`This book sets a challenging 'action plan' for the way in which boards should be designed and assessed...' Lisa Buckingham, Guardian The motivation for writing this book is the authors' deeply held conviction that good governance is an essential element for any organisation that wishes to maximise its effectiveness. They are not alone in observing that in many cases companies or other organisations that perform badly are often poorly governed. Indeed, the key explanation for poor performance is often poor governance. This observation is not limited geographically and there are many examples from around the world. Concern with good governance is not just limited to the free enterprise system. It is universal.