I’m proud to serve as a Board Assessor with the Institute of Directors Ireland’s Board Evaluation Service, working alongside a team of Chartered Directors and governance specialists to help boards understand how effectively they are really operating.
A Long-Standing Service, Across Every Sector
IoD Ireland has been conducting board evaluations since 2009, working with organisations ranging from SMEs and large private companies to PLCs, regulated entities, charities, and state bodies. The service exists because well-structured agendas and clear terms of reference only tell part of the story. What actually determines whether a board is effective is the quality of its information, the trust between the board and management, and whether its behaviours and dynamics are genuinely fit for purpose.
What the Process Involves
A thorough evaluation looks across areas including strategy formulation, board oversight of risk and culture, decision-making processes, stakeholder engagement, board composition and dynamics, and the performance of the chair. Depending on what an organisation needs, this might involve a bespoke online questionnaire, one-to-one interviews with directors, or observation of board and committee meetings in action, often a combination of all three.
Why Confidentiality Is the Real Engine of Insight
What I value most about this work is the trust it depends on. Confidentiality isn’t a formality; it’s what allows directors to speak candidly, and that candour is where the real insight comes from. Done well, a board evaluation doesn’t just tick a governance box. It gives a board a genuine, evidence-based view of its own strengths and blind spots, and a practical route to closing the gaps.
If you’re a chair or company secretary wondering whether your board is genuinely set up for success, that’s exactly the question this process is designed to answer.
