11

GOVERNANCE in COMMUNITY

ORGANISATIONS

Community Solutions- NESB Community Safety

Development and Coordination Project

Auspiced by Illawarra Forum Inc.

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CONTENTS

1. Drawing a map of your organisation.

2. Overall roles and responsibilities of your

management committee.

3. Roles and responsibilities of position holders.

4. Sub-committees.

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MAPPING YOUR ORGANISATION

Draw a map which includes: Management committee members. Aims and values of the organisation. Funding bodies and other sources of funds. Members of the organisation. The manager/coordinator, other staff and volunteers. Important government and non-government organisations. Services provided. Key projects. Target groups and clients that the organisation serves.

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MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall responsibility Legal Financial (including planning) Managing staff and volunteers Policies and procedures Premises and equipment Advocacy and lobbying Community consultation

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OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY

Management committees are:

The governing body of the organisation.

Often chosen or elected in an Annual General Meeting.

Legally responsible for the overall functioning of the organisation.

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LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES (1)

Ensure that the organisation: Operates within the Constitution. Complies with the NSW Association

Incorporation Act 1984. Operates within the laws and regulations of the

Federal, State and Local Government eg. Child protection Copyright Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Taxation Privacy law

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LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES (2)

Ensure that the organisation: Meets legal responsibilities as an employer. Acts in accordance with funding agreements

signed by the organisation. Shows accountability through proper account

keeping and good practice. Complies with the Duty of Care to clients and

employees.

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FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (1)FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (1)

Ensure that the organisation:Ensure that the organisation:

Has enough funds to operate.Has enough funds to operate. Obtains regular funding:Obtains regular funding:

• government/private grants, government/private grants, fundraising, etc.fundraising, etc.

Complies with funding agreements:Complies with funding agreements:• Accountability, funds are spent on Accountability, funds are spent on

targeted clients/services/geographical targeted clients/services/geographical areas, etcareas, etc

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FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (2)

Ensure that:Ensure that: Financial plans and budgets are prepared Financial plans and budgets are prepared

and approved.and approved. A good bookkeeping system is in place, A good bookkeeping system is in place,

and proper recording of income and and proper recording of income and expenditure is up-to-date. expenditure is up-to-date.

Expenditure is regularly monitored and Expenditure is regularly monitored and adjusted as required.adjusted as required.

An annual Statement of Income and An annual Statement of Income and Expenditure is prepared. Expenditure is prepared.

The annual Statement of Income and The annual Statement of Income and Expenditure is audited as required by law Expenditure is audited as required by law and good practice.and good practice.

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MANAGEMENT OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS (1)

Up-to-date job descriptions for all staff.Up-to-date job descriptions for all staff.

Good recruitment processes (EEO) Good recruitment processes (EEO) and management of staff and and management of staff and volunteers.volunteers.

Support, training and supervision for Support, training and supervision for staff and volunteers.staff and volunteers.

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MANAGEMENT OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS (2)

Responsible for providing:Responsible for providing: Adequate and safe working conditions for Adequate and safe working conditions for

staff and volunteers.staff and volunteers. Adequate performance review and Adequate performance review and

grievance procedures.grievance procedures. Communication with workers and Communication with workers and

volunteers.volunteers. Compliance with relevant awards and Compliance with relevant awards and

industrial legislation.industrial legislation.

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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Ensure that:Ensure that:

Standard policies and procedures are Standard policies and procedures are developed and updated as necessary.developed and updated as necessary.

Policies and procedures are Policies and procedures are appropriately implemented.appropriately implemented.

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PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

Provide the necessary premises, Provide the necessary premises, facilities and physical resources.facilities and physical resources.

Maintain and manage property and Maintain and manage property and resources in accordance with relevant resources in accordance with relevant laws and regulations: laws and regulations: • Occupational Health and Safety Occupational Health and Safety

legislationlegislation

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ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING

Represent the organisation in the wider Represent the organisation in the wider community.community.

Promote the organisation’s aims, Promote the organisation’s aims, services and achievements. services and achievements.

Lobby politicians about key issues facing Lobby politicians about key issues facing the organisation and the clients/target the organisation and the clients/target groups/community.groups/community.

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COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

Communicate with people and Communicate with people and groups the organisation groups the organisation serves.serves.

Network in the community Network in the community services sector.services sector.

Communicate with key people Communicate with key people in the local community.in the local community.

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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

OF

POSITION HOLDERS

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STRUCTURE OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES

Ordinary members.Ordinary members.

Executive:Executive:• Chairperson/PresidentChairperson/President• TreasurerTreasurer• SecretarySecretary• Public OfficerPublic Officer

Subcommittees.Subcommittees.

Ad Hoc committees or task forces.Ad Hoc committees or task forces. Advisory committees.Advisory committees.

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ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS (1)

Support the aims of the organisation.Support the aims of the organisation. Regularly attend committee meetings and Regularly attend committee meetings and

contribute to discussion of issues.contribute to discussion of issues. Be punctual and read minutes, agendas and Be punctual and read minutes, agendas and

other information.other information. Take on particular tasks as required.Take on particular tasks as required. Maintain confidentiality.Maintain confidentiality. Share overall responsibility for the running of the Share overall responsibility for the running of the

organisation.organisation. Participate in the organisation’s planning and Participate in the organisation’s planning and

evaluation process.evaluation process.

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ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS (2)

Stay informed about issues related to the Stay informed about issues related to the organisation.organisation.

Support other management committee members Support other management committee members in their work.in their work.

Work within the aims and legal framework of the Work within the aims and legal framework of the organisation.organisation.

Attend training/development programs.Attend training/development programs. Represent and promote the organisation.Represent and promote the organisation. Take part in delegations to funding bodies and Take part in delegations to funding bodies and

participate in lobbying processes.participate in lobbying processes.

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CHAIRPERSONPRESIDENT

Manage the activities of the Manage the activities of the management committee:management committee:

including chairing meetings, following up including chairing meetings, following up on committee tasks, making sure the on committee tasks, making sure the rules in the constitution are followed, rules in the constitution are followed, speaking on behalf of the committee, speaking on behalf of the committee, etc.etc.

Act as the official representative and Act as the official representative and the spokesperson for the organisation.the spokesperson for the organisation.

Act on behalf of the management Act on behalf of the management committee and/or association in committee and/or association in emergencies. emergencies.

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SECRETARY

Deals with correspondence to and Deals with correspondence to and from the organisation.from the organisation.

Ensures that official files and records Ensures that official files and records of the organisation are kept up to date, of the organisation are kept up to date, in order and available when required.in order and available when required.

Makes sure that the committee Makes sure that the committee develops proper written policies and develops proper written policies and procedures for the organisation and procedures for the organisation and that these are maintained, up to date that these are maintained, up to date and implemented.and implemented.

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TREASURER

Prepares a budgetPrepares a budget Monitors budgets and cash flowMonitors budgets and cash flow Ensures that accounts of money Ensures that accounts of money

received and spent are maintainedreceived and spent are maintained Submits regular financial reports to the Submits regular financial reports to the

committeecommittee Makes sure that annual accounts Makes sure that annual accounts

(Statement of Income and Expenditure) (Statement of Income and Expenditure) are prepared, audited and submitted to are prepared, audited and submitted to the Annual General Meetingthe Annual General Meeting

Ensures that funds and assets are not Ensures that funds and assets are not mismanagedmismanaged

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PUBLIC OFFICER

Notifies the NSW Office of Fair Notifies the NSW Office of Fair Trading of any changes in the official Trading of any changes in the official affairs of the organisation, its affairs of the organisation, its constitution and its financial position. constitution and its financial position.

Keeps a register of committee Keeps a register of committee members.members.

Lodges an Annual Statement of Lodges an Annual Statement of Income and Expenditure.Income and Expenditure.

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SUB-COMMITTEES

Small focused working groupsSmall focused working groups:: Formed to perform tasks requiring Formed to perform tasks requiring

expertise or timeexpertise or time Reports to the management committee Reports to the management committee Staff, committee members and others Staff, committee members and others

can be part of sub-committees by can be part of sub-committees by invitation of management committee.invitation of management committee.

Subordinated to decisions of Subordinated to decisions of management committee.management committee.

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AD-HOC AND ADVISORYSUB-COMMITTEES

Ad-Hoc sub-committee:Ad-Hoc sub-committee: Created for a single purposeCreated for a single purpose Deals with specific issuesDeals with specific issues Takes action and disbandTakes action and disband

Advisory sub-committee:Advisory sub-committee: Acts as observers or experts Acts as observers or experts Produces recommendations for Produces recommendations for

the management committee to the management committee to

take actiontake action

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RESOURCES (1)

For more information onFor more information on: (all visited on 6 June 2005): (all visited on 6 June 2005) Model Rules Model Rules

www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/business/association/modelrules.htmlwww.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/business/association/modelrules.html Incorporation Incorporation

www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.auwww.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au Duty of CareDuty of Care

www.workcover.nsw.gov.auwww.workcover.nsw.gov.auwww.ftmaustralia.org.auwww.ftmaustralia.org.au

Employment issuesEmployment issueswww.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.auwww.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.auwww.ja.com.auwww.ja.com.auwww.employersfirst.org.auwww.employersfirst.org.au

Confidentiality and PrivacyConfidentiality and Privacywww.privacy.gov.au/act/privacyactwww.privacy.gov.au/act/privacyact

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RESOURCES (2)

For more information on:For more information on:

Taxation, GST, activity statements, ABN, etc. Taxation, GST, activity statements, ABN, etc. www.ato.gov.auwww.ato.gov.au

Community-based organisation’s policies, procedures, governance Community-based organisation’s policies, procedures, governance and management related issues, financial and planning issues - and management related issues, financial and planning issues - Illawarra Forum Inc. www.illawarraforum.org.auIllawarra Forum Inc. www.illawarraforum.org.au

Local Community Services Association.Local Community Services Association.www.lcsa.org.auwww.lcsa.org.au

Volunteering Illawarra ph 4225 7812.Volunteering Illawarra ph 4225 7812. Community-based organisation’s funding and financial matters, Community-based organisation’s funding and financial matters,

leadership, management related issues, insurance and risk leadership, management related issues, insurance and risk management.management.

Our Community.Our Community.www.ourcommunity.com.auwww.ourcommunity.com.au