Summarise board papers for busy trustees

The problem

Trustees receive lengthy board packs (50-100+ pages) but have limited time to prepare as volunteers. They need the key points, decisions required, and risks highlighted quickly. Low engagement with papers leads to less effective board meetings and trustees feeling underprepared.

The solution

Use an LLM to generate structured summaries of board papers with consistent format highlighting decisions, risks, and context needed. Create a summary template and process each paper through Claude or ChatGPT. Always review summaries for accuracy before sending. Trustees get a 2-page executive summary covering all papers.

What you get

A board pack summary document (2-3 pages) with consistent sections for each paper: Key points (3-5 bullets), Decisions required, Risks or concerns to discuss, Background context, and Suggested questions for trustees. Full papers remain available. Trustees better prepared in less time.

Before you start

• Board papers in digital format (PDF, Word, Google Docs)
• A Claude or ChatGPT account (paid tier recommended for longer papers and better data privacy - free tiers may train on uploaded content). Under UK GDPR, uploading board papers containing personal data to AI services requires appropriate safeguards; paid tiers with data protection commitments are preferable
• Clear template for what summaries should include
• Time to review summaries before distribution (critical - never send unreviewed)

When to use this

• Board packs consistently exceed 40-50 pages
• Trustee engagement with papers is low (they arrive unprepared)
• Need to improve accessibility for time-poor trustees
• Want to help trustees focus on key decisions rather than reading everything
• Papers cover routine updates that could be summarised effectively

When not to use this

• Papers contain highly sensitive information (confidential HR, legal disputes)
• Trustees prefer to engage with full detail and have time to do so
• Regulatory requirement to demonstrate trustees read original papers in full (the summary supports preparation but formal minutes must reflect discussion of substantive papers)
• Board pack is already concise (< 20 pages)
• Papers require close reading of numbers and detailed financial analysis

Steps

1. 1

   Create your summary template

   Define what each board paper summary should include. Example structure: (1) Key points (3-5 bullets), (2) Decisions required from the board, (3) Risks, concerns, or trade-offs to discuss, (4) Background context trustees need, (5) Suggested questions trustees might ask. Make this template consistent for all papers.

2. 2

   Extract text from board papers

   If papers are PDFs, copy the text or use Claude/ChatGPT's PDF upload feature. For Word or Google Docs, copy the text directly. Check the text is readable - sometimes PDFs export poorly. For complex tables or charts, you may need to describe them in text for the AI.

3. 3

   Process each paper through the LLM

   Paste the paper text into Claude or ChatGPT with your template prompt: "Summarise this board paper using the following structure: [your template]. Focus on decisions required, risks to discuss, and key context trustees need to understand the issues." Process one paper at a time for best results.

4. 4

   Review each summary critically

   READ THE SUMMARY AGAINST THE ORIGINAL. This step is non-negotiable. Check: Are key points accurate? Are risks identified correctly? Are decisions clear? Has anything important been missed? LLMs can miss nuance or emphasise the wrong points. Correct or rewrite sections as needed.

5. 5

   Compile summaries into board pack summary

   Create a single summary document covering all papers. Include: (1) Cover note explaining this is a summary, original papers remain the official record, (2) One section per board paper with consistent structure, (3) Page numbers referencing the full papers for more detail. Keep it to 2-3 pages total.

6. 6

   Distribute with full papers

   Send summary 1 week before meeting along with full board pack. Make clear: 'Summary for quick prep - please read full papers for major decisions'. Track whether trustees find it useful through feedback. Some may prefer full detail, others will love the summary.

7. 7

   Refine based on feedback(optional)

   After 2-3 board meetings, ask trustees: Is the summary helpful? What should be added or removed? Is the format clear? Do they feel better prepared? Adjust your template and approach based on what works for your board. Different boards have different needs.

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