Investment in Governance

• Policy Name: Investment in Governance
• Policy Types: Governance Process
• Number: GP-09
• Date Approved: October 20, 2025
• Date Amended: 
• Date Last Reviewed: 

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Consistent with its commitment to excellence in governance, the Board will invest in its governance capacity.  

1. Anyone who is or is considering being a candidate for Trustee shall be provided with information that clearly outlines the role of the Board and the Board’s expectations of Trustee, including the Policy Governance methodology.
   
   
2. Board skills, methods, and support will be sufficient to assure governing with excellence.
   
   2.1. New Trustees shall receive a thorough orientation to ensure familiarity with the organization’s issues and structure, and the Board’s process of governance. 
   
   2.2. Trustees shall have ongoing opportunity for continued education to enhance their Policy Governance capabilities.
   
   2.3. Outreach mechanisms will be used as needed to ensure the Board’s ability to listen to owner viewpoints and values.
   
   2.4. Outside monitoring assistance will be arranged so that the Board can exercise sufficient control over organizational performance. This includes but is not limited to fiscal audit.
   
   
3. Costs will be prudently incurred, though not at the expense of endangering the development and maintenance of superior governance capability.
   
   
4. The Board will use its governance means policies as measurable standards against which the Board’s performance can be evaluated.
   
   4.1. The Board will evaluate and discuss the Board’s process and performance at each meeting.
   
   4.2. Under the leadership of the Board Chair, at least annually the Board will conduct a self-evaluation. As a result of this evaluation, the Board will establish a governance action plan for improvement of identified areas.
   
   4.2.1. The Board will monitor its adherence to its own Governance Process and Board – Management Delegation policies regularly. Upon the choice of the Board, any policy can be monitored at any time. However, at minimum, the Board will monitor its own adherence to them, according to the following schedule:

Number	Policy	YR1	YR2	YR3	YR4	YR5	YR6
GP-00	Global Governance Commitment			Sept			Sept
GP-01	Governing Style		Apr			Apr
GP-02	Board Job Contributions			Nov			Nov
GP-03	Board Planning Cycle and Agenda Control	Oct		Oct		Oct
GP-04	Role of the Board Chair		Jan			Jan
GP-05	Role of the Vice Chair		Jan			Jan
GP-06	Board Committee Principles			Mar			Mar
GP-06.1	Audit Committee Terms of Reference	Feb		Feb		Feb
GP-06.2	Ownership Linkage Committee Terms of Reference		Nov		Nov		Nov
GP-06.3	Governance Committee Terms of Reference	Mar		Mar		Mar
GP-07	Board and Committee Expenses	Sept	Sept	Sept	Sept	Sept	Sept
GP-08	Board Code of Conduct	Jun	Jun	Jun	Jun	Jun	Jun
GP-09	Investment in Governance		May			May
GP-10	Board Linkage with Ownership			Jan			Jan
GP-11	Handling Operational Complaints			Oct			Oct
BMD-00	Global Board Management Delegation		Sept			Sept
BMD-01	Unity of Control	Jan			Jan
BMD-02	Accountability of the CEO	Jan			Jan
BMD-03	Delegation to the CEO		Feb			Feb
BMD-04	Monitoring CEO's Performance	Apr		Apr		Apr
BMD-05	CEO Compensation		Mar			Mar