Appendix 1 – selection process

Selecting a Chair or Board Member can be a difficult process and the following behavioural questions are designed to assist Boards in their selection process by providing guidance as to the skills and qualifications that will be beneficial to the Board.  However, the example questions are necessarily generic in nature and therefore each Board should develop a list of questions that are particularly relevant to the circumstances and nature of the school in question.

Example behavioural interview questions for potential Chair

1. Please give an example of a situation where your contribution to a board brought about a significant improvement in an organisation.
2. Please give an example of where your leadership caused the resolution of a particularly difficult issue facing a board.
3. Please give an example of where your leadership of a board caused it to change its approach to issues, improving its flexibility and responsiveness.
4. Please give an example of a situation in which you needed to deal with a range of potentially conflicting issues of interest to different stakeholders.  How did you gain a satisfactory outcome?
5. Please describe a situation in which you acted as chair, director or board member and needed to guide a principal or other senior management staff member.  How did you ensure that your level of contribution was appropriate – neither too controlling nor too hands-off?
6. Please give an example of a situation in which you had to make a difficult decision about the release of information.  How did you decide what was appropriate for release and what should be withheld?
7. Please describe your most significant successes in attracting new board members.  How did you go about locating and attracting them?
8. How have you managed the performance of directors or board members in the past?  Have you ever needed to discipline someone in this role?
9. Managing a board relies on very effective time management.  How have you managed the agendas of your boards to ensure that all the necessary material was dealt with?

Example behavioural interview questions for potential Board Members

1. Please give an example of a time when you have come on to a board and needed to quickly get up to speed with the issues?  How did you achieve this?
2. Where have you made a contribution to a board that demonstrably improved the organisation?
3. Where, as a board member, did you make your most significant contribution to strategy? 
4. Risk management is a key issue in effective board membership.  Where have you made a contribution to this issue?
5. Being a board member requires a contribution to the organisation’s management without falling into the trap of interfering.  How have you walked this tightrope in the past?
6. Being an effective board member requires a person who is a good team player, yet able to take an independent stand and be “hard to convince” when necessary.  How have you done this in the past?
7. As a board member you will need to form an accurate opinion and judgment of the performance of the Principal.  Where and how have you performed a similar function in the past?