Re-energising Governing of Colleges and Training

Providers

Module 4: Creating & Using a Professional Journal (Clerk to the Corporation)

IntroductionThis module is primarily aimed at the Clerk to the Corporation. However, Governors and senior staff may also find the module of interest. More of that later.

Through completing this module, you will:

• Learn about the purpose of a professional journal.

• Design a professional journal format. 

• Learn how to complete and interpret your professional journal entries.

Do you keep a journal?

• Clerks create and use a semi-structured professional journal to inform their working practice.

• Aspects of this professional journal can provide an additional source of intelligence for reviewing the performance of the Governing Body.

• A key benefit from the keeping of a semi-structured professional diary is the opportunity to collect 'naturalistic data' i.e. 'information that is gathered in the moment and in a real environment.*'

• Thus, from notes and prompts you make during, for example, a board meeting, you are encouraged to complete your journal record quickly thereafter.

* From Milligan, C and Barlett, R. (2015) What is Diary Method? (p.15)

Characteristics of a Professional Journal• Regular entries - It is worth logging every Board meeting (minimum),

plus every Curriculum and Quality Committee and every Finance and Resources Committee.

• Available for Review - The Journal should be available for review by the Chair of the Corporation and Chief Executive / Principal: Thus diary entries must be evidence-based & justified.

• Contemporaneous - In other words, entries should be made at the same time as, of shortly after the time, when the event occurs.

• Semi-structured - The Journal should follow a consistent framework plus have the opportunity for personal and local governing themes.

• Written format - Whilst other formats are possible, prose is probably the easiest to use. the choice is yours whether you maintain your journal electronically or in hand-written form.

A Journal GridWhen you have set your basic journal framework, you will need to form a grid. 

This is an example of a journal grid. This grid is the core of your 'journal'. You can append more detailed comments if desired. These comments could be structured i.e. themed for comment regarding each meeting and / or open prose for your record.

Completing the grid (simple)

• How do you think you could complete the grid?

• e.g. Decision making / Board strategy

• e.g. Code of Governance / Accountability

How to complete the Professional Journal (Advanced)There are differing ways to complete this part of your professional diary framework.  Whichever ways you select, the key component is evidence i.e. explaining to yourself why you have taken such a viewpoint.Ways to complete the grid i.e. how to populate each box:1. 'Agenda item' or 'Cultural' i.e. within discussion [Supporting

report (if used) - rate usefulness]2. if 'Cultural' (provide some further details)3. Rating: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement,

Inadequate4. Simple commentary - what did you notice in particular?You will need to provide a simple definition of your grading to achieve your own consistency. The grading boundary is yours to set but you will be informed by expectations of challenge and scrutiny by Boards.

Setting grade descriptors

• What do you think would achieve ‘outstanding'?• What do you think would achieve ‘good’?• What do you think would achieve ‘requires

improvement’?• What do you think would achieve ‘inadequate’?

Responding to your journalThe gain from maintaining a professional journal derives from the action taken in response to emerging patterns within the journal. Therefore, after completing the journal entry for a given meeting, it is vital that the process includes ‘response'.What will you do to address any of the items which, in your professional opinion, fall short of where you believe the standard (given the context of the college / provider and its board) should be?

What to do if performance falls short of the standardYour action could range from an informal chat with a Governor or member of senior staff to taking and considering professional advice. Such action can also inform Governor / Chair / Board / Committee performance reviews and any Governor development planning. There can also be a link to the Clerk's appraisal in the review of action taken and associated impact. Don't forget to ask yourself the question - what can the Clerk do to improve a particular aspect of governing that appears to you to be problematic? A quiet chat with yourself or a Clerk's mentor might be required.

Some pointersA. If the Board is having some difficulties, it may be easier to improve

performance through small steps rather than big leaps. Your professional journal may help in mapping such progress.

B. The speed of change can vary; it may take a series of Governor meetings before you are able to note the improvements you are expecting.

C. Such work can be delicate and require subtle influencing skills with Chairs / Governors / Chief Executive / Principals / Senior Post Holders - but keep your focus on the positive impact for governing. 

It is important to appreciate the centrality of defining Board values and using a strategic plan and its expression of college / provider strategic objectives to sharpen the focus of governing. This should include the formation of a strategic direction for the provision of maths and English.

The effects of keeping a professional journal

Positive Negative• Able to engage with a core part of

your work in a personal way; the amount of detail you include in your diary is for you to decide. 

• Use a diary to give yourself time to think through emerging governing issues and overall performance.

• Gain an outlet for thinking through your professional persona.

• Gain a method of recording positive events and your contribution.

• Gain a method of tracking governing performance over time.

• Contribute to Governor, Chair, Board and committee performance reviews more effectively. 

• Gain an additional source of reference for the Clerk's performance review.

• May face diary fatigue. This is a well-documented limitation of the diary method. Entries may become more sporadic or tail off completely.

• Overload - trying to consider diary issues whilst taking minutes in meetings could be very challenging and result in distraction.

• Be wary of over-disclosure i.e. too much detail, too ego-centric.

• Maintain balance, don't dwell heavily on the negative aspects and do seek to capture good practice.

Experience so far• Working with three Clerks who are trialling

this approach – upto July 2017

• Benefits for professional reflection

• Time! …… but improves with experience

• Focus on the highest risks

Transferability?• Could the professional journal be used as a

governor journal?

• Could new governors benefit from a version of the journal for the first twelve months

• Could Chairs benefit from the maintaining of the journal?