Proactive Governance Academy.

Governance made practical.

Free checklist — for board & committee paper writers

Stop wasting board and committee time on unclear papers.

The free checklist drawn from over two decades of writing and reviewing board and committee papers, so you can stop guessing what good looks like.

Run any paper through a simple yes / no check before it goes up the line.

Know what belongs in the paper, and what to leave out.

A worked example of the one thing directors say is most often missing.

Written from 20+ years inside the boardroom, not theory.

The simple check I wish someone had handed me.

Rebecca Murphy, Proactive Governance Academy

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20+

years inside governance,
boards and committees

Thousands

of board and committee papers written and reviewed

150+

paper writers trained to know what good looks like

What's inside

Everything you need to check a paper before it goes up.

No fluff and no theory. Just the practical check Rebecca wishes someone had handed her after two decades inside boardrooms.

The 5-part checklist

Eighteen simple yes / no checks across the five things that make or break a board paper, from the ask to the final read.

A worked example

Information versus insight, shown side by side, so you can see the one thing directors say is most often missing.

The insight test

The four things great insight always does, so you can pressure-test any paragraph before it goes in the paper.

A taste of what's inside

Information, or insight?

Information: the facts
“Staff turnover rose from 12% to 19% over the past six months.”
Insight: what the board needs
“Staff turnover rose from 12% to 19% over the past six months, concentrated in the frontline teams that deliver our core services. This is now the most significant risk to delivering the strategy on time and on budget. Management has put a targeted retention plan in place and will report on its impact at the next meeting.

That's the difference insight makes. Inside, the checklist breaks down the four things great insight always does, so you can do the same with yours.

What people say

“Practical, sharp and succinct, and I could apply it immediately.”

Manager, Policy

“I now have a much better idea of what good is. Clear purpose, clear call to action.”

Senior Manager, Risk

“Clear, easy to understand and practical.”

Head of Talent and Learning

Send your next paper up with confidence.

Get the free checklist and know your paper is ready before it goes anywhere: the executive review, the secretariat, and on to the board or committee.

Send me the free checklist

Just your name and email, that's all.

No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime. Your details stay with Rebecca.

Rebecca Murphy signature

Rebecca Murphy GAICD, FGIA  ·  Founder, Proactive Governance Academy

Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors · Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia

© Proactive Governance 2026

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