BoardPro's platform is designed with transparency as a foundational principle. All members, when granted access, gain full visibility into the historical meeting records and associated documents unless they have a special access level assigned. Below, we address common questions and outline best practices to manage document access and confidentiality effectively.
How Does Default Access Work for New Members?
New members added to BoardPro will have unrestricted access to all prior meeting materials, including Minutes, agendas, and other documents. This comprehensive access aligns with the platform's goal of ensuring board transparency. Currently, it is not possible to limit access to documents by date or to restrict visibility to specific historical records once a member is added.
Can I Restrict Access to Specific Documents in a Meeting Agenda?
BoardPro does not support restricting access to individual papers within an agenda for certain members. By default, all members can view the full board pack, which includes all agenda items and associated files.
Options and Workarounds:
Limited Guest/Executive Access: - Assigning someone a Guest/Executive role limits their visibility to only basic meeting details like time, date, and location. They would not have automatic access to documents unless the entire board pack is shared with them.
Use of Governance Repository for Sensitive Materials: - Store confidential documents in a "Board Only" folder in the governance repository. Include a link to this folder in relevant agenda items. Only key stakeholders (e.g., board members, board secretaries) would have access to such a repository.
How Can I Manage Access to Meeting Minutes or Sensitive Information?
If you wish to restrict sensitive information from being accessible to new members:
Amend or Edit Materials: - Before adding members, redact or edit sensitive content in the meeting minutes or other shared documents to ensure confidentiality.
External Sharing: - Avoid adding certain users to BoardPro and instead share specific, relevant documents externally through other secure file-sharing methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prevent new members from seeing past meetings and documents?
No, new members automatically gain access to all historical meeting data and associated documents upon being added to BoardPro. This setting cannot be customized.
Are there default roles for limiting document access?
Yes, Guest/Executive roles have pre-set limitations, allowing visibility of only basic meeting details without access to documents unless explicitly shared. You can learn more about all of the access levels in BoardPro here.
What are the best practices for dealing with sensitive files?
Store sensitive files in a separate "Board Only" governance repository folder and include links to them in agenda descriptions.
You can pre-edit minutes or share relevant files externally to control content distribution.
By understanding these foundational principles and options, you can better manage access control in BoardPro according to your organization’s confidentiality needs.