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The selection of the chief executive is among the most important responsibilities of the nonprofit board. Boards take great care - and invest significant time and resources - to establish search committees, identify the skills and experience the ideal candidate should possess, and conduct the interview and selection process. Once the "perfect" candidate is found and hired, however, these critical conversations about the expectations for the chief executive's performance often stop. A vital source of feedback disappears.

By failing to adequately evaluate the chief executive, many nonprofit boards miss an opportunity to ensure that performance expectations between the board and chief executive are clear, to strengthen his or her performance, and to express support for the executive. Neglect can be costly, resulting in mistrust, strained working relationships, ongoing poor performance, and even turnover.

BoardSource Assessment Tool

BoardSource offers two versions of its assessment tool, an online version and a print version. If you order the print version, we will send you a facilitator's packet that includes a User's Guide and Questionnaires. It is the responsibility of your organization to distribute the questionnaires and tabulate the results.

Added benefits of the online version include:

• Improved efficiency and confidentiality through the use of secure online processes.
• More candid answers because the survey is administered by BoardSource.
• More convenient process because the assessment can be completed either online or, for those who prefer it, on paper.
• Real-time reporting that allows the facilitator to preview results and monitor participation.
• Usually higher participation rates because of the user-friendly process.
• Immediate, confidential results. The summary report is available immediately after all of the surveys are completed. Results are reported as an average score.

The processes described below focus on using BoadSource's online tool. If you are not sure what version of the tool would best meet your needs, please contact a BoardSource eProducts Associate at eproducts@boardsource.org or 800.883.6262 x 7975.

Assessment Tips

There is no single method for conducting an assessment, but boards and chief executives are more likely to find the assessment constructive if it is implemented in a thoughtful and planned way. Here are some tips to assist you in creating a positive and rewarding assessment process while using the Boardsource assessment tool.

Decide who will lead the assessment process. Usually the assessment process is led by the board chair, the immediate past chair, or the chair of the governance committee, if one exists. Some boards use an external consultant to assist in the assessment. (A competent, disinterested third party can add credibility and perspective to the process.) In addition,  someone at your organization will serve as the facilitator of the online tool. The facilitator will be given a username and password where information and instructions about your assessment will be provided. A BoardSource staff member will assist the facilitator in setting up the online assessment.

Review the BoardSource survey tool and determine if there is a need to customize it for your organization. When an assessment is conducted, it is important to have a clear understanding of the criteria on which the assessment is based. This instrument identifies most of the traditional responsibilities of the chief executive and should be completed in the context of:

• The chief executive's job description
• The chief executive's individual performance goals
• The vision and mission of the organization
• The annual goals and objectives for the organization established by the board and the chief executive

 The online tool can be customized by inserting the specific performance goals established for your chief executive. The facilitator will be given instructions on how to insert these goals directly into the online survey. There is also an opportunity to add or delete specific questions for an additional fee of $199.

Further customization can be arranged for an hourly charge. Please contact BoardSource for more information on customization.

Build support for the process and encourage participation from the very beginning. Engage the board in a discussion of the critical importance of the assessment of the chief executive for the organization. The evaluation of the chief executive is one of the board's most important governance responsibilities and a primary vehicle for carrying out the board's oversight and stewardship functions. Therefore, having 100 percent participation in this effort is critical.

It is also important for board members to understand why this process is so important to the chief executive. The executive's position within the organization, with no peers and no direct supervisor, makes it difficult for him or her to obtain honest feedback to use as a basis for improving performance. "What am I doing well?" and "What can I do better?" are questions that effective leaders want to know - but that often go unanswered. The assessment process provides one of the few opportunities the executive has to obtain insight into his or her strengths, limitations and overall performance.

We suggest that board members are told about the assessment tool in advance so they know they will be receiving an e-mail inviting them to participate in the online assessment. This can be done at a board meeting, by letter, or via e-mail. It is important to stress that 100 percent participation is expected from all board members in fulfilling this important board responsibility.

Provide an overview of the process. Let board members know what else to expect throughout the entire assessment process, along with a timeline for completing the survey.

Build in flex time - you will need it. Let the board know when the process will launch, why a timely response is so important, and when the results of the assessment will be brought back to the board. Knowing the "end date" is often helpful in motivating people to respond more quickly. An open-ended process could go on forever.

Set an official due date … and then plan for an extension. Despite repeated reminders, some board members will inevitably be slow in responding. Build time into the process to extend the due date and provide board members with one last chance to participate in the process. It is typical to provide board members with two weeks to complete the survey, and then one additional week for follow up.

Use the summary report to communicate results back to the board and the chief executive. After the deadline has passed, the facilitator will be able to generate a summary report via a Web link. The summary report averages the numeric scores of all board members who have completed the survey and reports the chief executive's individual answers in a separate column so differences in the perceptions of the chief executive and the board can be compared. Open-ended answers will be included in the summary report as they were entered in the survey.

The next step is analyzing the results and discussing the implications for the organization as a whole and the chief executive individually. The board should meet in executive session to discuss the outcome. The goal is for the board to agree on what it perceives to be meaningful and important in the results, and on the key messages to be brought to the chief executive, including any adjustments to compensation if appropriate.

Review the results with the chief executive and develop action plans for the upcoming year. After the board discussion, representatives from the board (typically the board chair and/or governance committee chair) should meet with the chief executive to review the results and the key messages from the board discussion. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the perceived strengths and limitations of the chief executive, as identified by the board and by the chief executive in his or her own self-assessment - and then to develop action plans for future growth. The implications of these strengths and limitations for the future of the organization should also be discussed at this meeting.

Support the chief executive's future development. The main objective of the assessment process is to encourage self-discovery and improvement. After evaluating the executive's performance and preparing action plans for the chief executive's development, the board must support the executive over the upcoming year. Change can be a difficult process, and the board should encourage the chief executive's personal and professional development.

Overview of the BoardSource Online Assessment Process

1. Someone at your organization will serve as the facilitator and assist BoardSource with conducting the assessment. The facilitator will establish the beginning and end dates of the survey, provide BoardSource with a list of board member names and e-mail addresses, preview the survey, and determine if questions in the survey need to be customized. If performance goals have been established for your chief executive, these can be inserted into Section One.
2. Board members and the chief executive will receive individual e-mails with a link, username, and password to log in to their own online survey.
3. Everyone will be asked to complete the assessment by the deadline established by the facilitator. The assessment should take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete.
4. The facilitator will be able to monitor who has completed or partially completed the assessment throughout the survey period, and can make phone calls or send additional e-mails to encourage higher participation. Automatic reminder e-mails will be sent to those who have not completed the survey prior to the deadline.
5. Those who have completed the assessment will have the option to receive an e-mail confirming that their responses have been received by BoardSource.
6. BoardSource will compile a summary report that details the executive's answers along with an average of the board members' responses. No individuals (other than the chief executive) will be identified in the summary report. After the deadline, the facilitator will be able to generate the summary report and distribute this to the full board or a committee of the board.

For information on additional BoardSource consulting services in relation to the outcome of your assessment, please contact BoardSource at 202-452-6262 or 1-877-892-6273.