Boardroom Metrics Feedback

I'm always happy to answer questions that come into my info @ boardroommetrics dot com account. This past week I received the following from a foundation in Seattle:

Subject: Boardroom Metrics Feedback

Comments: Do you have any resources for how to write a policy assessing an organization's performance and effectiveness?
Thank you for any help you can provide
Submit: Submit

Here's my response:

Claire - I don't have specific resources that I can point you to but org performance and effectiveness is part of the consulting work I do. Recently I completed a small project for a well known foundation in Toronto (which has certain similarities to your organization). Here are some thoughts based on that experience:

1. we started with vision and mission - in their case "to brighten the lives of seriously ill children" - and (working with the Board) completed an assessment of how well we were achieving the vision/mission (we used objective and subjective measures)
2. defined the core competency/competitive advantage of the foundation and
3. completed a SWOT analysis of the foundation
4. reviewed/graded each program delivered by the foundation based on contribution to the vision/mission (again objective and subjective measures like # of children/families involved, focus group feedback, etc)
5. based on the different assessments, developed recommendations for upgrading programs, marketing and governance around improving effectiveness and delivery of the vision and mission.

Maybe there's something in this approach that's helpful? It's always good to start these assessments at vision/mission.