Monitoring

When to monitor

• At least as frequently as the schedule you have set out in your policy
• At any other additional time the board feels it is necessary

What to include in monitoring reports

• An explicit reasonable interpretation of the policy, including measurable criteria that will be used to demonstrate compliance, and rationale for why the interpretation is reasonable
• Evidence of compliance with the reasonable interpretation

When to discuss a monitoring report

• The report does not contain adequate data to convince the board that a reasonable interpretation of policy has been made
• The report indicates that a policy has been violated
• The board questions the integrity of the information
• If, by the nature of the report, the board realized that it wrote an inappropriate policy

What to record about monitoring

• Record in the minutes a motion that the board has assessed the monitoring report, and found that it provided evidence of compliance with a reasonable interpretation of policy, or that the board found it did not provide evidence of compliance with a reasonable interpretation of policy. In the latter case, specify the board’s expectations regarding when compliance must be demonstrated.
• You might find it helpful to keep a summary of monitoring reports assessed and the board’s decisions regarding them, for use at the time of the annual evaluation of the CEO, if your board does one.