Contents: NCF Committee Mandates and Membership Review Committee Mandates NCF Committee Mandates and Membership Review =========================================== Prepared by Lisa Donnelly, NCF Executive Director 20 May 1997 Introduction: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The NCF currently has six committees: Complaints Resolution, Development, Executive, Finance, Francophone and Planning. These groups should be reviewed annually be the Board and mandates or membership updated accordingly. What are committees: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Committees are usually involved in Board and policy oriented work, have one ore more Board members sitting on them and report directly to the Board. Duties are often on-going. Creation of a committee, its mandate and the appointment of the Chair must be approved by the Board. Day to day guidance may be provided by the Executive Director as required. Components of a Successful Committee: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -A specific, achievable mandate describing purpose, time frame, membership, authority and responsibility -An effective Chairperson -Staff support -Thoughtfully appointed committee members -Regular reports -Regular evaluation Standard Board committees: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The five Function areas that most non-profit Boards cover via committee work are Board operations, planning/evaluation, Finance, Personnel, and Funding/public relations. Given our current structure, Funding/public relations is covered via the revenue generation role of the Executive Director. Funding projects and associated public relations are handled primarily by staff on per project basis. As such, the Development committee has not met formally in over six months. An auction team has been created though to handle the annual task of for this project. Finance and Personnel are covered via the Finance Committee and planning is covered via the Planning committee. Board Operations is typically handled by the Executive committee. This can mean handling things like Board structure, policies, Board tools, effective meetings, committee structures and Board recruitment and orientation. Recommendations: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Review the mandates and membership of each committee and update or change according to current needs Board and organizational needs. 2. Use the set-up sheets currently in use bye all operations teams. forces, These provide a template for ensuring all the criteria and instructions are covered consistently and can be installed in their on-line area. This will improve clarity for both volunteers and the Board. Sample Set-up Sheet ==================== Committee or Task Force Set-up Sheet ==================================== Name of Task Force or Committee: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Type: ~~~~ (e.g Planning,Design,Administrative, etc.) Mandate: ~~~~~~~~ Responsible to (Board, ED, etc.): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Level of Authority: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Duties and responsibilities: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Time frame: ~~~~~~~~~~ (e.g.,On-going support with six month reviews) Time commitment: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Support/resources required (materials, staff support, information): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Membership: ~~~~~~~~~~ Qualifications and Special Skills: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- ** Lisa K. Donnelly, M.B.A., Executive Director ** * National Capital FreeNet/Libertel de la Capitale nationale * (613) 241-9554 voice & fax (613) 241-2477 Telecommunities Canada - Board member COMMITTEE MANDATES ================== Development Committee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mandate: The Development Committee advises and assists the Executive Director in achieving NCF's fundraising goals in the context of the annual Development Strategy. Introduction au Comité francophone ---------------------------------- 1995-12-15, ai772 Les francophones se sont dotés d'une organisation au sein du Libertel en fondant le Comité francophone le 13 septembre 1993. Voici les trois grand principes qui fondent notre mission : 1. Répondre aux aspirations et aux besoins des membres de la communauté francophone de la région de la Capitale nationale (RCN) en matière d'échange d'information. 2. Assurer une participation dynamique des francophones dans l'expansion et le fonctionnement de l'espace francophone et de l'ensemble du réseau. 3. Promouvoir la francophonie en développant des relations efficaces avec les autres communautés francophones (de l'interréseau) et les communautés non francophones. Le Comité francophone est un comité de stratégie qui examine les différents aspects du Libertel, établit les priorités pour l'année en cours et, par le truchement d'agents de liaison avec les comités et groupes de travail du Libertel, assure que le Libertel répond aux besoins des francophones de la RCN. Vous êtes tous encouragés à vous exprimer sur le babillard du Comité (ncf.sub.francophone), et à fréquenter les réunions du Comité qui ont habituellement lieu le 2e mardi du mois. Le lieu des réunions Comité alterne entre les deux rives de l'Outaouais. Les mois impairs du côté de l'Ontario, les mois pairs du côté du Québec. L'ordre du jour est affiché environ une semaine avant la réunion et le procès-verbal environ une semaine après la réunion. Planning Terms of Reference --------------------------- The role of the Board as a whole is to manage the property and business of FreeNet (Bylaw 7). Planning is a big part of management and should not be delegated. The function of a planning committee is to facilitate the Board's planning process by making recommendations and by clearly defining and presenting alternatives. Specifically, to: a. Produce long-term strategies and plans to fulfill the Mission Statement: - recommend scope and priorities in whom we serve and in products/services, - define values, and - communicate mission and values to the membership. b. Provide guidance to other committees in the form of recommendations to the Board on: - overall directions and priorities, - reviewing committee plans for appropriateness, consistency, and fit. c. Propose means to monitor and report progress against plans and values. d. Identify and research issues that go beyond the scope of single committees: - define the issues (high level), - collect and present points of view, alternatives, consequences, - gather data, - present strategic alternatives for Board decision. Approved by the Board: 18 April 1995 Finance Committee Mandate ========================= The Finance Committee is responsible for recommending, planning, and controlling how the NCF's funds are spent. The Finance Committee also prepares the annual NCF budget and provides financial statements to the NCF Board of Directors to report on the sources and uses of the NCF's funds. Note that the Finance Committee is not directly responsible for fundraising - this is the responsibility of the Development Committee which is chaired by the Director of Develpoment. For more information on Fundraising/Development, type "go funding" or select the "Funding area" item from this menu. Members of the Finance Committee ================================ au025 Jeff Bossert, Treasurer am412 Lisa K. Donnelly, Executive Director ar909 Rudy Wytenburg, Accountant aa145 Jean Wilmot, Past Treasurer Executive Committee Commission Sheet ===================================== Name: Executive Committee Chair: President of NCF Responsible to: Board Type: Standing Committee Purpose: Provide leadership to the Board by planning and structuring its work Authority: active agent Timeframes/Deadlines: Meet on as as needed basis Composition: the officers of the corporation and the executive director Staff support: Executive Director Other Resources: n/a Confidentiality: as for the Board of Directors Communication with Board through: Chair/President Report Back Timing: Subsequent Board meeting/ email to board mail alias as action is taken Specific Areas of Responsibility: 1. Develop and monitor annual planning calendar for the Board and the organization 2. Plan the Board's work e.g. making sure that specific agenda items get put on the agenda, such as the AGM, or the annual budget 3. Advise the Executive Director 4. Clarifies policy for staff and interprets Board intentions (communication to staff is through executive director) 5. Take lead in identifying issues and ensuring they are addressed 6. Liaise with Planning Committee 7. Making important decisions in urgent situations (between board meetings)