Manningham Housing Association – Board Appraisal Support

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) is a Registered Provider that delivers a range of homes and services to South Asian communities in Keighley and Bradford. It owns and manages more than 1400 homes.

Objective

DTP were asked to support the process of conducting annual appraisals for the Board (Chair, Vice Chair and seven board members) including a ‘light touch’ approach for some newer members of the board. The process included providing separate 360-degree feedback, gathered from fellow board members and the executive team.

What we did

DTP delivered the agreed scope for the project which included:

• Reviewing and updating the individual questionnaires to be completed by board members, which included personal self-reflection, as well as feedback around collective performance of the board.
• Developing a separate 360-degree questionnaire.
• Issuing questionnaires to board members and the executive team.
• Collating completed questionnaires.
• Summarising individual and 360-degree feedback and producing a summary on each individual for the chair conducting the appraisal meetings.
• Summarising 360-degree feedback for each member and providing the feedback prior to the appraisal meeting.
• Taking detailed notes of the virtual appraisal meetings, providing input where required, recording agreed actions and any training and development needs.
• Issuing notes and actions arising from the meetings for each member to review and approve.
• Developing individual board member training and development plans and a collective plan for the board.
• Issuing a summary report for the HR and remuneration committee and the board for approval – including key themes arising from the appraisal process and recommendations for the board to consider.

What we achieved

We worked closely with the Executive Assistant who supports governance arrangements at MHA, the executive team and chair of the board to ensure the process was managed effectively and appraisal meetings were conducted robustly.

The appraisal process was completed successfully and within the required timescales identified by MHA. DTP made a series of recommendations for the board to consider in further strengthening Board effectiveness at MHA.

Here’s some of the feedback received:

“I found it (the process) transparent and meaningful. Not just a tick box exercise.”

“I thought it worked well this year and Sarah got the balance right between supporting in the background and intervening to add value to the conversations. Her write-ups of the key points from the discussion were good too.”

“The whole process was delivered within a tight time schedule, the process was smooth, responses to emails were quick and communication was clear. Good all-round process for me.”

“Summary of 360-degree feedback in advance of the appraisal meeting helped me to plan for the appraisal.”

“Sarah’s contributions were useful and challenging where required – which helped the board too.”