Case Study: Keeping a Board Fresh and Ready to Meet Future Needs by Setting Terms of Office

What is this case study about?

This case study was produced on behalf of Historic England by Dr Ambreen Shah, Associate at Getting on Board.

It draws on the experience of Historic Buildings and Places (HBaP). Founded in 1924 as the Ancient Monuments Society, Historic Buildings and Places champions historic buildings and places of all ages and types, working to provide a sustainable future for them.

Historic Buildings and Places also provide advice and expertise on the built historic environment, in particular, advising local planning authorities in England and Wales on all Listed Building Consent applications.

What are the key points?

What was the challenge?

Historic Buildings and Places was established 100 years ago. When the new CEO Liz Power joined the organisation, the trustees had all served on the board for a long time. The longest-serving member had been a trustee for 38 years, with the shortest for 8 years, and many members were aged in their 70s and 80s.

A skills audit revealed an over-representation of subject matter experts with expertise in the built environment. This was at the expense of experience running a charity and in areas such as marketing, sustainability, HR, or legal.

What actions were taken?

Historic Buildings and Places' key action was to introduce board term limits and build in succession planning.

Each board member can now serve 2 terms of 3 years each, with an optional extra year if needed to support effective succession. The board has also agreed that trustee recruitment will take place annually. Existing members will stagger their retirement from the board over the coming years; as was noted, "it’s an evolution, not a revolution."

Several things had to happen to get to this point. Change is only possible if you can persuade your existing board to agree to it. However, senior leadership acknowledged that the existing board was worried about making changes.

Bringing the existing board with you

• The board had seen the organisation through some difficult years, and members worried that no one else would be interested in becoming a trustee. This would leave the organisation exposed
• In the past, board members had been recruited from within existing networks: "a tap on the shoulder from someone they knew." There was a belief that openly recruiting would not attract people
• Not all of the existing board members had the best experience of being a trustee. Some were told they had to become trustees, given their role within the organisation, but were unaware they could step down if they wished. They could not see why anyone else would want the role
• Despite having evidence and case studies about the benefits of diversifying the board and limiting terms, understanding the board's worries and addressing them was key to bringing about change. The board had to trust the CEO and be brave: staggering retirement and recruiting annually reassured members the organisation would remain in good hands during this transition phase

Changing the constitution

• Historic Buildings and Places sought legal support to get their governance documents changed and add fixed terms

Recruiting intentionally and openly

• All new board roles for Historic Buildings and Places were openly recruited. Much thought went into the recruitment pack, interview process and induction. For further guidance, see our page: 'How Do We Draft Inclusive Board Recruitment Marketing and Promotional Materials?'

What was the outcome?

In total, 69 applications were received. All except 1 were from working-age people, only 2 were men, and the youngest was 18.

Of these, 9 people were invited to interview, and 6 new board members were recruited (to make up a board of 14 people):

• All were under 40, with the youngest 23
• 4 were women
• 2 were men
• 3 were from the global majority
• 5 had skills that were being sought, and 1 brought a broader strategic outlook
• New trustees came from across the UK (a move to hybrid meetings meant where board members were located was no longer a barrier)

By July 2024, the board will have a 50/50 split of new and established members.

What lessons were learned?

• There’s a lot of information out there to help you. Much of the good practice is known, with existing literature, webinars and experts that can help you
• Be brave and do it! Recognise the value of bringing fresh perspectives and a broad range of skills to your board. This can include subject specialism but also an understanding of how to run a charity effectively. If you openly advertise, people will apply
• Get comfortable with the idea that you’ll probably not take everyone along for the ride, and that’s ok. The trustee board needs to support the organisation with where it wants to go

Further reading

There are lots of great resources (reports and webinars) on the websites of the 2 organisations that supported this work:

Young Trustees Movement

Getting on Board

Resources

HBaP Chair of Trustees Recruitment Pack (PDF)

HBaP Trustee Information Pack (PDF)

Key contact

Liz Power, Director at Historic Buildings and Places: [email protected]