Despite the spread of COVID-19, people have continued to participate in governance meetings via the internet. This can be a hassle to those who prefer attend in person, but it’s also a great way for the administration and their staff to show their responsiveness to citizens.
The most important thing is to ensure that the proper technology to participate is in place, with voice, screen and video sharing all important. Many organisations depend on emailing information packs with attachments or file-sharing software with folders to be downloaded. However, these solutions don’t support the well-organized processing and distribution of agenda items.
Another issue is that it’s difficult to engage in conversations that are casual which are often a part of face-to-face meetings. It is also a good method to build relationships and trust. By introducing the meeting early, including the time for informal conversations or using the chat function within your virtual meeting platform, you will be able to help to build the relationships needed for a solid and effective governance.
Governance meetings can be used to refine the roles and responsibilities in case new team members are added or existing roles are modified or a new task is needed. This can help to prevent discussions taking over other meetings and allows the team to be as effective and efficient as it is possible.