Care, Diligence and Skill: A Corporate Governance Handbook for Arts Organisations(Scottish Arts Council) 2002, ISBN 1 85119 105 4 Free. Available from Scottish Arts Council help.desk@scottisharts.org.uk Now in its fifth edition, Care Diligence and Skill, can be relied on for its accuracy and accessibility. As a handbook it provides a sound guide to the core governance issues that all companies and organisations, regardless of size, must be aware. It covers the key areas of charitable status, legal and financial responsibility, board member recruitment and managing board meetings. Although similar in content to the NCVO’s The Good Trustee Guide, the language and presentation of Care, Diligence and Skill are more simply stated and clearly related to the day to day operational issues faced by arts organisations. For example, there is a useful section that describes some of the similarities and differences between commercial and not-for-profit business models and another on the information a board needs to do its job effectively. It is a concise resource that could usefully be incorporated into an organisation’s induction pack for management and board members. Produced by the Scottish Arts Council, the information presented is said to reflect the Scottish context but outside of references to devolved government offices, there are no significant variances with the legal and financial guidelines on corporate governance and the duties of trustees of charitable organisations in England and Wales. Readers should be aware however; that both the Scottish and English Parliaments have Bills in passage that will alter some of the laws governing charities.
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