So it’s board appraisal time again – do we have the right skills, where are the gaps, who needs a bit more training ... if this sounds too familiar perhaps we need to revisit whether we’re appraising ourselves in the right way.

The Charity Governance Code, with its emphasis on culture and behaviour, highlights the need for effective leadership by the board of trustees, and board appraisals and skills audits are recognised tools for achieving this. But appraisals are often based on things like HR skills, project management skills, fundraising skills, IT skills, legal and financial expertise, and arguably what this does in effect is to place another layer of management over the chief executive and senior leadership team who should have these skills in any case. Some board expertise in these areas is helpful but is only one part of leadership.