Technology is now fundamental to how organisations operate, deliver services, and maintain public trust. As digital systems become more deeply interwoven with national infrastructure, the impact of technology failure grows wider and more severe—affecting economies, disrupting services, and undermining societal confidence.
In this environment, boards must understand technology risk and resilience with far greater depth. At the same time, senior technology professionals need the governance knowledge, fiduciary awareness, and strategic assurance skills expected of leaders operating at board level.
BCS recognise that this capability gap must be addressed. Strengthening the professionalism, ethical rigour, and governance competence of technology leaders is essential to improving organisational resilience and supporting the UK’s longterm competitiveness.
As a first step, we have partnered with the Non Executive Directors Association (NEDA) to provide training for NEDs.
About the Programme
This one day course is designed for aspiring, new and experienced NEDs, helping you to confidently navigate recent updates to codes and guidelines, gain insights that will not only satisfy core requirements, but also equip you to be your most effective self in the boardroom.
The cost of the course includes:
- All course materials and supporting documents.
- Six months’ complimentary NEDA Premium membership, providing access to the course text - The Non-Executive Directors’ Handbook (through the members’ portal) – plus all of the other NEDA member benefits.
- A link to the NED Certificate Test, a multiple choice, open-book exam which can be taken at any time following the course. Questions are drawn from an extensive question bank based on the NED Handbook which should therefore be read in advance of taking the test.
- On successful completion of the test, participants receive a BCS NED Certificate.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will gain clarity and confidence in:
- Corporate governance and board structures
- Directors’ duties, liabilities and ethical responsibilities
- The role and expectations of NonExecutive Directors
- Board committees and effective reporting
- Director attributes and constructive board behaviours
- Risk management, financial oversight and digital resilience
- AI considerations at board level
- Wider governance obligations affecting directors and NEDs
More to Come
This programme represents the first step in a broader BCS and NEDA collaboration to strengthen boardlevel technology leadership. Additional developments to follow.
