ACROSS THE BOARD

Dr. Ted Flickinger
IAPD Executive Director
Who Does What?

Clearly defined roles for the board and chief administrator can go a long way in developing a win-win team.

The following chart clearly defines who is responsible for the typical responsibilities and various decisions that must be determined by an agency's board and chief administrator (director). The board and administrator must talk and agree to duties and responsibilities. They should determine "Is it policy or is it management?"

Review this list with your board and administrator and add to the list to identify the roles of board and staff.

RESPONSIBILITY	BOARD	ADMINISTRATOR
Accounting/auditing	Approves/rejects reports, authorizes expenditures	Oversees, develops monthly financial reports
Budget	Approves/rejects	Develops and recommends
Capital purchases	Approves/rejects	Prepares list
Day-to-day operations	No role	Management decisions
Emergency repairs	Works with administrator and develops appropriate policy	Notifies president of board and acts with concurrence
Facilities	Approves/rejects plans	Develops reports and master plans
Fees	Adopts policy	Develops fee schedules
Firing of staff	No role	Makes all decisions
Goals, long-term (more than 1 year)	Approves/rejects	Recommends and provides input
Goals, short-term (less than 1 year)	Monitors	Establishes and carries out
Hiring attorney	Approves/rejects	Interviews, submits final candidates to board Interviews, submits recommendations to board
Hiring staff	No role	Approves all hiring
Intergovernmental Agreements	Meets with governing boards of other agency approves	Assists in negotiations, seeks legal advice, develops for board approval
Lobbying	Nonpartisan advocate for parks and recreation	Provides board with info on legislative issues

6 | Illinois Parks and Recreation

WHO DOES WHAT?

RESPONSIBILITY	BOARD	ADMINISTRATOR
Maintenance	No role (oversight only)	Sets up schedule
Major repairs	Approves/rejects	Obtains estimates and prepares recommendation
Minor repairs	Policy should include amount that can be spent without board approval	Authorizes repairs up to prearranged amount
Personnel policies	Adopts	Recommends, administers staff
Planning	Requires and approves/rejects	Conducts research, develops goals
Policies	Reviews, formulates adopts	Provides input, advises, researches, drafts language
Public	Solicits input, refers complaints to administrator	Actively seeks input, works with citizen advisory councils, addresses complaints
Salaries	Allocates line item for salaries in budget	Approves salaries with recommendation from staff
Services	Promotes and interprets programs to public and government officials	Develops programs based on objectives, philosophy, purpose and goals; Researches public needs and interests
Signing checks	No role	Develops policy (two signatures, check and balance); Authorized to spend money
Staff deployment and assignment	No role	Establishes schedules
Staff evaluation	Evaluates only administrator	Evaluates other staff
Staff grievances	No role (but develops grievance policy)	Grievances stop at the administrator
Supply purchases	Establishes policy	Spends according to policy and maintains audit trail
Vendor contracts	Reviews and selects	Recommends to board

Yet Another Solution for Youth at Risk Brian Sullivan, director of the Country Club Hills Park District, wrote to "Across the Board" with his agency's version of "A Solution for Youth at Risk." "Reported figures from state authorities indicate that it costs $30, 000 a year to incarcerate a juvenile. If we gave that money to the Country Club Hills Park District to spend on a typical 12-year-old, the fol- lowing activities could be provided: Basketball, open gym for 12 weeks, and Piano lessons for two 5-week sessions, and Gymnastics for two 6-week sessions, and Karate for two 8-week sessions, and Basketball for 10 weeks, and Drawing/cartooning class for 6 weeks, and Baseball and football through the Athletic Assn., and Golf lessons year round, and 50 games of miniature golf, and Admission to special events including Chili Open, Great America Fright Night, Jr. High Hayride, Grandparents Day Ice Cream Social, Jr. High dances in the fall, winter, spring, and Day camp for 6 weeks, After which we could return $29,000 and a happy, active, positive child.

March/April 1998 | 7