NCVO TRUSTEE SKILLS AUDIT TEMPLATE AND BOARD EXERCISE

Using this tool

This activity can help you identify what skills, knowledge and experience you already have on your board and what (if any) are missing.

Giving consideration to the skills, knowledge and experience your board needs, what it currently has and identifying any gaps can help you focus on what you need for the board, how you can develop it and inform trustee recruitment. When trustees are planning to stand down you should consider what skills and experience you will lose.

This exercise is intended to identify what, if any, gaps exist on the board, not in individual trustees. This survey does not need to be anonymous but any information gathered should be treated sensitively. Check that everyone is happy with the approach before going ahead.

This activity works best if trustees complete this exercise individually. You could use this template to set up an online survey which collates all the responses for you. Someone should be appointed to look at the results and present this information to the board. The board should then discuss the findings and plan next steps.

How does it work?

Review the skills and experience listed. Where an item is not applicable you should delete any skills which are not relevant to your charity’s context.

Add any skill, knowledge, or experience that you feel is missing from the list. What does your board/organisation need? Do you have the skills, knowledge and experience you need to govern the charity, taking into account its strategic objectives now and in the future?

The board should work together or in small groups, or trustees can complete the audit individually. For all skills, knowledge or experience, decide whether you have experience in this area, know about it or would like to know about this. Tick the relevant column.

Review the findings. What, if any, key skills are missing from the current board? Make a note of them. This will allow you to see what additional skills, knowledge and experience you would like to recruit. You can use the findings of this audit in your trustee recruitment advert or when talking to potential trustees. You could add it to the role description. It might also form the basis of a learning and development plan with your current board.

Expert I have a deep knowledge of this and would consider myself an expert	Experience I have experience of this and would feel comfortable that I could advise in this area	Some understanding I know about this. I could contribute but would not advise on this	No experience I do not know about this and have little or no experience in this
Audit
Board/committee experience
Business management
Business continuity
Campaigning/influencing/advocacy
Charity law and regulation
Change management
Collaborative working
Conflict management/resolution
Company law and regulation
Cyber security
Data Protection
Enterprise and Business Development
Equity, diversity and inclusion
Event management
Financial management and accounting
Fundraising and income generation
Health, safety & wellbeing
Human resources/people management
Influence and advocacy
Knowledge of charity sector
Knowledge management
Leadership
Legal expertise
Managing Investments
Managing senior managers
Marketing or communications
Monitoring and evaluating performance
Organisational governance
Policy and procedure development
Procurement/contract management
Project management
PR and media relations
Property and estate management
Risk management
Safeguarding
Stakeholder and membership engagement
Strategic or business planning
Strategy development
Third Sector Contacts / Affiliations
Volunteer management
Additional context specific skills

Are there any other relevant skills or experience you want to share with the board?