Caroline Oliver

The meaning of constituency

Caroline Oliver reflects on the meaning of constituency from a Policy Governance perspective. What she has to say will ring many bells for public boards and other elected or appointed boards. However, ultimately there is relevance for all of us for we are all “constituents.”

The inspired board

Boards are looking for inspiration in all the wrong places, says governance author and board consultant Caroline Oliver. Here she explains where they should be looking.

Why size matters

There are a number of reasons why a board may be large, among them the desire to have diverse representation. But whatever the reasons, there comes a point at which a board becomes too cumbersome to effectively represent its ownership. It is difficult to have meaningful debate in large groups—progress is slow, factions may form, and resources are wasted. In this article, Caroline Oliver lays out some critical questions that boards should consider in order to determine if their membership is too big; she then offers some preliminary suggestions about how a board may get its membership to optimum size and maximum effectiveness.

Policy governance: The story so far

Sometimes it takes a crisis to provoke change. The Enron debacle is just such a crisis, and with the first book on Policy Governance in the corporate sector hitting the shelves this summer, this could be a pivotal moment in the history of the development of Policy Governance. Caroline Oliver marks this occasion by laying down the story so far. Perhaps understanding how far Policy Governance has come will lay the groundwork for the future; this article will at least provide a record of the state of Policy Governance in the summer of 2002.

Uncovering the value of the right word

Most people join boards for selfless reasons, because they want to “make a difference.” Received wisdom tells us that making a difference is grueling and overwhelming work, and unfortunately the muddled governance procedures of most boards seem to prove the case. In this article, Caroline Oliver, chair of the International Policy Governance Association, shows us why the Policy Governance board must disabuse itself of the orthodoxy that says that there is a one-to-one relationship between effort and effectiveness. Relying on just a handful of concise policies, the Policy Governance board dictates a whole range of organizational ends and so has more time to govern than the board that busies itself with staff means. The Policy Governance board may have a more straightforward job than the traditional board, but it is also more effective.

Taking policy governance to the mainstream

Have you ever expressed your enthusiasm for Policy Governance only to be met by a blank stare? Do you wonder what could be done to create greater awareness of the advantages of Policy Governance both for your own board and for others? Caroline Oliver, Policy Governance consultant, general editor of The Policy Governance Fieldbook, and designated chair of the soon-to-be-launched Policy Governance Association, looks to the world of high technology for some answers.