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Advanced Governance: Committees
Explore committees, task forces, and advisory councilsPreview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.
Advanced Provider : KnowledgeCity 5 Lessons · 14m in Arabic, English, Spanish
Course Description
In this course on Advanced Governance: Committees, you’ll learn about committees and how they help the board of directors effectively function. You’ll explore the different structures and purposes of standing board committees, ad hoc committees, and you’ll compare these entities to task forces and advisory councils. By the end of this course, you’ll understand how and why a board of directors uses these entities.
The key to effective leadership and decision-making is the division of labor. Committees allow the board to split their focus on different important issues facing the company so that they can deeply analyze these issues and specialize their discussions. Standing board committees include executive, audit, finance, and governance committees, each with distinct responsibilities. Because they deal with specific areas that require specialized knowledge or dedicated attention, members can have detailed discussions about complex topics to help the board make decisions. And ad hoc committees are typically set up in response to unique or unforeseen circumstances that need specialized attention beyond what the standing committees can handle. When faced with these issues, a board will decide to create an ad hoc committee based on how much time or scrutiny the situation requires. Explore these committees in detail to understand how your board can effectively utilize them.
What You'll Learn
- Define the structure and functions of board committees
- Explain when a board would use a standing board committee or an ad hoc committee
- Identify the purpose of task forces and advisory councils
- Compare standing board committees, ad hoc committees, task forces, and advisory councils
- Understand how committees, task forces, and advisory councils benefit the board of directors
Key Takeaways
- Committees help the board of directors function effectively by enabling a division of labor that lets the board split focus across different important issues.
- Standing board committees include executive, audit, finance, and governance committees, each with distinct responsibilities and specialized areas.
- Ad hoc committees are typically set up in response to unique or unforeseen circumstances that need specialized attention beyond what standing committees can handle.
- A board decides whether to create an ad hoc committee based on how much time or scrutiny the situation requires.
- Committees allow members to have detailed discussions about complex topics, helping the board make decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this course cover?
It covers committees and how they help the board of directors function effectively, including the structures and purposes of standing board committees and ad hoc committees, and compares these to task forces and advisory councils.
What types of committees will I learn about?
You will learn about standing board committees — including executive, audit, finance, and governance committees — as well as ad hoc committees, and how they compare to task forces and advisory councils.
What is the difference between a standing committee and an ad hoc committee?
Standing board committees deal with specific areas requiring specialized knowledge or dedicated attention, while ad hoc committees are typically set up in response to unique or unforeseen circumstances that need attention beyond what the standing committees can handle.
What skills does this course relate to?
The course relates to Company Administration and Corporate Governance.
What lessons are included?
The course includes Introduction, Board Committee Structure, Examples of Ad Hoc Board Committees, Task Forces and Advisory Councils, and a Test Your Knowledge lesson.
Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)
Recertification Credits: 0.25
Project Management Institute (PMI®)
Professional Development Units (PDUs): 0.25
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