modules of the Toolkit series.