Interest Growing in Policy Governance
August 15, 2005
The policy governance approach to church governance is gaining popularity in Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations. The Rev. Margaret Keip, an advocate of policy governance, conducted a recent survey and found that 36 congregations have implemented some form of policy governance. Eight more are considering it. UU congregations using it range up to more than 1,000 members and include congregations in Portland, OR, Dallas, Arlington, VA, Spokane, WA, and Oakland, CA. Of the 36 using it, only four have fewer than 250 members.
Policy governance calls on a governing board to focus on the organization’s vision and goals, rather than minutia, and to give staff more freedom in decision making. The concept was developed and trademarked by business consultant John Carver over the past three decades. Various forms of policy governance have been adopted by public and nonprofit boards since then.
For more information contact Keip at mkeip@uuma.org or search for policy governance.
For more information contact interconnections @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, May 30, 2008.
