For a meeting to be effective, an agenda must be drawn up and circulated to all participants in advance.

The agenda is a list of what will be discussed and follows a fixed order. The following five items appear on every agenda:

• apologies
• minutes of the previous meeting
• matters arising
• AOB (any other business)
  
• next meeting

Minutes are normally taken by a secretary and signed by the chairperson to show that they are a correct record.

Minutes can be long and almost word for word or they can be very brief, but they always include the following five facts:

• The time and date of the meeting, where it was held and who chaired it.
• The names of all those present and apologies for absence.
• All agenda items discussed and all decisions reached.
• The time at which the meeting closed.
• The time, date and place of the next meeting.