Roles and Responsibilities of Governing Body Members - General

Roles and Responsibilities of Voluntary Management Committee Members - General

 

 

Roles, Responsibilities and Tasks – Dictionary Definitions

  • Role – part played by a person in a particular setting, influenced by an expectation of what is appropriate
  • Responsibility – able to take rational decisions without supervision.  Being the cause or agent of an action.
  • Task – specific piece of work to be done as a duty or a chore

 

The constitution, or other governing document, should specify who can be elected or appointed to the governing body, and state the objects or purposes and powers.

 

Roles and Responsibilities of Management Committee Members vary between organisations but particularly between unstaffed and staffed organisations.

In small unstaffed organisations, the voluntary management committee may be directly involved in the work of the organisation as well as in the governing of it.  If an organisation employs staff, the staff should handle the day-to-day work of the organisation, and the management committee should oversee the overall governance and direction of the organisation.

If things go wrong, it is the governing body that will be called to account.  Members of the governing body need to be aware of this and to act in the best interests of the organisation following all required law and regulation.  This is sometimes referred to as the need for ‘due diligence’.

Remember that it is the Management Committee or Board that is liable – do not allow an ‘inner circle’ to take key decisions and expect you to nod these through.  This is poor practice and could land you in legal difficulties if things go wrong.

 

MVA can provide you with a Model Job Description for Board/Management Committee members. If you wish to receive this, please contact the Information Officer at MVA on 0131 663 9471, or send a message from the MVA contacts page.

Note:  Guidance for Charity Trustees, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is a good straightforward guide for charities – would be of use to non-charities as well.     Good detailed information, for example, on

  • collective responsibility and
  • conflicts of interest.

 If you want a Model Job Description for your Board/Management Committee members, contact the Information Officer, MVA, tel: 0131 663 9471,

General Responsibilities

(a)     General responsibilities of the governing body (for example,  management committee or board of directors)

  • Plan the work of the organisation to meet its aims – ensure it complies with its governing document
  • Consider long, medium and short terms in the plan
  • Be guided by the aims when making all decisions
  • Monitor, evaluate and review progress towards meeting the aims
  • Act within the law – see sections 9 and 10
  • Comply with the demands of external regulators
  • Maintain the values of the organisation
  • Provide sufficient guidance for volunteers and staff in performing their duties
  • Ensure that money is spent and resources used in line with the purposes for which they were given and that appropriate financial protocols are in place
  • Account for expenditure and resources used
  • Ensure that appropriate insurances are in place (see SCVO website for guidance www.scvo.org.uk)

 

 

If in doubt about legalities and financial matters, professional advice should be taken.

 

(b)     Responsibilities of the individual committee member

  • To support the basic aims of the organisation – and work within them and towards them
  • To share overall responsibility for the effective and legal running of the organisation
  • To follow agreed ground-rules at meetings
  • To maintain confidentiality
  • To be realistic about the amount of work they can take on
  • To be honest about work that they can no longer continue with
  • To inform the relevant person when they wish to resign ahead of the AGM
  • To attend a specified proportion of training/development sessions, making particular effort to do so when key issues and skills are being tackled

 

These responsibilities should be identified and agreed with all members of the committee.  They can then be used as part of the induction pack for new and prospective members of the committee.  It is important that members are not only aware of their responsibilities, but also understand the implications of these responsibilities.

Source:  “A Hand in Management”, SCVO

(c) Induction

It is very important that new voluntary management committee members are provided with information on the organization and how it operates.  One way of doing this is by providing new members with an induction pack.  It could include:

  • The original purposes of the organization and any major changes
  • When it was founded and its history
  • The constitution of the organization
  • The governing structure of the organization
  • The legal form/structure of the organization
  • Annual reports and accounts
  • All policy documents
  • Names and contact details of staff and other members of the voluntary management committee, and names of volunteers if appropriate

 

Online Training Courses
SCVO are developing a series of Governance e-learning courses.    Some of the courses are split into sections aimed at different levels of expertise: 

  • Newly started;
  • Involved over a longer period;
  • Highly experience.

These courses can be worked through at your own pace and include quizzes to check your progress.  Go to www.scvo.org.uk (Governance).

 

Further information:

Further information can be found on the excellent Governance section of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) website www.scvo.org.uk/governance/Home/Home.aspx

 

See Also:

 

 

 

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