Welcome to the sixth chapter of the sport governance course, where you will learn about the importance of having the right people in the right roles for both the governance and operation of an organization.

In this chapter we will explore:

• Human Resources
• Board Orientation
• Succession Planning
• Board Recruitment
• Board Evaluation
• Recommendations
• And finish with a quiz

Overview

People are the most valuable resource of any sport organization, with its success largely dependent on the quality and commitment of its volunteers and staff.

Sport organizations need to maximize the contributions of their people, at all levels. Growing the commitment and capacity of the people within the organization can make a significant difference in being able to accomplish plans and priorities. Directors' actions can demonstrate a belief that building human capital matters.

The Board recruits all necessary human resources to run the Board and its Committees. It then has to provide Board orientation, develop the necessary skills and knowledge for its Directors and Committee members, plan for the succession of Directors and the Chairperson, and provide appropriate remuneration, traditionally through recognition and personal development.

How can this be done?

• New Directors receive an orientation to their roles and to the practices of the organization
• Directors receive on-going training and support to accomplish their duties
• The Board evaluates its performance annually and plans for its improvement
• The Board is committed to succession planning guided by a Nominations Committee that understands the governance needs of the organization
• The Board has a diverse composition that is reflective of the organization's membership
• Human resources are valued, managed and supported as diligently as financial resources
• Organizations seek to identify and attract skilled individuals to contribute to the organization.

Board Orientation

Volunteer orientation provides a unique opportunity to educate, motivate and define expectations. The approach to orientation will differ depending upon your situation and may take different forms at different times. If the majority of your Board or Committee are new then you can involve the entire Board by using current Directors as presenters. If you only have one or two new people you may or may not want to have the entire Board sit through a presentation on what they already know.

Remember well oriented volunteers:

• Are more likely to come to meetings well prepared, to ask focused relevant questions and to fulfill expectations
• Will consume less staff and Board time covering old ground.
• Are more likely to be confident in their ability to make a meaningful contribution

Recommendations

• At least the initial portion of Board Orientation is best done face to face and in a group if more than one individual is new. If this is not possible a Web conference, Conference Call and/or one on one orientation is certainly better than no orientation at all.
• Ideally the session is led by or at least opened by the President. This helps reinforce the separation between governance and management and also adds weight to the messages that are being delivered. If this is not the President's thing or they are not available look to another senior volunteer such as an active Past President, President Elect or Chair of the Volunteer Management Committee.
• A variety of presenters helps hold interest of those attending and allows for relaxed interaction with a number of key players in the organisation. It is appropriate for staff to present information related to their areas of responsibility.
• Approaches and duration depends on the number of individuals involved, the amount of information to be covered, the familiarity of the individuals with the organisation and their time availability. Care needs to be taken to ensure information overload does not negate the benefits of orientation. Sessions that involve group discussions (not just questions and answer) can be longer than those where information is mostly one way. Some topics like CS4L and Finances could be delivered as standalone sessions.
• If your orientation is face to face, host participants well, make the setting pleasant, create a relaxed informal atmosphere.
• Whether or not to provide background materials prior to an orientation is a debated point as people's needs and desires are very different. A minimum of advance background material should be available. Refer people to your website or Facebook page if they are current and would be helpful. Perhaps some short summary documents such as overviews of your organisation's history, strategic plans, and long term athlete development model should be provided if they are concise and attractively presented. Board Terms of Reference and/or the individual specific job descriptions would also be appropriate.
• Do not send your Governance or Policy Manual or DVD with a request that it be read before the orientation. If these documents exist and they should, then they should be distributed, or in the case of web based tools, introduced during the session. If you've done a good job, Directors will be far more inclined to read further following the orientation. The exception to this advice is if you have someone actively seeking background information to read or a very strongly embedded culture of preparatory information being provided and read in advance.
• Finally, some organisations have found it very helpful to pair a new Director with an experienced one. This can work extremely well if careful consideration is given to the pairings; the experienced Director is a good role model and enthusiastic and committed to the mentoring role

Succession Planning

Management is responsible to ensure that the organization continually has high-quality operations and employees. One of the most important practices to meet this responsibility is to conduct successful succession planning. Employees leave their jobs either on a planned or unplanned basis. Unplanned termination may occur because of sudden illnesses or death, or poor performance on the part of the employee. Planned termination usually occurs because the employee is making a career or life change. Being able to manage change can help organizations mitigate weaknesses that may be exposed during unplanned transitions.

What can be done to incorporate succession planning into practice?

• A strategic plan that clearly conveys the organization's mission and current strategic priorities. Ideally, that plan also includes specific action plans that specify who is going to do what and by when in order to address each priority.
• Up-to-date and management-approved personnel policies about hiring, supervising and terminating personnel in a fair and equitable manner that complies with employment laws.
• An up-to-date job description for each of the roles, and that explains the general duties and responsibilities of the positions.
• Evaluation of the person on an annual basis, including in reference to the job description and any performance goals established for that role.
• An organizational plan that outlines which positions/personnel serve as back up to key personnel

Recommendations:

• Do not wait until the employee will be leaving. Start planning now. 
  Succession planning is a matter of strong practices in personnel management, not a matter of sudden crisis management. Start attending to those practices now.
• Focus on policies, procedures and practices, not on personalities.
  Succession planning is being able to effectively and promptly re-fill a role, not replacing a certain person. Be sure all key positions are defined well, and then look to find the best person to fill the position. Do not look for someone who is just like, or a lot different than, the previous employee.
• Succession planning is a responsibility of the management, not just the employee.
  The best succession planning results from 1) a working partnership between management and employees to accurately define the employee's role and current priorities, and 2) the employee ensuring that management has the information and resources to refill the role.
• Succession planning should be in accordance with up-to-date personnel policies.
  Hiring of new employees must be in accordance with up-to-date personnel policies to ensure fair, equitable and legally compliant employment practices.
• Quality in managing succession is proportionate to the quality of the new employee.
  The best way for management to promptly convey expectations of high quality to a new employee is to convey that high-quality in how the employee was hired. The more thorough and careful that management does the succession, the more likely that the organization will get a new employee who successfully fills the position for the long-term.

Board Recruitment

Recruitment of personnel is an important role of the Board. They are not only responsible for hiring the senior leader of the organization, but must also ensure that the Board itself acquires the proper balance and diversity of skills to accomplish its tasks.

The Board also has to determine the need for and then appoint its Committees, some of which will be standing (Finance, Governance) and others which will be ad hoc, such as Events or Fundraising. But even Committees have to be properly staffed with the right number and type of resources.

Board Evaluation

Board evaluations should be a regular part of all good governance. Evaluating the Board for effective leadership keeps the organization on track to achieving their mandate and responsive to the vision and mission set out in the strategic plan. Board evaluation is often performed on an annual basis.

The chair of the Governance Committee (or its equivalent) should be responsible for leading the evaluation process. The Committee is responsible for the design and conduct of the assessment and the questionnaires, interviews and related activities. It is also responsible for coordinating the summarization, analysis and reporting of the results of the assessments to the Board and the feedback on performance to individual Directors and Chairs.

Why organizations assess governance?

• Board evaluation is a mandate of the Board or Governance Committee
• The strategic planning and risk management processes may identify opportunities or needs for assessing and improving governance
• A Director, new Board Chair, or senior staff member may recommend (and wish to participate in) a Board evaluation
• A member of the organization, funding agency, donor, or other stakeholder may request disclosure of Board evaluation practices and outputs, or the Board may wish to enhance its credibility with one of these groups;
• A national or regional not-for-profit Board or association may recommend evaluations for chapter or member organizations;
• Directors may request feedback in order to develop and improve their effectiveness and impact

What are the key levels of evaluation?

• Board Evaluation
  The Board must evaluate its own effectiveness against its role and its mandate. This may also encompass an evaluation of the mechanisms and processes through which it conducts its business.
• Committee Evaluation
  Similar to the overall Board evaluation, committees must be assessed on their effectiveness and outcomes.
• Board Chair and/or Committee Chairs
  These assessments consider the effectiveness of the Chair of the Board and the Chair of each committee against their position descriptions and other performance indicators.
• Individual Board Director Evaluation
  Individual Board Director evaluation may take the form of a self-evaluation based upon position description. It may also take the form of a more formal assessment by other members of the Board

Human Resources Recommendations:

• Orient new Directors 
  New Directors need an orientation to the organization, its strategic plan, structure and governance, including who makes what decisions. Too often, Directors that do not receive an orientation fall into one of three categories: they burn out because they try to do everything; they are apathetic because they do not know what to do; or they try to change the organization taking it places it was never intended to go.
• Ensure succession planning
  Often overlooked is the Board's responsibility for planning the leadership succession. Directors focus on the present rather than the future. Effective governance includes identifying the future leadership and developing mentoring and professional development opportunities for upcoming leaders. A succession plan can help ensure an organization's long-term health, including a more focused approach to meeting the agreed upon directions and priorities of the organization.
• Nominating Committee
  A Nominating Committee has ultimate responsibility for recruiting volunteers to match the governance needs and skill sets required by the Board. However, identification and recruitment of quality volunteers is a responsibility of all Directors. Also, By-laws should include renewal strategies, such as limits to the time a Director holds office, in order to ensure that new energy and ideas are added. At the same time a Board needs continuity strategies, to ensure organizational memory and stability.
• Assess Board Performance
  Too often, Directors get so caught up in the complexity of governance that they forget to review their own performance. An annual review of Board performance can help identify key areas to improve Board functioning, such as where improvement is required, where the Board does not have the skills or expertise needed to accomplish its mission, or where Directors' expectations are not being met by the Board or organization.

Summary

In this chapter we learned:

• People are the most valuable resource of any sport organization and their contributions need to be maximized at all levels.
• Efficiency of the Board can be maximized through: Board orientation, Succession planning, Board recruitment and Board evaluation.

Quiz

Now that you have completed this chapter, go to the quiz and test your knowledge.