What would you recommend for making committees effective? Can you please help me on this question :icon1:
From India
1From India
VENKATESH,
HERE IS SOME USEFUL MATERIAL.
REGARDS
LEO LINGHAM
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Committees vary widely with respect to their internal dynamics, the organisations they manage and the challenges they face.
Unsurprisingly, the factors that then limit a Committee’s effectiveness and the approaches that can help to improve how it works can vary widely.
In many cases, very specific support is required.
FIRST,
Why increase your Committee’s effectiveness?
A more effective Committee is able to maximise the organisation’s capacity to achieve its mission and objectives.
A more effective Committee becomes…
able to maximise the organisation’s capacity to achieve its mission and objectives.
capable of forward planning and sustaining the organisation
efficient in carrying out its duties
better at retaining and recruiting committee members
better able to represent the organisation.
Whether your Committee appears to be operating relatively smoothly or is already rife with difficulties, it is still worthwhile taking time to review how effectively your Committee is able to carry out its role and responsibilities and identifying opportunities for development.
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SECOND
HOW IS YOUR COMMITTEE FARING NOW
Whether your Committee appears to be operating relatively smoothly or is already rife with difficulties, it is still worthwhile taking time to review how effectively your Committee is able to carry out its role and responsibilities, ensuring that your organisation has clear direction and purpose.
There are a number of tools available to assist you in doing this:
Checklist for Committees
How well does your committee fulfil its role and responsibilities?
Does your Committee…
Yes: OR No: OR Needs work:
• understand the responsibilities of its role?
• understand and comply with the organisation’s governing
document ?
• understand the organisation’s legal structure?
• understand its liabilities as a Committee MEMBER ?
• provide sound financial oversight and ensure that resources
are properly managed?
• ensure that all potential risk is assessed and dealt with?
• ensure it is able to account for everything the organisation
does?
• ensure the organisation pursues its purpose (as defined in
the governing document)?
• safeguard the name and values of the organisation?
• take decisions as a collective group?
• understand the role and responsibilities of honorary
officers?
• understand the role and delegated authority of any subcommittees?
• clearly differentiate between the role of
Committee MEMBER and staff?
• hold meetings as necessary to properly fulfil their role?
• seek expert and professional advice when needed?
• support, manage and appraise the chief officer?
Does your Committee…
Yes: OR No: OR Needswork:
• monitor its own performance and development needs?
• provide effective strategic and operational planning?
• monitor and evaluate performance against its plans?
• ensure good practice as an employer?
Committee Self-Assessment
The following self-assessment is designed for you to reflect on your role as a Committee
member and consider any areas that you would like further support or information.
AREA: YES/NO: ACTION REQUIRED
(how to improve in this area):
Vision and Leadership:
Is the vision and mission of the organisation clear?
Are the values of the organisation clear?
Are you aware of the key issues & changing
environment relevant to your organisation/sector?
Roles and Responsibilities:
Are Management Committee role descriptions and
expectations clear?
Do you receive the information you need prior to
meetings?
Do you understand the organisation’s financial
position?
Do you feel you have an equal input into committee
business and decision-making?
Is decision-making always in the best interests of the
organisation?
If you are on a sub-committee, are you clear about
your role, delegated authority and lines of reporting
back to the Committee?
Legal Structure / Status:
Is your organisation’s legal structure clear?
Is the purpose of your governing document clear?
Do you feel fully aware of your legal responsibility?
If a charity, do you understand what this means?
Does the committee source professional advice when
needed?
Committee meetings are vital to the effective functioning of the committee and its ability to carry out its role. They are the means by which the Committee exercises its collective responsibility for leading the organisation.
Meetings are necessary for:
Decision making
Reporting
Review
Problem solving, and
Discussion.
In reality running purposeful and participative meetings can be challenging. Common experiences include:
Long discussions with no conclusion
Decision making on the basis of inadequate information
Low attendance
Uneven participation.
Unwillingness to ask questions.
These issues are not easily addressed but meetings can become more effective if :
Well planned with a clear purpose
Effectively chaired
Focused on decision-making
Planning meetings
Committee meetings are more productive if they are planned beforehand. Responsibility for planning the meeting lies with the Chairperson along with the Secretary in smaller organisations and with the chief officer in organisations which employ staff. However all Committee members will need to ensure they have read any papers prior to the meeting and have added relevant items to the agenda.
Plan your meetings effectively by….
Setting dates well in advance to maximise the number of members available to attend (and sending a reminder notice)
Clarifying the purpose or focus of the meeting.
Ensuring that staff and financial reports are concise and comprehensible.
Ensuring that minutes and agreed actions from the previous meetings are circulated.
Ensuring that all papers are circulated well in advance.
Agreeing the meeting agenda in advance.
Identifying which agenda items require a decision and which are for information or discussion.
Purpose of meetings
Planning your Committee meetings easier if the purpose of each meeting is clear.
Committee meetings are for:-
Monitoring and reviewing progress towards meeting the aims of the organisation.
Monitoring financial performance;
Ensuring all activities are consistent with the organisation’s purpose and mission;
Considering applications for membership of the organisation;
Planning annual general meetings;
Initiating and reviewing internal and external policy positions and statements;
Deciding on management and governance systems and processes;
Deciding the most appropriate methods of funding raising and considering applications for funding;
Delegating work;
Discussing and making decisions on new proposals;
Planning for the future and identifying new opportunities;
Delegating work
Deciding on appropriate staffing requirements, staff terms and conditions.
However, each individual meeting may focus on one or two issues. Is there one or more development or proposal which requires a decision? Should the financial report or the staff report be considered early in the meeting because it was at the bottom of the agenda at the last meeting and did not receive sufficient attention.
A well planned agenda should clearly communicate the purpose and objectives of the meeting.
Effective Chairing
Chairing is a key factor in the effectiveness of meetings.
The role of the Chair is to direct discussion of the Committee, ensuring that the objectives of the meeting can be met, and that the Committee effectively fulfils its responsibility in consideration of the items on the agenda. This involves ensuring that you are well briefed about each agenda item and that:-
decisions are taken, recorded and carried out
the organisation’s policies are applied
there is full participation
the agenda is followed
there are time limits for the meeting as a whole and for agenda items.
Productive meetings require the contribution of all members of the Committee, working as a team and taking joint responsibility for ensuring that issues are given due consideration and decisions taken.
Role of chair
Decision making
Committees are responsible for taking major strategic decisions and need to take decisions jointly with other members. In making any big decision, a number of steps are involved, including some or all of the following:-
Information – ensuring the committee has read or heard all relevant information.
The goal – what is our aim and is it consistent with the aim and direction of the organisation. Agreement on the goal is a crucial stage in decision making.
Choices – what choices are available to us and what are the constraints.
The plan – how do we achieve our goal – what are the steps and what resources do we need.
There are other situations where it is sensible to delegate the power to make day to day decisions to the chief officer or to a working group for example to work out the details of carrying out a policy which the whole committee has agreed to.
Decision making is much more effective if the committee establishes not only what is to be done but also how and when it will be done and by whom.
There are two common methods of making decisions:
1. By consensus
2. By taking a vote.
Some organisations have a strong commitment to consensual decision making and only take a vote in exceptional circumstances. Others routinely vote on issues.
Regardless of how decisions are taken, all committee members should be clear about exactly what has been decided and decisions should be clearly minuted.
Don’t forget. Each committee member has a contribution to make to effective meetings. All members should:
Prepare for meetings.
Forward apologies if you are unable to attend.
Use your agenda.
Listen to the speakers.
Learn from other people.
Speak up when you have something to say.
Ask questions if you are unclear or unsure.
Consider all the options and share your views.
Abide by decisions which are taken, whether you agree with them or not.
There are many factors which may limit the effectiveness of your committee. Below we have identified a list of common factors.
Factors that can improve a Committee’s effectiveness:
1. Clear understanding of roles and responsibilities.
2. Having the range of skills, expertise, experience or the knowledge of the organisation’s purpose and aims, necessary to best serve the organisation or fulfil responsibilities.
3. Members actively participating.
4. Having in place policies, practices and procedures to facilitate/ensure good practice & to govern members’ activities.
5. Good relationships within the Committee or with staff members.
6. Healthy turnover of members, neither too high nor too low.
7. Up-to-date information & feedback re: clients, service users, community.
8. Ability to anticipate and manage change and development.
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1.Clear Understanding of Roles & Responsibilities
Suggestions for ensuring that your committee members understand their roles and responsibilities, are well informed about the work of their organisation and recognise the distinction between their role and that of the COMMITTEE MEMBER.
Clear written role descriptions used from the start of the recruitment process
Clarity regarding respective roles of the committee and staff.
Understanding of the distinction between governance , including the difference between their role as employer and role as manager.
Effective induction
Training and development strategy for Committee members
A Committee handbook
Ensure members understand the collective nature of decision making.
2.Having The Range Of Skills To Best Serve The Organisation
Article describing the knowledge that a committees needs in order to be able to lead its organisation effectively. It is not necessary for each member to know all of it but as a collective you should ensure that the committee holds this knowledge. This page also includes information on how to ensure that your committee has a system or systems for communicating with your members and users.
All organisations are likely to need committee members with knowledge & experience of:-
The organisation’s core business
Organisational management
Financial management
ORGANIZATION governance.
A Committee needs to have knowledge including information/feedback about their beneficiaries whether these are a local community or clients & service users.
Committees needs to put in place systems for communicating with users. For community groups this might involve local meetings or door to door work. For organisations who deliver services it might be through telephone interviews with clients & users or through feedback interviews or questionnaires.
Some suggested solutions/tools/approaches:
Undertake a Skills/diversity audit of the management commitment to identify areas gaps in committee expertise.
Review the recruitment strategy. If relevant expertise isn’t available from your organisations’ membership, consider approaching other organisations in the same area of work. Don’t forget that service users may have a valuable experience of and commitment to, your organisation.
Organise a training and development programme for Committee members.
Seek co-options from members of the organisation with these skills.
Identify and recruit advisers or advisory groups to enable participation from people with relevant skills and knowledge.
Access external expertise in the form of information, advice, facilitation or training.
Organise a development session for the committee after the annual general meeting to introduce members to the purpose, strategy and history of the organisation.
3.Dealing With Poor Attendance
Poor attendance is a common problem for committees. It makes it difficult for committees to apply consistent, good quality, collective decision making.
Most committees have problems, from time to time, with fairly regular non-attendance by one or more members.
The chairperson is responsible for dealing with poor attendance; they need to find out what the governing document/constitution says about attendance and apply the rules. Keeping a register of attendance at board meetings and publishing it annually often helps to improve the situation.
It is always a good idea to find out the reason for the non-attendance.
It could be there is an issue in the member’s work or personal life which is temporarily absorbing much of their time and energy. The chairperson could suggest that the member takes a break from being on the Committee for an agreed period such as 3 months.
The member is busy and attendance at the management committee meetings is never a priority. If meetings never or rarely become a priority for a Committee member, the Chair needs to tell him/her that it is time to step down.
The member received little induction or support when they first joined and is finding it difficult to participate effectively. The Chair could reassure the member that her/his experience and skills are very much needed and organise a belated induction programme. The Chair could also arrange for a more experienced member of the committee to be his/her mentor and facilitate their participation at committee meetings.
Meetings are not purposeful or productive so the member does not see much point in attending. The meetings should review their practice re: planning their meetings & utilise an Agenda to formalise the meetings structures.
Meetings are so unfriendly and rancorous that the member does not want to be part of it. The Committee may need some support from an external agency/person to address their particular issues.
If the committee is not functioning effectively, the chair could initiate a governance review, ideally facilitated by an objective outsider with knowledge of governance issues.
Some suggested solutions/tools/approaches:
Code of conduct
Role descriptions
Review who’s on the committee and recruitment strategies
Review length of tenure
Review how meetings are run, their frequency, alternative means of communication etc.
Info on how to avoid situations where certain individuals dominate activities
Team-building – e.g. training or away days; focus members around key projects or goals like strategic planning
Ensure shared focus around role in relation to the organisation’s vision, mission and values.
4 .Policies, Practices & Procedures To Facilitate Good Practice
Developing good policies and procedures for your organisation is a key function of committees. It is your role to ensure that these policies and procedures are implemented consistently. This article provides some ideas to help you carry out your policy development and monitoring role.
Successful organisations need to have:
A governing document which matches the reality of what you do.
Governance arrangements which keep pace with change.
Some suggested solutions/tools/approaches:
Refer to good practice standards
Signpost to information on key policies, practices & procedures which should be developed e.g.
Codes of Conduct
Conflict of Interest POLICIES
Recruitment, selection and appointment procedures
Terms of office or COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Confidentiality policy
ROLE DESCRIPTIONS
Media policy
INDUCTION
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT POLICIES.
5. Good Relationships Within The Committee & Staff
Communication within THE committees is challenging and communication systems need to change and develop as organisations grow, especially if they employ staff. Many organisations experience difficulties in managing the relationship between the committee and staff.
The source of many disagreements is inadequate communication. To avoid this committee members should ensure that they are receiving sufficient information from management and other stakeholders to make informed decisions.
The Chair and MEMBERS should communicate regularly, both formally and informally and respect the boundaries of their roles.
The Chair, who is often in a privileged position with regard to acquisition of information, should take care not to be unjustifiably selective in what s/he shares with fellow Committee members.
There should be clear terms of reference for subcommittees to avoid confusion over what is expected of committee members.
Efficient mechanisms for reporting back from the staff and from committees to the Management Committee should be established.
Treasurers and finance officers should present financial details in a comprehensible manner.
Communication procedures, and organisational priorities, should be reviewed regularly.
Some COMMITTEES run into difficulties when they discover that their governing document does not contain the means by which it can remove members whose behaviour is damaging the organisation. The absence of a process for the removal of Management Committee members can lead to valuable time which should be directed toward meeting the organisation’s purpose, being taken up by dealing with disruptive members.
Some suggested solutions/tools/approaches:
Dominant personalities – emphasis by Chair on need for all to participate actively and be given opportunity to do so.
Sub-committees or working groups – help ensure that smaller groups of individuals have to take the initiative.
Team-building activities – encourage sense of working together for common purpose.
Grievance/complaints mechanism – for addressing serious dispute/conflict.
Good relationships with staff members
Some suggested solutions/tools/approaches:
Clarity regarding respective roles and responsibilities.
Ensure effective communication and establish regular reporting systems.
Provide effective support and supervision for the Chief Officer.
Ensure effective management structures and procedures exist within the organisation.
Create mechanisms for airing grievances.
Ensure Committee is informed, trained and empowered to carry out its
Role confidently and effectively
6. Healthy Turnover Of Members
It is challenging for committees to maintain a balance between ensuring continuity and being a ‘closed shop’.
You must ensure a healthy turnover of members to ensure openness and accountability as well as sufficient continuity.
There is a wide variation in the size of committees and in the election process. Often small community groups often think they should have 12 or more Committee members while some large organisations have far fewer people on the Committee. Similarly some organisations think they have to re-elect the entire committee each year, while others have the same people on the Committee for years with little opportunity for others to get elected.
Large organisation’s Committees are more likely to be allowed an indefinite stay and the very smallest groups were far more likely to re-elect members after just one year.
There are a variety of ways of re-electing the committee. One way to provide continuity is for a third of the committee to retire each year. Some organisations hold elections every two years. The minimum and maximum number of Management Committee members and the process for election is often set down in the governing document. Remember that it is good practice to review your governing document and make changes or amendments to it to ensure that your organisation is governed effectively.
7.Up-to-date Information & Feedback
Committees need information from members and users in order to be accountable and to be able to evaluate the impact of the organisation’s work.
A Committee needs to have knowledge including information/feedback about their beneficiaries whether these are a local community or clients & service users.
Committees needs to put in place systems for communicating with users. For community groups this might involve local meetings or door to door work. For organisations who deliver services it might be through telephone interviews with clients & users or through feedback interviews or questionnaires.
8. Ability To Anticipate And Manage Change & Development
Organisations encounter a series of milestones as they grow and develop. Your committee can learn how to anticipate and manage these changes from other organisations.
organisations encounter many milestones including:-
Establishing themselves as a formal entity.
Employing staff for the first time.
Planning future activities.
Changes in their funding.
Making changes in their governance or organisational structure.
Acquiring or repairing property.
Changing direction or winding up.
From India, Mumbai
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Maiden Steps for Policy Making.doc
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