Board documents should be concise and clear with a high level insight. Only dig into the operational details when required for strategic decisions. Use charts or graphs as a way to summarize data or information trends. The inclusion of a link to more information or statistics on a technical level in an appendix is helpful.
Whether the decision is one-off or a continuing issue the paper should clearly state the purpose of the Board document (information only, discussion or seeking a decision) and include an executive summary that clarifies the recommendation. The executive summary should be no longer than 4 to 5 lines.
The paper should focus on the principal risks and issues associated with the proposal. If the risk is a significant one there should be a clear mitigation plan and the likely impact must be identified. It is crucial to include the possibility of future risks if the plan is not implemented in full or is not achieved even if the risk is considered to be minimal.
The paper should present a range of alternatives that were considered during the decision making process. It should provide a summary of pros/cons or describe how the preferred option scored against the relevant decision criteria. The inclusion of an analysis of alternatives is important because it gives the Board with a range of choice to consider in their governance responsibilities, and helps ensure that all possible outcomes were considered.