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TN/AUD/04
Edition 2027 · effective 1 January 2027

For boards & directors

Independent scrutiny before a consequential board decision.

When a proposal involves material financial, technical or governance uncertainty, a properly scoped independent assessment can test its assumptions, missing evidence and alternative outcomes. It does not replace the board’s judgement. It helps the board see what that judgement must take into account. Independent chairing and facilitation help when the room itself is split.

Frame your questionRequest an evaluation

§ 01What you really need

Five needs, in your words.

Drawn from how people in your position actually describe the problem, not from procedure.

(Needs)

Visible fairness

A process that will stand up to shareholders, regulators and courts.

An outside reference

Independent views on contested questions.

Keeping authority

Help that does not take the decision away from the board.

Confidentiality

Board matters handled discreetly.

A clean record

Minutes and process that protect directors.

What usually goes wrong: lobbying outside the boardroom; using a conflicted chair for a conflicted decision; commissioning advice that only one faction trusts.

(Avoid)

Frame your question Commissioning guides

§ 02The cost of waiting

What the evidence says.

Sourced and dated. Use the calculator to estimate your own.

61%

People worldwide with a moderate or high sense of grievance against business, government and the rich.

Edelman Trust Barometer 2025, via Cooley PubCo · 2025 ↗
2 in 3

People who worry that journalists, government officials and CEOs intentionally lie to them.

Edelman Trust Barometer 2025, via Cooley PubCo · 2025 ↗

Estimate what a conflict is costing you →

§ 03Evaluation for you

7 questions people in your position bring to an evaluator.

A major strategic decision01Strategy & board decisionsClarity DeepView™On the evidence available, does this proposal achieve what it claims, and what would have to be true for it to fail?An independent read of a board paper02Strategy & board decisionsClarity Snapshot™Does this paper give the board what it needs to decide, and is anything material missing or overstated?A decision insiders cannot take cleanly03Strategy & board decisionsClarity DeepView™Is this related-party or conflicted proposal fair to those who are not conflicted?Leadership succession readiness04Strategy & board decisionsEvaluation PanelAre the candidates and the organisation ready for this succession, and on what evidence?Is this AI system fit for its use05Technology, data & AIEvaluation PanelWithin an agreed evidence and testing scope, does this AI system perform as claimed for its intended use, and what remains unassured?Independent review of an institution06Public bodies & institutionsEvaluation PanelDid this institution act fairly and within its own rules in this matter?An independent culture review07People & workplacesEvaluation PanelWhat is the real culture here, and where does it put people or performance at risk?

§ 04Situations you may face

8 situations where a Neutral helps.

A concern nobody raises01WorkplaceOmbuds · Neutral EvaluationPeople see something wrong, but do not trust the channels to say so.Shareholder deadlock02Ownership & businessNeutral Evaluation · Mediation · Neutral ChairingThe company still needs decisions. The shareholders cannot make them together.Joint venture under strain03Ownership & businessStanding Neutral · Mediation · Neutral EvaluationTwo partners built one venture. Their parent companies now want different things from it.Board deadlock04Boards & governanceNeutral Chairing · Neutral Evaluation · FacilitationThe board is split, and the company is waiting.A director’s conflict of interest05Boards & governanceNeutral Evaluation · Neutral ChairingA director may have an interest on both sides. The board must handle it visibly well.Special committee process06Boards & governanceNeutral Chairing · Neutral EvaluationA transaction or investigation needs a process that visibly does not depend on the people involved.Founder and investor tension07Boards & governanceFacilitation · Neutral Chairing · MediationThe investors want a plan. The founder wants to run the company.Nonprofit and association governance08Boards & governanceFacilitation · Neutral Chairing · OmbudsA mission-driven organisation is divided over how to pursue its mission.

§ 05Roles that fit

The Neutral roles people like you use most.

  1. Neutral ChairingWho runs this meeting fairly?01
  2. Neutral EvaluationWhat does an independent professional think of this question?02
  3. FacilitationHow does a group move forward together?03

§ 06How we can help

Evaluation services for people in your position.

Fixed quote after scope review, or staged for complex matters

Clarity DeepView™

A full Independent Neutral Evaluation™ with the twelve-part report of the Handbook (NP 6.3): mandate, evidence, issue-by-issue analysis, risk and uncertainty, calibrated conclusions and stated limitations. Sold against a specific question and deliverable, not a template.

Scoped fixed fee or capped day rates

Evaluation Panels

Two or three qualified evaluators from different disciplines, one chairing, who report jointly. A selective, high-value format for major projects, AI systems, institutional reviews and public decisions, where specialist recruitment and governance are demanding.

Annual retainer plus Snapshots as used

Standing Evaluator

A qualified evaluator appointed at the start of a relationship, kept informed, and available to give an independent view whenever a question arises. Activation rules, response times and information access are written into the agreement.

First stepsFor boards & directors
Three thingsto do this week.
01 Name the blocked decision
02 Appoint an independent chair or evaluator
03 Minute the process, not just the outcome
Clarity first · keep options open · make fairness visible

§ 07Frame your question

Describe it. Get the evaluation question.

Written for boards & directors. Leave out names and confidential details.

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The answer

Choose who you are and ask anything. The engine answers from the institution’s own guidance, in plain language.

§ 08Read next

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