A board evaluation questionnaire is only as useful as the process behind it, and most boards still keep that process fairly narrow. According to What Directors Think 2026 by Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member — an annual survey of 200+ U.S. public company directors, now in its 23rd year — 74% of boards use self-assessments to evaluate directors, while only 38% add peer reviews and just 30% bring in an external facilitator. That gap points to a heavy reliance on self-reported data, with far fewer boards building in the outside perspective that peer feedback or a facilitator can provide.

A board evaluation questionnaire is a structured set of questions used to assess how effectively a board governs the organization, covering composition, decision-making, meeting quality and individual director contributions. Diligent helps boards build, distribute and analyse evaluations securely, all within a single platform. These processes play a vital role in the continuous development and effectiveness of the board of directors.

Even the best board directors can improve. To assess the accountability and effectiveness of your board members, use this guide and sample board evaluation questionnaire, or board survey.

How do board surveys measure performance?

Board surveys provide a structured way to assess board performance and whether it aligns with organizational goals and governance best practices. They shed light on board effectiveness, decision-making, member engagement and more. Boards can use the results to find strengths and determine where they can improve.

Board engagement surveys

Measuring board engagement can help you understand how actively board members contribute to meetings and initiatives. Assessing engagement can help directors understand:

The degree to which board members engage with each other and the organization can indicate whether they are aligned with the organization’s goals and values.
Surveys can uncover gaps in communication, decision-making or involvement in company strategy that may hinder organizational performance.
Board engagement surveys can identify poor board dynamics and opportunities to strengthen trust and collaboration.
Unengaged board members can impede decision-making. They’re also creating a skills gap by not sharing their expertise with the board and the organization. Evaluating and breaking barriers to board engagement can yield more informed and useful discussions that support better governance outcomes.

Board effectiveness surveys

Board effectiveness surveys are valuable tools that help boards improve their performance. They work best when boards give the process their full attention and have a capable facilitator. Board effectiveness surveys should cover the following:

Surveys can assess how well the board fulfills its governance responsibilities, including long-term planning, setting long-term goals, overseeing risk management and ensuring financial stewardship.
Surveys should assess individual contributors in addition to evaluating the entire board. This includes measuring preparedness for meetings, long-term thinking and collaboration with peers. Constructive feedback can help directors refine their roles and contribute more effectively to the broader board.
Surveys help boards identify areas for growth and transformation. They highlight gaps in governance practices or alignment with company strategy and offer insights into necessary changes that support continuous improvement.
Boards should customize their approach to board effectiveness surveys. In addition to each board’s nuances, they should evaluate board processes and composition, committee organization and processes, the role of the board and board leaders, the board’s relationship with the CEO, board culture and dynamics and potential board development needs.

How to conduct a board evaluation questionnaire

Conducting an effective board evaluation questionnaire requires planning and careful execution to deliver value for your organization. Follow these steps to carry out an effective board evaluation questionnaire.

1. Plan your goals

Determine the goals and objectives of your board evaluation, so the questionnaire’s purpose is clear. Perhaps you’re looking to assess board performance, ensure compliance or focus on the contribution of individual board members. It will likely be a combination of reasons.

Make sure you define specific goals, such as any key strengths or weaknesses you want to address or processes that need refining. By pinpointing your objectives, you are better positioned to ensure:

The evaluation is both detailed and thorough
You select the right sample board evaluation questionnaire questions
Your evaluation aligns with your organization’s governance standards

2. Set out your questions

Next, you can begin to formulate the questions you’re going to ask in your questionnaire. To encourage detailed responses covering the key areas of your board operations, you’ll want to include quantitative and qualitative questions. This approach can help you understand the board’s strengths and where it can improve, while supporting steady improvements in governance.

Sample quantitative questions

On a scale of 1-5, how effective do you find the organization’s leadership to be?
How often do you feel you are fully briefed on the agenda of meetings? A) Always B) Most of the time C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never

Sample qualitative questions

Describe how diverse you believe our board to be.
What specific skills, experiences, or backgrounds are missing from our board that could improve our governance and decision-making capabilities?

3. Choose a method of running the questionnaire

You’ll need to decide on a method for distributing the board evaluation questionnaire that best suits your respondents’ preferences and objectives. According to What Directors Think 2026 by Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member, boards rely on a mix of methods: self-assessments (74%), chair-led discussions (39%), peer reviews (38%) and external facilitators (30%). Notably, 12% of boards still do not conduct individual director evaluations at all. Use those benchmarks to decide whether your evaluation should remain a self-assessment, add peer feedback, bring in a chair-led discussion or involve an external facilitator.

You may choose to conduct an online survey. This format can save time and lets directors participate from any location. Confidentiality can encourage more honest feedback. However, it’s worth checking the security measures in place for online tools to avoid lost or leaked responses.

Another option is a paper-based questionnaire, which can feel more personal and accessible for those less comfortable with digital tools. However, to analyze the questionnaire results, you will need to enter them manually into a digital format and protect the confidential data. This can increase the risk of errors and make the process more time-consuming.

Disadvantages of paper-based evaluations:

Physical distribution, completion and collection of forms make paper-based evaluations slow and cumbersome. This traditional method requires extensive manual effort, which can delay the entire evaluation process.
Paper-based systems pose a high risk of losing or exposing sensitive information. The physical nature of the paper makes it vulnerable to misplacement or unauthorized access. This compromises the confidentiality and integrity of the data. Put in the wrong hands, this could result in significant reputational damage, manipulation or even blackmail.
Collecting and analyzing data from paper questionnaires is time-intensive and prone to errors. Manual data entry increases the likelihood of mistakes and reduces the reliability of the evaluation results.
Paper-based evaluations can be particularly challenging for board members who frequently travel or are based in different locations. The inability to access and complete evaluations conveniently can hinder timely submissions and affect the board’s overall responsiveness.
Analyzing results from paper-based evaluations is a labor-intensive process that can delay decision-making and the implementation of necessary changes. The lack of real-time data and efficient analytical tools can make it harder to derive actionable insights from the evaluation data.

Alternatively, you could select a board management portal with questionnaire capabilities built into the tool.

Advantages of board management questionnaire software:

Some platforms simplify questionnaire creation with access to expert-designed templates and the option to pre-fill responses from previous years. This feature saves time and ensures consistency and accuracy in the data collection process.
Some solutions support the entire questionnaire administration process within a secure platform. This includes safeguarding sensitive data and providing a familiar environment for users, which can improve the response rate and quality of information collected.
A digital tool can manage data collection with clear insights into completion rates and provide options to export data for thorough analysis. This allows immediate action based on the collected data and supports more responsive governance decisions.
With the right digital solution, board members can access necessary documents and answer questionnaires from anywhere worldwide. This can work well for organizations with geographically dispersed leadership.
Mature solutions have regularly updated features and templates to comply with the latest regulations and best practices. This helps the organization remain compliant with legal standards and governance best practices.
A tool used by a large number of board members globally, such as Diligent, which supports over 700,000+ board members and leaders across 130+ countries, is likely to be flexible enough to handle a variety of governance needs across different jurisdictions and industries. This can give you peace of mind.
Around-the-clock customer support backed by governance experts can help resolve issues quickly and keep the platform evolving to meet the specific needs of its users.

Make sure you choose a method that suits the majority of your organization. This will ensure a smooth and efficient evaluation process and allow you to gain the most insights from your questionnaire.

“Board portals are only useful if your directors and senior officers will use them. If they are not easy to navigate and lack features, then most likely, your directors and senior officers are going to continue to rely on paper copies. With Diligent, the majority of our directors and officers quickly requested not to be given printed versions of the board books. Having access to the book on an iPad or tablet allowed them to easily access board materials wherever and whenever they wished. The customer support is available 24/7/365 and is staffed by knowledgeable, friendly teams who can quickly assist the user at all levels.” Linka K., Senior Paralegal, Renewables & Environment Industry

4. Analyze the results and take action

Once you’ve conducted your board evaluation questionnaire, you must analyze the results and take appropriate action to improve board performance and governance.

First, you’ll need to compile your results and analyze your data. You can use statistical tools to calculate averages and medians so you can identify trends in your data. You can then group the responses to your qualitative questions by themes and suggestions; for example, you may find that numerous respondents have shared communication as a concern. Once you’ve gathered your key findings, you can begin to report on them. Provide a concise overview of your results, including the significant strengths that have been identified and areas for improvement. You can use data to support your claims and quotes from respondents to give context where needed.

By compiling and analyzing the results, you can develop an action plan for the next steps to address concerns or weaknesses. This can help you address current challenges and encourage an honest, responsive board that prioritizes development.

Board evaluation questionnaires typically explore various key areas to evaluate the board’s effectiveness. Here are some common categories of questions you might see:

Questions about board composition and leadership can assess whether the board’s size and composition are appropriate, considering the mix of expertise, skills, diversity, experiences and backgrounds needed to oversee the organization effectively.
Questions about board committees can evaluate the effectiveness of various committees within the board, including audit and compensation committees. They can also cover nominating committees and show whether they meet their responsibilities and contribute to the organization’s overall governance.
Questions about board meetings can focus on the frequency and quality of board meetings, including the adequacy of meeting materials and the effectiveness of meeting discussions.
Questions about overall board effectiveness can cover various aspects of board performance, including oversight of company strategy and the board’s role in risk management.
Individual board members may assess their own contributions and effectiveness and provide insights into areas for personal development and greater contribution to board activities.

33 sample board survey questions

Use the questions below as inspiration for your board performance evaluation questionnaire.

Board composition & leadership survey questions

Does the board have enough diversity (e.g., skills, perspectives, experiences) to govern effectively? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
Are board succession planning and recruitment efforts aligned with the organization’s long-term goals? A) Completely B) Somewhat C) Not really D) Not at all
How well do board members complement each other’s expertise? A) Very well B) Somewhat well C) Not well D) Poorly
What additional perspectives or backgrounds should the board consider adding?

According to What Directors Think 2026 by Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member, only 8% of directors rate their board as having strong AI expertise, with 35% identifying a significant gap. Cybersecurity expertise fares only slightly better, with 21% of boards reporting strong capability.

AI expertise is now a top-four director recruitment priority for 28% of boards. Use these findings to consider whether your composition questions adequately probe for emerging-technology and risk oversight expertise.

Board committee survey questions

Do board committees have clear roles and responsibilities? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
Are board committees structured to support the board’s work? A) Very effectively B) Somewhat effectively C) Not effectively D) Not at all
How effectively do committees report to the full board? A) Very effectively B) Somewhat effectively C) Not effectively D) Not at all
Are board committees adequately resourced and supported? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
What improvements could be made to board committee structures or functions?

Board meeting survey questions

Are board meetings well-organized with clear objectives? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
Do board meetings provide sufficient time for discussion and decision-making? A) Always B) Often C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never
Do board members receive materials with enough time to prepare? A) Always B) Often C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never
Are board meetings conducted in such a way that encourages open dialogue and productive discussions? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
What could be improved in the way board meetings are conducted?

Self-assessment survey questions

Do you personally contribute meaningfully to board discussions and decisions? A) Always B) Often C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never
How well do you understand your board member’s responsibilities and expectations? A) Very well B) Somewhat well C) Not well D) Not at all
Do you feel adequately informed about the organization’s finances, company direction and key risks? A) Completely B) Somewhat C) Not really D) Not at all
What resources or support would make you a more effective board member?
What steps could be taken to improve board member development and engagement?

Overall board engagement survey questions

Do you receive clear and concise background information before board meetings? A) Every time B) Most of the time C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never
To what extent does the board communicate clearly and openly to ensure understanding? A) Always B) Often C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never
How would you rate the level of participation and engagement of board members during meetings? A) Highly engaged B) Moderately engaged C) Occasionally engaged D) Minimally engaged E) Not engaged
Are board discussions productive and focused on long-term priorities? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
Do board members actively contribute their expertise and insights to discussions? A) Always B) Often C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Never

Overall board effectiveness survey questions

Does the board have a mix of experiences and skills? What experiences or skills do you feel are missing?
Do you believe the board takes responsibility for its actions?
Does the board know and understand the company’s values?
Skill gaps are identified and managed through training or appropriate resources. A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
What do you consider the board’s greatest strength(s)?
The board takes collective responsibility for the performance of the organization. A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Disagree D) Strongly disagree
How would you rate the board's oversight of cybersecurity and technology risk? A) Very effective B) Somewhat effective C) Not effective D) Not sure

AI oversight survey questions

How would you describe the board's current approach to AI risk and strategy oversight? A) Formal framework in place B) Framework in development C) Informal but active D) Not yet addressed
How comfortable do you feel raising questions about the organization's AI use and associated risks? A) Very comfortable B) Somewhat comfortable C) Would like more grounding D) Not yet familiar enough

For a ready-to-use framework, see our board evaluation template.

Develop an efficient survey process

Use ready-made templates to simplify board evaluations.

Local board survey considerations for global markets

When conducting your board evaluation questionnaire, consider any specific regulations that apply to the country in which your organization operates.

In the US, regulatory considerations include the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act 2002, which helps protect investors from corporations’ fraudulent financial reporting. You must also adhere to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Regulations. State-specific regulations may also apply. Should you operate in California, for example, you’ll need to ensure the board complies with local cybersecurity laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Those operating in the UK may need to consider the implications of Brexit on their board of directors, including any changes to trade and immigration laws and ensuring the board is adapting to changing market conditions post-Brexit. UK organizations may also include diversity considerations in their board evaluation questionnaires and implement the Parker Review recommendations to improve ethnic diversity across their board.

Incorporating country-specific considerations into your board evaluations can help ensure the board is aligned with local regulations and economic and social conditions. Awareness of these factors can improve your governance practice and the board’s ability to respond effectively to local challenges.

Challenges of board evaluation questionnaire season

Board evaluation questionnaire season presents several challenges that can hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of governance processes. These challenges primarily stem from questionnaire administration.

Complex questionnaire creation: Crafting the right questionnaire to meet compliance needs and gather meaningful data is time-consuming. Access to expert-designed templates and regulatory updates is essential to simplify this process.
Data collection and security: Securely and efficiently collecting responses remains a significant challenge. Ensuring that all data is gathered compliantly and securely requires systems that can handle sensitive information.
Analysis for insightful feedback: Once data is collected, the next hurdle is analyzing it to extract actionable insights. This analysis must be thorough and efficient to inform effective board governance and decision-making.
Compliance and updating: Regular updates are necessary to ensure compliance with current laws and regulations. This adds another layer of complexity to the questionnaire process.

These challenges are consistent with what governance professionals report: according to What Directors Think 2026, only 8% of directors name an overhaul of board and director evaluations as a way to optimize governance oversight, suggesting that evaluation processes remain underdeveloped at most organizations.

Board evaluation software can address these challenges. For example, you can use a secure platform like Diligent to simplify questionnaire creation, support efficient data collection, and aid insightful analysis with built-in analytics. This integrated approach ensures that board evaluation questionnaire season is managed effectively. It also helps organizations maintain compliance and strong governance.

Board survey use case: Sandra D., executive secretary in the banking industry

Sandra D., an executive secretary at a mid-sized bank, has been using Diligent Boards to improve the preparation and execution of board and committee meetings. With a company size of 201–500 employees, efficient and secure communication is important.

Implementation

Sandra has used Diligent Boards for various functionalities, but one of the standout features has been handling questionnaires and voting for board items. This feature has been particularly useful in preparing for board meetings, where time efficiency and security are important.

Benefits

The software reduces the time spent on preparing meeting materials and distributing them among board members. Sandra noted, “It saves me time in preparing for board meetings and committee meetings. Less printing of documents, so it saves time.”
With secure, password-protected access, board members can view or access the material anywhere on any device. This has been essential for maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information. “We never have to worry about confidential information being in the wrong hands,” Sandra explains.
Digital questionnaires and voting have improved participation and engagement from board members, who can now easily provide their input on key decisions without being physically present.

How Diligent supports board evaluations

Simplify your board evaluation process with Diligent. Diligent Boards, part of the Diligent One Platform, improves collaboration between board members and leaders and makes the board evaluation process feel more straightforward.

There are alternatives to creating your questionnaire from scratch or solely relying on sample board evaluation questionnaire questions. The Questionnaires feature in Diligent Boards provides expert-designed templates, including best-practice sets from global law firms Latham & Watkins and Goodwin. Once your templates are created, you can continue to iterate them year after year rather than needing to go back to the drawing board each time.

The Questionnaires feature supports the full evaluation workflow: secure in-platform distribution, real-time completion tracking and built-in analytics so governance teams can move from data collection to board-level action quickly. Responses stay confidential and accessible from any device, anywhere. For boards that receive open-text responses, Diligent’s AI Smart Summary capability within GovernAI can help theme and synthesize responses faster.

Assore Holdings achieved up to 60% time saved in board meeting preparation using Diligent Boards with AI Smart Builder, SmartPrep 360 and AI Smart Risk Scanner. For governance teams managing recurring evaluation and meeting cycles, that kind of efficiency can make it easier to move from questionnaire administration to board-level action.

Request a demo today to get started. Join the 700,000+ board members and leaders across 130+ countries who use Diligent to strengthen board governance.

Frequently asked questions

What is a board evaluation questionnaire?

A board evaluation questionnaire is a structured set of questions used to assess how well a board of directors fulfills its governance responsibilities. It typically covers board composition, meeting effectiveness, committee performance and individual director contributions. Organizations use it to identify strengths, surface improvement areas and ensure alignment with governance best practices.

What questions should be on a board evaluation questionnaire?

Questions should span the five core areas: board composition and diversity, committee structure and effectiveness, meeting quality and preparation, individual director contributions and overall board performance. The 28 sample questions above cover each of these categories. Boards can also add jurisdiction-specific questions and skills-gap probes, particularly around AI and cybersecurity expertise, where What Directors Think 2026 data shows significant capability gaps at most boards.

How often should a board conduct an evaluation?

Most governance guidelines recommend at least one full board evaluation annually. High-performing boards often conduct committee-level evaluations on the same cycle and use lighter-touch pulse surveys or chair-led discussions between formal evaluations. Regulators in the US, UK and other markets increasingly expect documented, recurring evaluation processes as part of sound governance practice.

How do you keep board evaluation responses confidential?

Confidentiality depends on the collection method. Paper-based evaluations carry the highest risk of exposure. Secure digital platforms provide encrypted, access-controlled environments where responses are only visible to designated administrators. Communicating the confidentiality process clearly before the evaluation increases director candor and response quality.

How can software improve the board evaluation process?

Dedicated board evaluation software addresses the four main challenges: questionnaire creation, secure data collection, results analysis and compliance updates. Diligent Boards, within the Diligent One Platform, offers expert-designed templates, in-platform distribution with completion tracking, built-in analytics and AI-assisted summarization of open-text responses. The result is a repeatable, audit-ready evaluation process that governance teams can run year after year without rebuilding from scratch.

Ready to modernize your board evaluation questionnaire process? Request a demo to see Diligent Boards and the Questionnaires feature in action.