Why do boards have in camera sessions?
In the municipal government context, in camera means meetings where members of the public and media are not able to be present. In camera sessions challenge boards to assess whether the motivation for a closed or private deliberation is tied to the need for confidentiality and/or secrecy.
What should be covered in a governance meeting?
Typical agenda items include:
- any short reports.
- evaluation of existing agreements due review.
- selecting people to roles.
- new drivers requiring decisions to be made, including: forming proposals. making agreements. designing domains and deciding how to account for them (e.g. new roles, circles, teams or open teams)
What should a board focus on?
Hence, it is argued, boards can be helped greatly by focusing on four key areas:
- establishing vision, mission and values.
- setting strategy and structure.
- delegating to management.
- exercising accountability to shareholders and being responsible to relevant stakeholders.
What is a board in camera session?
It involves a confidential meeting, or a portion of a meeting, taking place with only Board members present. These meetings are sometimes called “Board only” sessions.
Who should attend in camera meetings?
Attendance at an in camera meeting may be limited to directors, directors and the CEO, or may include additional staff, the auditor, or others at the invitation of the board. Attendees at such meetings have a duty to keep all discussions and documentation confidential.
What is board governance?
Board governance is the framework that structures the board and how it operates. At its core, board governance includes the boards responsibilities and organisational well-being.
What does a governance board do?
Policy governing boards are responsible for governance functions. It sets policy for management and delegates the responsibility for implementation of the policy to an Executive Director. It sets policy for management and assigns the responsibility for implementation of the policy to Board Committees and their members.
Who prepares the agenda for a board meeting?
the board chairman
Who Should Create the Meeting Agenda? Board meeting agendas should be created by the board chairman. The company secretary should assist, but the chairman must decide on the subjects to be covered in the board meeting agenda.
Who are the members of the board in camera session?
In camera sessions involve only independent members of the board i.e. those that are not members of the senior administration team. Board only sessions involve all members of the board, including the Chair, but do not include the CEO or executives.
Why do board meetings take place in camera?
Sessions held in camera are being more widely used in the listed and not-for-profit sectors as a means to maintain and improve good governance practices and decision-making on boards and sub-committees. The term in camera means to meet confidentially, and in private.
Is the CEO aware of the in camera session?
In camera sessions are not “secret” sessions; rather, they are simply an opportunity for some Board-only discussion of matters relating to the Board’s work. The CEO is made aware of the matters discussed in his/her absence. Normal rules relating to Board confidentiality apply to in camera sessions.
How often does a school board have in camera sessions?
Indeed, some sources regard the idea as a “standard” board practice. Some go so far as to recommend that boards routinely put in camera sessions on their meeting agendas, if not every meeting then maybe four times a year, even if they do not need them, so that fewer suspicions will be raised than if they were suddenly added.