John Carver (board policy)

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John Carver is an author noted for his development of the policy model for boards of directors called Policy Governance. Carver says his model is the only systematic theory of boards. He is an adjunct professor of nonprofit organizations in the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations at the University of Georgia School of Social Work. [1]

An author is the creator or originator of any written work such as a book or play, and is also considered a writer. More broadly defined, an author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility for what was created.

Board of directors Board composed of directors

A board of directors is a group of people who jointly supervise the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit business, nonprofit organization, or a government agency. Such a board's powers, duties, and responsibilities are determined by government regulations and the organization's own constitution and bylaws. These authorities may specify the number of members of the board, how they are to be chosen, and how often they are to meet.

Policy Governance, informally known as the Carver model, is a system for organizational governance. Policy Governance defines and guides appropriate relationships between an organization's owners, its board of directors, and its chief executive.

Contents

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 lies that distinguishes the board's job from that of the chief executive officer. Carver's model clarifies the separation by having the board explicitly state the board's and CEO's jobs in a set of written policies (hence the name Policy Governance). This set of policies is divided into four types. One is the organization's goals (or Ends), and three are about the means the board and CEO employ to attain those ends.

Chief executive officer Highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator

The chief executive officer (CEO), or just chief executive (CE), is the most senior corporate, executive, or administrative officer in charge of managing an organization – especially an independent legal entity such as a company or nonprofit institution. CEOs lead a range of organizations, including public and private corporations, non-profit organizations and even some government organizations. The CEO of a corporation or company typically reports to the board of directors and is charged with maximizing the value of the entity, which may include maximizing the share price, market share, revenues or another element. In the non-profit and government sector, CEOs typically aim at achieving outcomes related to the organization's mission, such as reducing poverty, increasing literacy, etc.

It is a common misunderstanding that in Policy Governance the board's job is 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 the board's written policies explicitly state where the CEO's room for interpretation of the boards' Ends statements begins.

Carver developed the Policy Governance model and registered its trademark. He 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 specific to the organization being governed. The Policy Governance model has universal meaning, and can be adopted in very different company settings, profit and nonprofit, 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 and at what cost. Ownership and recipients can be the same group of people (as is the case with most associations), but more often they are different groups.

Trademark Recognizable sign, design or expression which identifies products or services

A trademark is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others, although trademarks used to identify services are usually called service marks. The trademark owner can be an individual, business organization, or any legal entity. A trademark may be located on a package, a label, a voucher, or on the product itself. For the sake of corporate identity, trademarks are often displayed on company buildings. It is legally recognized as a type of intellectual property.

Dr. John Carver and his wife, Miriam Carver, have trained several hundred consultants at his Policy Governance Academy.

Works

Carver has written several books, including Boards That Make a Difference, 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 contains model board policies that can be modified to fit a range of organizations.

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