Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, January 17, 2006

21 November 2006

Bank Information Center
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors
January 17, 2006

Present (by conference call):

Robin Broad
Jonathan Fox (chair)
Marianne Ginsburg
David Hunter
Atila Roque
Frances Seymour
Manish Bapna (ex-officio)
Bruce Jenkins (reporting)

 

1.   Call to order: Jonathan Fox convened the conference call at 1:00pm.

2.   Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the September 27, 2005 Board meeting were approved. The approved minutes will be posted on BIC’s website.

3.   2006 Budget: The Directors discussed the organization’s proposed 2006 budget.  Treasurer Frances Seymour reported that she had reviewed the budget and found that anticipated expenses were well aligned with the organization’s work program and projected revenues. Projected expenses for 2006 total just over $1.5 million, approximately 85% of which will be devoted to core programmatic areas (regional programs, policy program, and information services) while roughly 15% will be expended for administration, development, and strategic planning. Revenues are projected to closely match this expenditure level, noting that a small surplus from 2005 may be utilized in 2006. Board members requested clarifications and details of projected foundation support for the year and discussed BIC’s initiative to hire “in-country” staff (in India, the Mekong region, and the Andes-Amazon region). The Directors welcomed progress with this initiative, including the careful scoping efforts. The Chair moved to vote on the 2006 Budget. The Directors approved the budget unanimously and requested that the minutes reflect a note of commendation to BIC’s management and staff for excellent and clear budget preparation and presentation.

4.   Board Development: The Board voted to extend an invitation of Board membership to one nominated candidate.  The Directors discussed potential other candidates and agreed to gauge these candidates’ interest and availability. The Directors also discussed the need to engage new Board members with varied areas of expertise. The Directors noted the need to develop a short statement to clarify the roles and duties of BIC’s Board members.

5. Executive Director’s Performance Evaluation: The Board met in closed session to discuss the Executive Director’s 2005 performance evaluation.

6.   Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3pm.

Drafted by Bruce Jenkins
Assistant Secretary