G E T   O N   B O A R D

Dr. Ted Flickinger IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer

Board Governance and the Policy Manual

Ask a board member, "What's the board's job?" and the response will likely be, "The board sets policy." Follow that with, "Do you have a board manual?" and the answer, more often than not, will be "No."

Board Manual Essentials

The board manual includes rules of procedures and policies. To be useable and effective, board policies must be in writing and organized in a manner that allows board members to reference them easily. Anything less is a big risk for the board and the agency the board is supposed to protect.

Four essential conditions must be in place for a board to be successful.

1. A unity of purpose: What the board values and believes in; what the board stands for.
2. A clear role for the board: Agreement on how to handle issues like micro-management of the staff; seeing the big picture.
3. A positive board culture: How board members act towards each other and interact with those outside the board.
4. A structure and processes: How the agenda is established; how the board uses committees, etc.

If these four items are in place, you will probably have an effective board.

I recommend that boards create a governance manual to demonstrate and support these four building blocks. This is where you place the board's recorded decisions about the four building blocks. The manual becomes a working document for the board that serves as policy statements and the board's standing operational rules.

The Benefits are in Black and White

An important benefit of a good manual and the good policies recorded therein is the guidance they provide board members for the efficient, effective operation of the board. Board meetings operate better when everyone understands the specifics of how those meetings will operate. Committees work better when there is a policy manual that contains job descriptions and expectations for all committees. Management can assist the board better when board policies spell out what kind of assistance the board expects of the executive.

Granted, even having the perfect board manual in place is no guarantee that board members will follow their own policies. But a board in-service with the agency's attorney about the gravity of not following written board policies should solve that problem quickly.

Getting it in Writing

Expect to spend a significant amount of time developing your board policy manual. Craft your policies carefully and get formal board approval for each policy. When the manual is complete, make sure every board member has a copy for easy reference. Then assign a committee to begin the nonstop review of policies, a few each month, to ensure that they remain accurate and up-to-date.

The Manual as an Orientation Tool and Public Relations Vehicle

A well developed governance and policy manual is not only essential for the smooth and effective operation of the board, it also provides an excellent basis for an orientation program. A good manual delineates and

A manual provides the board, the staff and the citizens of the community with a clear picture of the agency.

clarifies the working requirements, relationships and responsibilities of the executive, professional staff and the board. It also provides documentation supporting board decisions, especially in policy matters.

In addition to serving as a foundation for board member orientation, the manual is an excellent tool for showing citizens the sound, businesslike and professional manner in which their agency is being operated. A manual provides the board, the staff and the citizens of the community with a clear picture of the agency.

Physical Characteristics of the Manual

The manual's format and composition should be carefully planned through the cooperative efforts of an appointed committee and the executive. I still prefer a "low-tech" format, a loose-leaf manual, contained in a three-ring binder, for easy revision. The manual should appear professional and include the agency logo and mission statement. When the board revises any part of the manual, the executive should provide board members with the revisions for insertion or replacement.

"If your agency needs to develop a board manual, I urge you to use this article as background and download
Oak Park's manual to serve as a blueprint."

6   I l l i n o i s   P a r k s   &   R e c r e a t i o n   www.ILipra.org

Keeping it Current

An up-to-date manual is crucial for effective boardmanship. Put a system in place to make sure that board members are maintaining their manuals properly. You may want to have the executive or a member of the staff review each board member's book semi-annually to ensure that new or replacement leaflets are properly inserted. Keep additional pre-punched copies of each leaflet in the executive's office, so they're readily available for anyone who needs them.

The board should review the manual regularly. (The date of the next review should be printed in the manual itself.) The board can use the review as an opportunity to determine whether anything needs to be added or deleted. This review also reminds members of their important duties and helps keep them focused throughout the year.

A Typical Board Manual Table of Contents

You can use the following outline as an example for the manual's general format.

1) Preface.
    a) Suggestions for using the manual as a ready reference.
    b) Summary of sections.
2) Introduction.
    a) Historic review of recreation, conservation and parks; Description of the agency and its history, by-laws, mission,
    vision statement, goals and strategies or long-range plans.
    b) General history of the board; General purpose and function, as well as key people and public officials involved in the evolution of the agency.
3) Legislative authority, including a copy of the board's authority and highlights of the board's duties and functions.
4) Board composition and function.
    a) A list of board members with residence and business addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and tenure on the board.
    b) Policies approved by the board.
    c) An annual schedule of meetings, events and work plans for the board.
    d) A code of behavior that outlines proper conduct at meetings and the way in which board members will relate to one another and to the executive.
5) Committees.
    a) A list of standing and/or special project committees or task forces, noting functions and members.
    b) Special committee reports on specific projects.
    c) Methods for submitting committee reports in writing before board meetings.
6) Descriptions of the community or population boundaries and the people served.
7) Areas and facilities.
8) Organizational structure, including a copy of the agency's organizational chart.
9) Policies, including those relating to facilities, fees and charges and personnel.
10) Finance.
    a) A copy of the current budget.
    b) Charts showing the relationships of the park, recreation and conservation functions with the total budget.
11) Minutes, including copies of meeting agendas attached to minutes from board meetings for the past two years
(Note: minutes of all meetings from the board's inception should be retained in the central office).
12) Projects.
    a) Capital development.
    b) Status and final reports on special projects.
13) Reports.
    a) Executive's monthly reports.
    b) Special reports.
14) Intergovernmental relationships and contracts.
    a) Board-school agreements.
    b) Explanation of agency's relationship with state, national and key community organizations.

www.ILparks.org    M a r c h  /  A p r i l  2008   7