Our external board evaluations combine technical fluency with human understanding to deliver insight that’s clear, contextual, and trustworthy.
Gain objective insights into the factors shaping your board’s performance, backed by data and guided by experience.
Ambitious boards trust Better Boards
When governance is
critical, box-ticking
and general statements
won’t cut it
Board performance isn’t just about compliance. It’s about trust, strategic alignment, and how board members work together under pressure.
Other board evaluations often focus on structure and processes, overlooking the dynamics that really drive performance.
Better Boards looks deeper: combining behavioural insight with expert analysis to help you navigate the complexities with clarity, independence and sound judgment.
Where expert insight meets intelligent technology
What sets Better Boards apart is how our technology works hand-in-hand with experienced consultants: connecting data to boardroom reality with clarity and judgment.
Every external evaluation is delivered through our proven platform, which is purpose-built to assess board effectiveness at depth.
It blends structured analysis with advanced diagnostics, benchmarking, and tailored reporting.
Each Director receives a personalised report with clear, actionable insights to support individual and board-wide development.
The “7-Hallmarks of Effective Boards” is our peer-reviewed research,
published in the US, the UK and across Europe by Dr Sabine Dembkowski.
Grounded in research,
proven in practice
The Better Boards approach is grounded in peer-reviewed research: the 7 Hallmarks of Effective Boards. This proprietary methodology is proven to deliver meaningful, measurable results.
Developed by seasoned board advisors and validated internationally, each hallmark is a powerful lever for maximising the performance and effectiveness of both the collective and each individual Director.
Client success stories: driving performance from the top
Insight that turns into action
Better Boards doesn’t stop at diagnosis. Our expert facilitators work alongside your Chair, Company Secretary, and board to make sense of the findings, prioritise what matters most, and agree on a clear path forward.
Through one-to-one feedback, group sessions, and strategic alignment discussions, our advisors bring the clarity and counsel needed to turn complex insight into confident progress.
Why ambitious boards choose Better Boards
Better Boards combines expert-led insight, behavioural focus, and AI-enhanced analysis – delivered through a platform guided by human judgment and built to drive real impact.
Unmatched objective insights
Go beyond box-ticking to uncover what really drives performance.
By delivering individualised reports, we ensure that each Director gains a clear understanding of their role in driving board performance, facilitating targeted improvements and strategic alignment.
Our methodology captures the structure, processes and behaviours that are proven to shape board effectiveness.
This lens gives you a fuller picture of what’s working, what’s holding you back, and how to create real change – making your evaluation more meaningful, more insightful, and more actionable.
Expert facilitation meets data-driven rigour
A smarter blend of human insight and intelligent analysis
Our external evaluations combine the strategic maturity of experienced board advisors with the precision of our AI-enhanced platform.
We offer high-trust, high-context counsel grounded in real boardroom experience. You’ll get high-quality interviews, individualised feedback, and a fully structured process – all backed by rigorous data.
The result is a nuanced, objective view of board performance that’s rooted in evidence, not opinion, and tailored to your unique context.
Independent, secure, and internationally recognised
Where research-backed insight meets proven security
With Better Boards, you gain more than just external validation. You gain a trusted partner to help navigate complexity with clarity, independence, and sound judgment.
Recognising the sensitivity of board data, Better Boards adheres to the highest security standards (ISO 27001), giving you total confidence in the confidentiality and integrity of your evaluation.
We’re also the only provider whose methodology has been published internationally, after undergoing rigorous independent peer review processes.
Data-driven, designed for impact
Guided by experienced advisors and powered by tech.
From insight to action:
External Evaluations in Five Simple Steps
ALIGN is our five-step process for fully facilitated external board evaluations. It combines data, analysis, and human insight to create a clear picture of how the board is functioning, and where it can evolve.
Step 1: Agree the scope
Set the direction with a focused kick-off. We clarify what the board wants to achieve and define the evaluation’s parameters.
Step 2: Look at the data
We gather and review quantitative and qualitative input, using our platform to surface meaningful signals from multiple sources.
Step 3: Investigate patterns
Our analysis goes beyond surface-level findings to identify behaviours, dynamics, and trends that shape board effectiveness.
Step 4: Gather perspectives
We present our findings, both individually to board members and in meetings with the collective.
Step 5: Navigate forward
We present clear priorities and actions to support the board’s development, aligned to its purpose, challenges and context.
Access & Induction
Seamless adoption. Structured support.
Better Boards offers tailored onboarding to ensure your team can deploy the platform confidently – whether as part of a fully facilitated evaluation or for ongoing internal reviews.
Our onboarding equips you to run evaluations with rigour and consistency, while building a robust foundation for longitudinal insight and continuous board development.
The platform is designed to be intuitive. But when support is needed, our expert team is ready to assist with practical guidance, fast response times, and a deep understanding of board dynamics.
From initial setup to long-term capability building, we help you integrate Better Boards into your governance processes – smoothly, securely, and with impact.
Our evaluations bring together data from our platform and real insight from in-depth interviews. This combination gives you a fuller, more balanced view – mixing the objectivity of structured analysis with the depth and context only conversation can reveal. We look beyond structures and compliance to understand how your board really works, and how it can work even better.
Our external evaluations are facilitated by senior governance specialists with deep boardroom experience. They guide every stage – from interviews to alignment workshops – ensuring the process is rigorous, objective, and focused on outcomes.
Most evaluations run over 6–8 weeks, depending on board availability and scheduling preferences. We work flexibly to ensure minimal disruption while maintaining the depth and quality of the evaluation.
Yes. Better Boards is the only board evaluation provider certified to ISO 27001 – the international standard for information security. We go the extra mile to ensure your data is protected by rigorous protocols at every stage.
Absolutely. Many clients begin with a fully facilitated evaluation and continue using the platform for future internal reviews. This creates continuity, enables year-on-year benchmarking, and embeds a culture of ongoing development.
Insights for high-performing boards
Gain new insights and fresh perspectives from our research, analysis and podcast series
