Best Practices Board Study from Aboriginal Healing Foundation - a great board of directors
A Legacy of Excellence: Best Practices Board Study Aboriginal Healing Foundation
John Graham and Laura Mitchell
May 29, 2009
The Institute On Governance (IOG)
From the Executive Summary
In collaboration with the AHF, the Institute On Governance (IOG) has undertaken a best practices case study of this Board with two goals in mind. First, we want to identify the key factors that have led the AHF Board to perform at its current high level to inform and inspire other boards, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to improve their performance. Second, this study may offer helpful suggestions for the current AHF Board regarding how its performance may be improved for the remainder of its existence. ...
Interviewees were asked to rank the ability of the AHF to successfully incorporate and follow each of 11 characteristics of high performing boards (characteristics identified by the IOG through its work over many years) both quantitatively and qualitatively: quantitatively, using a scale of one to six (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=disagree somewhat, 4= agree somewhat, 5= agree, 6=strongly agree); and qualitatively, by asking interviewees to provide examples of how the Board had realized these characteristics in their ongoing board practices.
The data collected yielded impressive results. In every one of the 11 characteristics measured the AHF scored no less than 5.5. Two characteristics – external relations and accountability - get an astounding average mark of 5.8. And the overall average of the 11 characteristics is well over 5.6, a remarkable outcome, and one that the IOG has not seen before in our work with boards. ...
Of the many effective practices of the Board, the IOG believes that the following are particularly noteworthy. The AHF Board:
- mirrors the mission of the organization,
- guides a pan-Aboriginal organization that is very cohesive
- has facilitated excellent relationship building
- has achieved admirable transparency and accountability
- has effectively managed a half billion dollars
Documenting the particular characteristics that make the AHF stand out as an organization is useful to a point; but equally important is to understand the underlying factors which have contributed to that success. Since one of the goals of this paper is to help other organization replicate the successes of the AHF it is helpful to analyze those causal factors that underpin much of the AHF innovation.
Through interviews and document review the IOG established five causal factors which have been instrumental in creating the factors for success. They are:
- the very strong working relationship between the Chair and the Executive Director.
- the high degree of continuity among the Board and staff.
- the fundamentally sound governance and management policies and practices in place at the AHF.
- the significant inclusion of clientele in the work of the organization.
- the scrupulous approach of the organization regarding nepotism and other ethical issues.