Board Orientation

July 27, 2004 - Board Orientation
Revisited: What a BoD should do (by Dianna Graham + Joe+ Steve + Mike)

* go beyond legal requirements (ie. more than just looking over budgets, etc) * perc board has to define its own tasks (not currently involved in day to day things) * should be well aware of what goes on in the committees – how many new vols, how many taken leadership positions, how many have received new training – secondary is paper, library, etc - left with monitoring the training function * let the bd member have a period of time when not doing serious bd commitments (i.e. in the beginning) that they could use to attend percshops

What a BoD Member should do

* need a proactive oversight ability – need to be able to verify learning and training are going on; monitor the forums and dot.project * could have diff bms hands on in different parts of the operation; not going there to tell what to do, but to get to know the committee, ask how bd can help, etc; get to know the volunteers

How to support this?

* PERC “process expectations” – perc not a stagnant org; always seeking to improve * thinking about how we do things and how we can do things better – figure out what needs to be done and how to do it

Idea: tailor the BoD orientation/interview/selection process to coincide somewhat with the PERC volunteer orientation (with some changes?) Pros:

* Ensures that the Bd Mem receives a basic understanding of what PERC is, how it’s structured, its mandate etc.

* Would allow a period of time in which the interviewer could ensure that the required readings were being done (could have a number of items slotted into each session and preset questions for the interviewer to ask, interviewee then able to ask questions, etc)

* could eventually re-tailor the powerpoint – have a “for new bd volunteers!” icon with slightly modified powerpoint?

Notes on existing orientation and how it Bd Orientation might coincide with it: Interview for Board Member Day 1 * treasurer’s slot in the trays near the tv   * forum and website and add your email address somewhere * introduce why the board exists and what it does (basic outline); board activities * **would be useful to have a high level org chart (organigram)– hyperlinks to other sites –could mention that org setup will be outlined in more detail on day 2
 * tour
 * data processing
 * could add the board drawer in the smaller office – bottom middle
 * it holds minutes, insurance policy for perc, bylaws, financial statements (out of date – usually kept in accounting; sometimes attached to the minutes); minutes usually put onto ?WiKi as they’re approved in the archives – accounts have reports to revenue Canada and reports to corporate affairs Canada

Day 2

* Questionnaire/“what do I want to get out of being a volunteer at PERC?” * What does the board actually do – more detailed than day 1 * Why is it important that the board do these things (do after pt 2? – pt 2 has a brief description of what the bd does) * Motivation = the interface btw perc and formal legal structures (CCRA, etc); for profit and non-profit organizations – perc is the public link * i.e. commuter challenge = the board went to public events and represented the perc * have set a challenge to go beyond the minimal legalistic responsibilities of the org financial statements * if represent the perc, need to know the perc and be fluent in describing its operations, committees, projects, * shouldn’t forget to get to know other volunteers – perc is about people * bds mandate is to make sure perc follows through on its mandate/ * day 2 is a big day – might want to keep bd stuff fairly light – or more conversation than reading?

Day 3

* volunteer agreement * works on describing library, task schedule – intro to bd’s section of dotproject would be timely * familiarize with activist groups -> important part of this orientation; bd mem should be familiar with this -> more important than following library procedures * should be able to navigate who are perc’s major clients (the activist groups)

Day 4

* “Your placement at perc” * break it down into social, task, support and learning – 4 needs * could have a board member present for this day, and get into discussion of what it’s like to be a bd mem, what’s expected; provides a framework for a more serious discussion of board membership; look at it realistically, what they hope to get out of it

Day 5

* perc volunteer agreement * length of board commitment * bd membership (like volunteer membership) is also not a contract or a legal agreement * discuss minimum time requirements (same as regular volunteer); discuss flexibility, range of scenarios (i.e. unexpected schedule changes, etc) * “what can you expect from us” – support, honest feedback, honesty regarding problems and challenges the board faces, what kind of support it has, etc – help them enter the position with eyes open; an idea of what to expect * board mentors a possibility?

Day 6

* group skills * meeting skills * sign up new member for next percshop on meeting skills (if possible) * long power point on day 6, so maybe a more informal interview?

feedback sessions

To do: read bd stuff on the internet during orientation - > need to figure out what days should link to which items

* gaps in understanding bd dev members remember still having after orientation

* output of perc was still a bit of a mystery * idea of Perc as a learning institution might come through more clearly * maintaining the connection btw dull bureaucratic work and the desire of saving the world – descry. of committees and they are here because…/how it fits in   * need to connect the dots a bit to show how everything fits together

* can put the bd orientation pages on the web

* board member should attend a meeting

* 1st mtg = observation

* 2nd meeting = see the meeting from a different perspective (with their orientation in mind)

* could figure out with Mike how to balance the sessions with a board member

* need to have a process for refusing someone from the board

* need to make it clear that the orientation is a selection process, not a formality leading to board membership

Di: look through the bd reading/outlines that are on the net and see where they might slot into the orientations