Dublin based candidates-dont limit your search to where you work
Candidates in Dublin can significantly broaden their search by choosing additional Dublin areas. For example, if you state in your profile that you work in Dublin 4, Boardmatch will only generate matches from this area, thus significantly limiting your search. Once you have clicked the ‘match me’ button, select ‘view matches in other regions’. Here you can select more areas in Dublin and this will significantly broaden the scope of your search.
 
Close old positions and reopen new ones.
We would advise organisations that are looking to recruit new board members, not to use old positions to advertise vacancies but instead open new ones. Boardmatch shows all candidates a list of the 10 most recent positions posted by organisations so a newly posted position will be seen by a far wider audience. By contrast, a position that was posted a year ago will fall to the bottom of the pile.
 
Update information on your profile.
It is important for both candidates and organisations alike, to maintain up-to-date information on their profiles. For example any changes to employment, education, skills, interests or your location should be added to your profile. This will give candidates and organisations an accurate overview of the person or organisation they are interested in.

Furthermore, as Boardmatch automatically generated matches based on the information provided in your profile, the more accurate the information is, the more accurate the match will be.
 
Broaden the scope of where your board meets.
It is advisable for organisations to select a broad area when detailing the location of board meetings. For example, if you are an organisation based in Dublin 8, choosing ‘Dublin 8’ as the area where your board meets will mean that Boardmatch only selects candidates from this specific area. Choose ‘Dublin’ instead as this will significantly broaden the scope of potential candidates.
 
Be proactive!
Most of all, be proactive! The more you engage with the site, the higher your chances will be of making that match. Rather than waiting for others to contact you, a useful suggestion is draw up a list of all the candidates/organisations you are interested in and send messages indicating your interest.

Boardmatch works best when treated as an interactive site rather than a notice board and the more proactive you are, the sooner you will be matched.

Be clear on the needs of the organisation.
In order for a board to have the right skills, it must be aware of the current and future needs of the organisation. A board cannot know what skills it is in need of if it is unclear about where the charity is headed. For example, if developing a new website is a part of the organisation’s strategic plan, it will be beneficial to recruit a board member with IT expertise that will have contacts in the industry.
 
Perform a skills audit.
Performing a skills audit is an effective way of collecting information about the skills you have on the board, and the skills you are lacking. A skills audit is also an educational exercise for trustees themselves as it allows them to identify gaps in their own knowledge and therefore avenues for further training or education.

On a cautionary note, a poorly conducted audit can have negative consequences for the morale of the board. A board member who is presented with a list of competencies they do not have may become resentful. It is important therefore that you spend time devising an appropriate method.

Skills audits take a variety of formats. Have a look here at some useful templates.
 
Balance ‘hard-skills and ‘soft-skills’
Boards rightfully hold technical skills such as financial acumen, legal expertise or marketing experience in high regard when assessing the level of competence on the board. These skills are integral to the efficiency of a not-for-profit board. Equally important however is the presence of ‘soft–skills’ on your board. These can include skills in negotiation, team-work, problem-solving and so on. An efficient board is one that has a balance of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills.
 
Seek diversity
All not-for-profit organisations should strive for diversity on their boards, as a board which enjoys a broader range of voices, experiences and backgrounds will be better equipped to tackle issues and problems more holistically. Where diversity is lacking, a board then risks slipping into ‘group-think’- a condition which will hinder the organisation from moving forward.

Current position
1. Prosecutions tend to be brought under health and safety legislation such as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (the “2005 Act”) and the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 (the “1997 Act”) in the case of fatalities and accidents at work, respectively.
 
2. Unless they can prove otherwise directors and other managers of companies are personally liable where an offence has been committed by an undertaking, and where the duties of that person included decision making which could have affected management of the undertaking. There is a statutory presumption that those persons are deemed to be responsible for the acts of the company.
 
3. An undertaking must take all reasonable measures to anticipate and prevent risks to human life, having due regard to the size and circumstances of the undertaking.
 
4. Other factors such as the management of the activities of the undertaking, the allocation of responsibilities within it, its policies, training and supervision of employees, the response of the undertaking to previous incidents involving a risk of death or serious harm will be taken into consideration by the courts.
 
5. At present it is difficult to sustain a prosecution for corporate manslaughter due to the difficulties establishing the necessary criminal responsibility or guilty mind required for manslaughter.
 
Recent developments
6. The Corporate Manslaughter Bill, 2011 will, if enacted, introduce two new criminal offences:

6.1 an offence of corporate manslaughter where an undertaking causes the death of a person by gross negligence which attracts criminal liability and monetary penalties; and

6.2 an offence of grossly negligent management causing death which could result in a prison sentence for a person found guilty of an offence.
 
7. “Undertaking” will include a body corporate or an unincorporated body engaged in the production, supply or distribution of goods or, the provision of a service (such as a charity) including government departments and statutory bodies, faith based organisations and groups. It is irrelevant whether the activities are carried on for profit or not and so this definition will cover all not-for-profit and charitable organisations.
 
8. A director, manager, or other similar officer, or a person who purports to act in such a capacity may be guilty of the offence of grossly negligent management causing death. There is no need for there to be a contract of employment in place.
 
9. Not for profit organisations should be aware that if the Bill comes into law a prosecution for corporate manslaughter due to death by gross negligence may follow where an organisation:

(a) owed a duty of care to the deceased person;

(b) breached that duty of care in that it failed to meet the standard of care;

(c) the breach of duty was of a very high degree and involved a significant risk of death or serious personal harm; and

(d) that breach of duty caused the death of the person.
 
10. It will be open to the courts to make an organisation convicted of corporate manslaughter the subject of an order to remedy the matters which gave rise to the offence.

For boards to function effectively, board members must be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise. The induction training for board members is designed with this in mind. The training is tailored towards prospective board members, new board members and existing board members looking to strengthen their skills and clarify thier role on the board.
 
This one day training course will be held on the 26th of June in the Guinness Store House Dublin 8 and will be led by Boardmatch CEO, Chris White.
 
The cost of the training is €95 p/p
 
For more information or to book a place, please contact Eva Gurn, our Corporate Services Officer at eva@boardmatchireland.ie or 01-671 5005
 
Boardmatch training courses fill up quickly so book early to avoid disappointment.
 
About Chris White
Chris is the Chief Executive at Boardmatch Ireland. The national Corporate Governance Chairty. He has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector both in Ireland and Britain.
 
Chris was formerly CEO of the Sue Ryder Foundation which is the largest voluntary housing association in Ireland delivering housing to the elderly. Prior to this, he was the Head of Development with the Irish Council for Social Housing – the national federation of housing associations in Ireland.
 
Chris is a voluntary director of a number of charities in Ireland.

For boards to function effectively, board members must be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise. The induction training for board members is designed with this in mind. The training is tailored towards prospective board members, new board members and existing board members looking to strengthen their role on the board.

This one day training course will be held on the 26th of June in the Guinness Store House Dublin 8 and will be led by Boardmatch CEO, Chris White.

The cost of the training is €95 p/p

For more information or to book a place, please contact Eva Gurn, our Corporate Services Officer at eva@boardmatchireland.ie or 01-671 5005

Boardmatch training courses fill up quickly so book early to avoid disappointment.

This one day training titled ‘Understanding the Role of the Chair & CEO’ will provide participants with a comprehensive insight into the role of a Chair & CEO on a not-for-profit board. The training will be led by two esteemed figures in the area of good governance.

Dorothy Dalton, editor of Governance Magazine is a leading expert in governance training and advises several national charities on their governance structures. Philip Smith is a partner in Arthur Cox where he specialises in Pensions Law and Charity Law.

Boardmatch will be hosting a one day board member induction training course on the 26th of June 2012. Keep an eye out on our website for booking information or contact the office on 01 671 5005 for further information.

The report details the findings of a survey carried out using a large segment of the not-for-profit sector. The organisations contacted represent 12 different sub categories of the sector thus indicating a broad spectrum of voices.

The findings of the survey detail that the three most challenging issues currently facing the not-for-profit sector are:
 
1. fundraising
2. financing the activities of the organisation, and
3. the role of the board and other governance issues.
 
Unsurprisingly, the key findings of the report demonstrate that funding issues continue to be the biggest stumbling block for charities and not-for-profit organisations.

The report also details that a substantial 60% of organisations state that government or local authority funding is still the most important source of funding.

In relation to adherence to voluntary codes of practice, the survey revealed that 12% of the respondents have signed up to the voluntary code of practice on fundraising with another 46% planning to sign up in the near future.

The percentage of organisations who have adopted a code of governance is more encouraging. The survey found that 45% of respondents have already adopted a code of governance.

Click here for the full report.

This one day training titled ‘Understanding the Role of the Chair & CEO’ will provide participants with a comprehensive insight into the role of a Chair & CEO on a not-for-profit board. The training will be led by two esteemed figures in the area of good governance.

Dorothy Dalton, editor of Governance Magazine is a leading expert in governance training and advises several national charities on their governance structures. Philip Smith is a partner in Arthur Cox where he specialises in Pensions Law and Charity Law.

Boardmatch will be hosting a one day board member induction training course on the 26th of June 2012. Keep an eye out on our website for booking information or contact the office on 01 671 5005 for further information.

Backed by a wealth of experience in the sector, Boardmatch is equipped to provide your organisation with the appropriate support, whatever the issue.

Have a look at our Board Training section where you will find information on some of our trainings including: ‘Board Member Training’, ‘Chair & CEO training’, ‘Board Renewal’ and ‘Board Failure’.

Boardmatch will be hosting its second annual Chair & CEO training day on the 28th of May 2012, which will be held in the Arthur Cox Building Dublin 2. Click here for more information.

The final report, which was presented to the cabinet on Tuesday, details a massive restructuring programme for credit unions, which have been hit hard by the economic downturn.

Amongst other incentives, the report is set to encourage a mass merger in the sector with regulators believing that 407 separately owned credit unions is far too many.

The setting of term limits for board members is one element of a larger plan to boost governance standards. Other reccommendations call for board members to pass fitness and probity tests.

The Government has pledged to invest €250m this year, and the same next year in a bid to rescue the struggling sector.