He kai kei aku ringa 

17/4/2022

If kōrero is the kai of rangatira then those who advise rangatira are always looking for ways to use their hands to create unforgettable culinary experiences. 

This post offers guidance on what makes a good board paper.

Firstly, it is important to remember a Board’s role is to always question and validate, so before you ask your secretariat to load your paper, ask yourself:

Is my paper going to get the desired result?

• What elements of my paper could lead the Board to decide to do something different or decline the proposal?

• Do my recommendations give us explicit and appropriate direction/authority to act on the proposal?

Secondly, imagine you are a busy Board member who has 25 papers to read and understand in less than a week. Or, imagine you are an incoming Board member who does not have a close knowledge of the subject but clearly understands the potential political implications of certain courses of action. Then ask yourself have I socialised this paper enough, and does my paper adequately address the information needs of each of my Board members?

Thirdly, good writing can greatly assist a Board in considering papers. Papers should:

• Be concise, coherent and logical.

• Be as short as possible without excluding essential information.

• Be written in plain language.

• Not assume the reader has expert knowledge.

• Be structured so that the key issues stand out.

• Avoid detailed lists – summarise instead.

• Use charts and diagrams where they can assist understanding.

• Have clear recommendations where the decisions needed can be easily and logically assessed.

• Use appendices to include detailed information that is vital to the issue, and

• Remember, the framing device is the board paper application on an IPAD. Whatever the digital platform, it frames each page.