John Carver (board policy)
Encyclopedia
John Carver is an author
noted for his development of the policy model for boards of directors
called Policy Governance
. Carver states his model is the only systematic theory of boards. He is Adjunct Professor of Nonprofit Organizations in the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations at the University of Georgia School of Social Work
.
Carver noticed that board members often wonder what the board's job is and where the line distinguishing the Boards job for that of the Chief Executive Officer
lies. Carver's model clarifies the separation by having the board explicitly state the Boards and CEO's jobs in a set of written policies (hence the name 'Policy Governance').
This set of policies is divided in four types of policies. One type is about the organizations goals (or Ends), and three of them are about the means board and CEO employ to attain those ends.
It is a common misunderstanding that in Policy Governance it is the board's job to decide the goals and the Chief Executive Officer's job to determine the means to achieve the board's ends. Both board and CEO decide goals (Ends) and means, but in the written policies by the board, it is explicitly stated where the room for interpretation of the CEO of the boards' ends statements begins.
Carver's model of boards originated with Carver. The term "Policy Governance" is registered and trademark
ed. Carver permits others to employ the term but he stops any efforts to redefine the term or to ignore its methods and systems. Each application of the Policy Governance Model is peculiar to the specific organization being governed. The Policy Governance Model has universal meaning, and can be adopted in very different company settings, profit and non-profit, although complex local legislation can make it difficult to recognize the underlying logic of the model.
In every true application of Policy Governance the board represents the ownership of the organization as it defines the good that the organization is to provide for the recipients. Ownership and recipients can be the same group of people (as is the case with most associations), but more often they are different groups.
Dr. John Carver and is wife, Miriam Carver, have trained several hundreds consultants at the Policy Governance Academy.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
noted for his development of the policy model for boards of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
called Policy Governance
Policy Governance
Policy Governance is a trademarked governance model designed for Boards of Directors that provides a clear differentiation between governance and management responsibilities in organizations. The model was developed by John Carver....
. Carver states his model is the only systematic theory of boards. He is Adjunct Professor of Nonprofit Organizations in the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations at the University of Georgia School of Social Work
University of Georgia School of Social Work
The University of Georgia School of Social Work is a college within the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States.The School of Social Work opened in 1964...
.
Development of model
Early in his career, Carver searched for a reliable guide to managing the work of a board. His research turned up little on the proper role of the board of directors.Carver noticed that board members often wonder what the board's job is and where the line distinguishing the Boards job for that of the Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
lies. Carver's model clarifies the separation by having the board explicitly state the Boards and CEO's jobs in a set of written policies (hence the name 'Policy Governance').
This set of policies is divided in four types of policies. One type is about the organizations goals (or Ends), and three of them are about the means board and CEO employ to attain those ends.
It is a common misunderstanding that in Policy Governance it is the board's job to decide the goals and the Chief Executive Officer's job to determine the means to achieve the board's ends. Both board and CEO decide goals (Ends) and means, but in the written policies by the board, it is explicitly stated where the room for interpretation of the CEO of the boards' ends statements begins.
Carver's model of boards originated with Carver. The term "Policy Governance" is registered and trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed. Carver permits others to employ the term but he stops any efforts to redefine the term or to ignore its methods and systems. Each application of the Policy Governance Model is peculiar to the specific organization being governed. The Policy Governance Model has universal meaning, and can be adopted in very different company settings, profit and non-profit, although complex local legislation can make it difficult to recognize the underlying logic of the model.
In every true application of Policy Governance the board represents the ownership of the organization as it defines the good that the organization is to provide for the recipients. Ownership and recipients can be the same group of people (as is the case with most associations), but more often they are different groups.
Dr. John Carver and is wife, Miriam Carver, have trained several hundreds consultants at the Policy Governance Academy.
Works
Carver has written a number of books. These include Boards That Make a Difference which is probably the best known of his works. His book Reinventing Your Board, published in a new edition in 2006, is probably the easiest for a beginner to understand. It also contains model board policies that can be modified to fit a wider range of organizations.External links
- PolicyGovernance.com
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/0787908118Boards That Make a Difference at Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
] - Policy Governance Revisited
- Stacy Sjogren