The Board Effectiveness Diagnostic helps boards and directors independently assess how well they fulfil their governance role — providing strategic direction, oversight, and accountability without crossing into management.
It identifies strengths and improvement opportunities across board composition, governance practice, culture, and engagement — from structure and meetings through to decision-making and crisis leadership.

This diagnostic provides a structured, evidence-based assessment aligned with the AICD Governance Principles, ASX Corporate Governance Principles, ACNC Governance Standards, and ISO 37000 Governance of Organisations, supporting boards to demonstrate diligence, competence, and continuous improvement.

The assessment draws on:
• AICD Governance Principles — foundations for effective governance, accountability, and performance.
• ASX Corporate Governance Principles (4th Edition) — widely adopted governance framework for listed and unlisted entities.
• ACNC Governance Standards — applicable to charities and not-for-profits.
• ISO 37000:2021 — international guidance on good governance of organisations.
• Institute of Directors (UK) Board Effectiveness Framework — global good practice on composition, dynamics, and evaluation.
• Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) — legal duties of directors and officers, including diligence, care, and financial oversight.
• AICD Crisis Management and Financial Literacy Guidance — for resilience, solvency, and informed board decision-making.

Composition, Capability, and Renewal
Evaluates whether the board has the right balance of skills, experience, independence, and diversity to meet its governance objectives.
Reviews director recruitment, induction, succession planning, and renewal to maintain relevance and future readiness.

Governance Roles, Ethics, and Accountability
Assesses how clearly the board distinguishes governance from management, upholds ethical standards, and fulfils duties of care, diligence, and good faith.
Includes delegations, conflicts management, transparency, and integrity frameworks.

Strategy and Organisational Direction
Reviews how the board contributes to shaping purpose, approving strategy, monitoring performance, and ensuring sustainable value creation consistent with stakeholder expectations.

Risk Oversight and Crisis Governance
Evaluates how the board defines risk appetite, oversees internal controls, and prepares for and responds to crises.
Includes financial, operational, reputational, and non-financial risks, and assesses the board’s role during significant events and post-incident reviews.

Financial Literacy and Assurance
Assesses the board’s ability to interpret financial statements, test assumptions, monitor solvency, and oversee audit and assurance.
Reviews understanding of Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) insurance, indemnity provisions, and financial risk responsibilities.

Board Dynamics and Culture
Examines trust, respect, and collaboration among directors, and the ability to challenge constructively and make decisions collectively.
Reviews whether culture supports open discussion, diversity of thought, and psychological safety.

Board Meetings and Decision Processes
Reviews how meetings are planned, chaired, and documented, the balance of agenda time across strategy, risk, and performance, and the quality of information provided.
Examines committee effectiveness, decision transparency, and the role of the chair and company secretary in supporting efficient governance.

Relationship with Management
Assesses how the board works with the CEO and executive team — providing challenge, support, and oversight without operational interference.
Evaluates information flow, clarity of expectations, and mutual accountability.

Stakeholder and Community Engagement
Evaluates how the board understands and engages with key stakeholders — shareholders, members, regulators, and communities.
Includes oversight of culture, reputation, ESG, and purpose alignment.

Continuous Improvement and Evaluation
Reviews how the board measures its own performance through regular evaluations of the board, committees, and chair.
Assesses how outcomes inform training, renewal, and continuous improvement.

You’ll receive three key outputs at the conclusion of the diagnostic:

Board Effectiveness Snapshot — A visual summary of governance maturity across structure, process, and behavioural dimensions.

Evidence Pack — A concise record of interviews, policies, minutes, and governance materials suitable for use in internal or regulatory reviews.

Improvement Roadmap — Prioritised recommendations to strengthen board capability, governance practice, and organisational oversight.

Effort depends on board size and complexity.
Smaller organisations or charities typically complete the diagnostic with the chair and one governance lead in about a week with a maximum of one to two hours input per participant.
Medium or larger entities may take two weeks, involving the chair, several directors, and the company secretary.

The adaptive process focuses questions on areas where evidence or assurance is needed, minimising time while providing meaningful insight.

Traditional board reviews can be formal and time-consuming.
This diagnostic provides an independent, principle-based assessment that is faster, evidence-driven, and tailored to your governance context.

It is:
• Independent — Provides objective insight without replacing professional advice.
• Pragmatic — Focuses on what drives real board effectiveness, not box-ticking.
• Adaptive — Adjusts depth and focus to your board’s size, structure, and sector.
• Actionable — Produces a clear roadmap for improvement and board renewal.
• Aligned — Reflects AICD and ISO principles to support recognised governance practice.

This is not a legal compliance audit or a substitute for professional advice.
It does not assess management performance or audit individual directors.
Instead, it focuses on how well the board collectively governs — applying diligence, care, and competence to create long-term value and resilience.

• Boards seeking to assess and improve their governance effectiveness.
• Chairs and company secretaries wanting an independent review to support development.
• Organisations preparing for governance review or accreditation.
• Directors pursuing continuous improvement under the AICD Governance Principles.
• ACNC-registered charities, public companies, and private boards seeking practical assurance over governance practice.