Transforming Camden's Boardroom
CVR is working with Camden Council and it’s local residents to create solutions for diversifying charity and organisational boards. How can we making the boardroom more representative?
CVR are supporting Camden Council in their diversity mission:
'By 2030, those in positions of power in Camden will be as diverse as the community, and the next generation will be ready to follow.’
Our goal? To understand the challenges in recruiting and retaining diverse board members and identify the barriers preventing Camden’s diverse community from participating in board decision-making.
Working hand in hand with Camden Council and local residents to create solutions that will help diversify charity and organisational boards in the borough. Based on our findings, we also provided recommendations to guide Camden to achieve their diversity mission.
Current Trends in UK Board Diversity
Research highlights a lack of diversity on UK boards with ‘women, ethnic minorities, and disabled individuals underrepresented’ on both public and private sector boards - but why does it matter?
Reflecting communities: Boards should reflect the communities they serve. This will result in better understanding of the needs of local communities and ensure equitable decision-making.
Quality decision-making: A good mix of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives which can prevent “groupthink’’ resulting in better, strong and effective governance.
Fair leadership: without diversity, boards fail to have fair, community-centred leadership.
Finding the right balance between diversity and cohesion is key. Too much cohesion can block creativity whilst lack of cohesion can result in communication breakdowns.
"Start with diversity, and build cohesion through shared experiences and skilled leadership to avoid the pitfalls of groupthink and miscommunication." - Liz Mohr, Board Advisor and OnBoard Programme Co-founder.
Co-Creating Solutions
We formed a Co-creation Group who co-design our research approach. We hosted an exploration lab with Camden residents from various backgrounds, and in-depth interviews with diverse board members to explore these issues.
We found a range of barriers including; difficult application processes, lack of awareness of board roles, and lack of representation.
Our participants suggested solutions such as training, community outreach and making application processes more accessible and empathetic.
We hope this project will not only transform Camden Council's decision-making but also spark broader conversations about board diversity across the UK.
At CVR we incubate the OnBoard Programme which trains and mentors underrepresented individuals for board positions. If you’re interested in working with OnBoard or want to register for the next cohort please contact hello@onboardprogramme.com.