What is a Consent Agenda? A Quick Explanation

Board meetings often involve extensive agendas. If you're seeking a more efficient way to manage your meetings without missing out on important discussions, you're in the right place. This page serves as a resource to understand consent agendas: what they are, how they differ from traditional board meeting procedures, and how you can start using them.

What Is a Consent Agenda?

A consent agenda is a meeting management practice that improves efficiency by grouping routine, non-controversial items under a single heading. This section of the agenda can be approved collectively in one vote.

This saves times as opposed to having a vote for every item on an agenda. For some boards, this could save a decent portion of time voting on items which always pass without further discussion

What Goes on a Consent Agenda?

• Approval of previous meeting minutes
• Routine financial reports
• Reappointment of officials whose terms are expiring and have no opposition
• Acknowledgment of staff reports
• Updates on ongoing, uncontroversial projects

By incorporating these types of items into a consent agenda, meetings can focus more on matters that require detailed scrutiny and discussion.

What Shouldn't Go on a Consent Agenda?

Items that require individual discussion, debate, or are controversial should not be included in the consent agenda. Examples include:

• New policy proposals
• Budget approvals or changes
• Contract negotiations or approvals
• Any topic with known differing opinions among board members

Incorrectly placing such items on the consent agenda could bypass critical discourse, undermining the integrity of the decision-making process.

How Is This Different From What I'm Doing Already?

In a traditional board meeting, each agenda item—no matter how trivial or routine—is discussed and voted upon individually. Consent agendas streamline this by consolidating these routine items, freeing up time for topics that truly require in-depth discussion.

Getting Started: Implementing a Consent Agenda

1. Identify Routine Items: Prior to the meeting, pick out items that are non-controversial and routine.
2. Compile: Place these items under a section labeled 'Consent Agenda' in your meeting documents.
3. Distribute in Advance: Send the agenda to all members ahead of time for their review.
4. Review & Approve: At the beginning of the meeting, the chair asks if anyone wishes to remove an item from the consent agenda for individual discussion. If not, a single vote is taken to approve all items listed under the consent agenda.

In Summary

A consent agenda is not merely a section in your meeting; it's a strategic shift towards efficiency. By understanding what it is and how it differs from traditional meeting structures, you're well-equipped to start incorporating it into your own meetings.