Organisations in every sector are under pressure to show that decisions are taken properly and recorded honestly. Regulators, auditors, donors and shareholders all ask to see the minutes, and weak records are a common finding in governance reviews. At the same time, executives receive more documents than they can read, so the writer who communicates quickly gains real influence.

The Governance and Compliance in Business Writing & Minute Taking Training Course joins two skills that belong together. It begins with the legal and governance setting for meetings, including the roles of chair, secretary and members, notices, quorum and the difference between a resolution and a discussion point. Participants then learn how to prepare for and attend a meeting, take notes efficiently and write minutes that are neutral and complete without being a transcript. The second half builds business writing technique: planning, structure, concise language, editing and tailoring documents to the reader.

Training is workshop based. Participants practise on recorded meeting scenarios and live writing tasks, receive feedback on their drafts and finish with templates and a personal style checklist for their own organisation.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the secretary's role in supporting good governance and compliance.
• Prepare notices, agendas and board packs that meet formal requirements.
• Record proceedings accurately and distinguish decisions from discussion.
• Draft minutes that are concise, neutral and ready for approval.
• Word resolutions and action points with clear owners and deadlines.
• Handle conflicts of interest, confidential items and sensitive discussions.
• Write reports, memos and briefing notes in plain, structured English.
• Edit and proofread documents, and manage minute books and meeting records securely.

The course is intended for staff who support meetings and write for senior readers:

• Company and corporation secretaries
• Board and committee secretaries and clerks
• Executive and personal assistants
• Administrative officers and office managers
• Legal, compliance and governance officers
• Secretariat staff in ministries, county governments and parastatals
• NGO, SACCO and association secretaries
• Junior managers who write reports and take minutes

Participants leave the course with:

• Agenda, minutes and action tracker templates ready for use.
• A pre-meeting and post-meeting checklist for secretaries.
• A practised method for taking notes under pressure.
• Sample resolutions covering common board decisions.
• A personal style guide for clear, concise business writing.

Participants learn by writing and recording:

• Staged mock meetings for live note-taking
• Before-and-after editing clinics on real document types
• Peer review of minutes against a quality checklist
• Template building for use back at work
• Facilitated discussion of governance dilemmas

A CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion, issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy, is awarded to delegates who attend the programme and submit their completed writing and minuting exercises.