The democratic process, by itself, does not guarantee that the board of a co-operative will be competent and have the range of skills and expertise necessary to ensure the proper and effective governance of a co-operative, or have the capacity to hold executives to account.

Annual board skills audits are advisable in order to ensure that boards have the collective profile and range of knowledge and skills needed to exercise effective governance control. Where a skills audit identifies gaps in the competence of the board, the gaps may be filled by planned training for board members, by the co-option of non-executive board members with the experience or skills the board lacks, or by positively encouraging members with the skills and expertise needed to stand for election to the board.