November 28, 2009 SEARCH ABOUT CU360 Knowledge @ Wharton Credit Union Magazine [Log in]
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 2Q '09 1Q '09
# of CUs7,982 7,998
Members
(millions)		91.991.7
Total Assets
($ billions)		871.8867.4
Total Savings
($ billions)		741.8737.2
Net Cap.
/Assets		9.6%9.6%
Loans to Savings78.5%78.8%
Loan Delinq.1.60% 1.54%

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BoardAssessment.comBoardAssessment.com

GET THE RESULTS
YOUR BOARD NEEDS


Expanded and Complete subscribers:
Log in to BoardAssessment.com

BoardAssessment.com is an innovative board assessment tool. Complete with online group and self evaluation, this tool not only helps your credit union measure the skills and knowledge of your credit union board, it also suggests CUNA resources to build competency levels.

WHY BoardAssessment.com?
Now more than ever, governing a credit union is a demanding task. To fulfill its responsibilities to members, the board of directors continually must evaluate the organization’s safety, soundness, financial performance, and quality of service–as well as the board’s own effectiveness. The board should engage in an annual assessment to identify what it is doing well, gaps in necessary skills and proficiencies, and how to improve its governance. BoardAssessment.com provides a turnkey solution to this growing need.

Board assessment and planning should address these questions:

  • Is the credit union growing in a way that benefits members?
  • Is the board’s governance system effective?
  • Do the board and CEO interact productively?
  • What strengths can we build on?
  • What weaknesses must you address?
  • Are internal and external controls adequate to safeguard the credit union?

This review and planning process will help the board:

  • Recognize the challenges and opportunities facing the credit union and its board
  • Develop the skills and competencies of individual directors
  • Evaluate the mix of expertise and perspectives directors bring to the board to plan for board development and for recruitment of future directors
  • Review routine functions to ensure that the board operates efficiently and productively

BoardAssessment.com reviews five knowledge areas that affect your credit union including:

  • Credit union safety and soundness
  • Governance
  • CEO oversight/performance evaluation
  • Strategic planning and oversight
  • Board operations and development

After each director responds to statements in each area, you’ll automatically receive a detailed report showing score ranges and suggested CUNA resources to help improve scores. You’ll also receive the top solutions that will address most of your board’s competency needs. The Boardassessment.com resource section provides free white papers and articles addressing board development issues. PLUS with the free aggregate benchmarking report, you can compare your board’s responses with those of all BoardAssessment.com users.

CUNA resources are carefully selected to correspond with the competencies and skills your assessment indicates. Contact your league for additional suggestions.

See samples:

BoardAssessment.com Frequently Asked Questions

In addition, resources will be identified based on your board’s improvement needs. These training resources will help your board see RESULTS each year during its annual assessment.

How to use BoardAssessment.com for your credit union’s success.
To conduct an assessment using BoardAssessment.com, your board must respond to an online board assessment and review the compiled assessment results to create an action plan.

Step 1. Appoint an assessment administrator.
It is crucial to appoint a board member or staff liaison as the assessment coordinator. This individual will oversee and organize the assessment. The assessment administrator might be the board chair, the chair of the board’s governance committee, or a staff member.

Step 2. Decide who should participate. If your board includes nonvoting members, such as emeritus directors or directors-in-training and they participate regularly at board meetings, you may want to invite them to complete the assessment. The board also may choose to ask the CEO to complete the assessment. This information will be required to begin the survey process.

Step 3. Schedule your assessment.
Ensure that all board members and others who will be participating in the assessment will be available to take it as soon as possible. Determine a completion date. The assessment should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. Your survey administrator can view the assessment links directors receive to determine if directors have taken the survey. However, no one can view the specific answers each director records.

Step 4. Prepare assessment materials.
The survey administrator should:

  • Provide directors a copy of this start guide and a link to boardassessment.com for background information on the importance of board assessments.
  • Send each director a link to the online assessment. It’s important that directors complete the survey by the date you specify.
  • Remind participants to complete the self-assessment survey immediately following the board assessment to help them establish individual development goals.

Step 5. Facilitate a planning meeting.
Prepare and distribute assessment results and potential board development solutions to meet competency goals. At this meeting, participants may want to report on individual development plans they created after completing the self-assessment.

Step 6. Track your progress.
Throughout the year, track progress toward board development goals and assemble a final progress report for next year’s planning process. Schedule a regular time each year to revisit the assessment process, perhaps immediately preceding or following strategic planning sessions.

Available as part of a CU360 subscription package. Click here for more information.