In this guide
Members can leave the same meeting with different ideas about what was agreed. A useful agenda and decision log reduce that confusion. They make it easier to prepare, give the conversation a purpose and leave a record someone can understand months later.
The examples here are working documents to adapt. They do not replace your co-op's rules about notice, quorum, voting, records or which body has authority. Check those requirements before holding a formal meeting or ballot.
Give each item a purpose
Mark agenda items as information, discussion or decision. If you need a decision, explain the question, who is bringing it, why it matters now and where the supporting material can be found. Someone receiving papers should be able to tell what they are being asked to consider.
An illustrative item could read: “Decision: choose who will obtain quotes for replacing the till system. Paper: current problems and requirements. Proposed outcome: agree requirements and appoint a purchasing group; no spending approval requested today.” This avoids accidentally treating agreement to investigate as agreement to buy.
An agenda template
- Welcome, access needs and meeting roles.
- Attendance and any formal checks required by the rules.
- Interests relevant to today's items.
- Previous record: corrections and unresolved actions.
- Information items circulated in advance: questions only where possible.
- Discussion items: what needs exploring before a later decision?
- Decision items: proposals, alternatives, decision and next step.
- Confirm action owners and dates.
- Next meeting and a brief check on how this one worked.
Include breaks and a realistic finish time. Ask for papers early enough that members can read them in their preferred way. If a late proposal materially changes the decision, check whether members have enough information and whether your rules allow it to be considered.
Record a decision
A decision record can use these fields: reference; date; meeting or authorised group; question; decision; main reasons; authority or rule relied on where relevant; conflicts and how they were handled; action owner; review date; link to supporting material. Record any vote or objections in the manner your rules require.
The purpose is an accurate record, not a transcript of every contribution. Avoid adding sensitive personal details that do not belong in a broadly shared record. If restricted detail is necessary, manage that record separately with appropriate access.
Keep actions separate
Use an action log with one row per outcome: task, responsible person or role, due date, status and evidence of completion. A decision can be complete while its actions are still open. Carrying the same paragraph forward through successive minutes makes that distinction difficult to see.
At the next meeting, ask about overdue actions without turning every update into a new debate. If circumstances have changed, record the new decision explicitly rather than quietly editing the old one.
Make the record findable
Publish approved records in the agreed member location with consistent names and dates. Keep drafts distinguishable from approved versions. Link related decisions so a new committee can follow the history without relying on one person's memory.
For online participation, use the hybrid meetings guide. For the wider operating rhythm, build a yearly governance calendar. Both should reflect the arrangements your own co-op has agreed.