A EX LISTED Company Secretary writes...
We are looking at creating a 12 months forward planner for all Board meetings to record future agenda items, to ensure we capture all standing items and possible new items. Can anybody share any good practice, ideas how this is done or a template they use?
(I am happy to forward a template if you will send it to me at: dm@equitycomms.com) David Mensley
I have done a similar exercise recently and went about it like this:-
1. Start with the terms of reference or other document that sets out what the board is required to do. Take each item from this document (an obvious e.g. annual report) and work out when in the annual cycle it has to happen (note that some items are standing agenda items that happen at every board meeting). That way you convert the board’s terms of reference (or equivalent) into an agenda/checklist which means the board will do everything that its terms of reference say it needs to do
2. There are other “big ticket” annual events that the board should look at. Differs from company to company – in my case it includes strategic review, H&S focus, pension scheme strategy review, takeover defence document etc. List these out and allocate them as necessary throughout the year
3. If the company is subject to the UK Corporate Governance Code then of course check through the requirements of the UKCGC to make sure that, come the end of the financial year, you have captured everything that needs doing to satisfy the UKCGC (e.g. board evaluation process).
We use a rolling agenda, with the board/committee dates down the side of the table and headings like standing items, strategic, governance across the top. Under standing items we might put ED Reports, or Health and safety update. In governance we would put the AR stuff, board evaluation etc. For strategic, the items to be covered at the annual strategy day, Customer insight reviews, bid defence review.