Policies are a set of agreed guidelines about what and why our organisation does what it does
Procedures are about how to do these things.
They need to be documented and published and they are usually open to change as circumstance change
Writing policies and procedures usually takes some particular skills and all stakeholders should be involved
Why would we need documented policies and procedures
Because without them a new committee often literally doesn’t know what, why or how they are doing. So they might just make it up on the run and usually, they revert to basic hierarchical and “power over” management model.
Present company excepted, obviously
By the time they do know what they are doing they are usually burned out and heading towards the door and more members just quietly give up.
Past company excepted, obviously.
So, what good is pointing out a problem without venturing an answer ?
What to do?
Well, I would like to help get some of this going and ready for handover to the next BrisLETS team next year. The next team next year probably won’t include me because I am old and a bit sick. I have done a lot of this before. I have managed and set up a small organisation and I taught some of this stuff at TAFE.
What kind of policies and procedures
- A CES manual
- how do we transfer people from one exchange to another
- why and how to reverse a dud transaction
- guidelines for fair use of details available to members on the system
- how to broadcast a newsletter
- Guidelines for moderating FB groups
- A legal complaints process
- A password management procedure
- A procedure for setting up a legal AGM
- use of proxy votes
Lots of stuff, we work it out and document it for the next team and they can always change it if they hate it.
Is Roy being a dictator again?
Roy, doesn’t think so.
The thing about voluntary organisations like ours is that nobody can really force anyone to do anything – people just say NO!
We have control over our own actions more or less but unless we make people dependent on our wages to pay for food, rent and the kid’s shoes – people can just say NO!
I like that.
I am suggesting some, “how to do” manuals basically, some training for new teams, putting my hand up and inviting people to help.
-roy-
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