Despite the COVID-19 pandemic people have continued to participate in governance meetings via the internet. This could be a hassle for those who prefer to attend in person, but it’s also a great way for the administration and their staff to show their responsiveness to citizens.

The key challenge is to ensure that the appropriate technology for participation is in place, with voice, screen and video sharing being crucial. Many organisations rely on emailing information packets with attachments or file-sharing software with folders to download. However, these solutions do not support the well-organized process and distribution of agenda items.

Other challenges include the fact that it is harder to engage in the casual conversations that usually accompany face-to-face meetings. But, it’s also a key way that people establish trust and connect with one another and enabling this by introducing the meeting early, and adding an intentional time for informal interactions or using the chat functionality in your virtual meeting platform for smaller groups can aid in building relationships that can lead to effective and efficient governance.

Governance meetings can also be beneficial for adjusting the roles and responsibilities once new team members are added, existing roles change or work that requires attention. This will help to keep discussions from taking Online Board Meetings over other meetings and enable the team to be effective and efficient.