REPORT OF THE ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES TASK FORCE TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE CONGREGATION OF FIRST PARISH BREWSTER

Transcription

1 1 REPORT OF THE ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES TASK FORCE TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE CONGREGATION OF FIRST PARISH BREWSTER

2 2 PREFACE The Congregation is the nucleus of the church community a central and integral part of its organization. There have been many changes at First Parish Brewster over the past decade. The past four years have seen many of these changes implemented. Some of these changes were based on decisions made before the current minsters arrived. Most of these moves have strengthened the Church's organizational structure, improved its effectiveness and fostered a more centralized administration. However, they occurred relatively quickly after a decade when members of the congregation had necessarily performed administrative tasks. These changes have profoundly affected the roles of many of those who had previously exercised a much greater and more direct influence on organizational decisions. During these past few years at FPB, many members of the congregation have felt that their roles have diminished, both individually and representatively through committees and boards, as a result of the number of organizational changes that have occurred in a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, while the board and various committees often have participated in these changes, the congregation, as a whole, has not necessarily been involved in these changes or been offered a full explanation of the reasons for these alterations. Some examples of such changes are as follows: 1. The alteration of the Council's role as part of governance; 2. The diminishing role of the Finance Committee concurrent with the hiring of a Director of Administration and Finance; 3. The increase in the Minister's role as Chief of Staff concurrent with a decrease in the Personnel Committee's role; 4. The emphasis in communications' media (e g. Angle ) on listing of staff names while at the same time lessening the listing of Board members' names; and 5. The changes in the Social Justice Committee and role of Social Justice as a part of the total FPB community. As we go forward, we need to examine the essential roles and responsibilities of the congregation and determine ways to allow members of the congregation to feel more

3 empowered, either directly or through their representative boards/committees, without interfering with the positive organizational changes that have occurred in the past few years. 3

4 4 CHARGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO THE ROLES & RESPONSIILITIES TASK FORCE JUNE 20, 2013 To clarify which tasks belong primarily: to the ministers, to church leadership and committees to the congregation, and to appropriately joint efforts of us all. Members of the Task Force 1. Bob Flanagan, Board Member and Task Force Chair 2. Reverend Mary McKinnon Ganz 3. Julia Enroth 4. Judy Harrison 5. Jenny Mignone 6. John Myers 7. Suzanne Sullivan 8. Carol Wall Task Force Direction Based upon Governance and Ministry Rethinking Board Leadership by Dan Hotchkiss Chapter 4 A Map for Thinking about Congregations, especially page 58 To be effective in governance and ministry, a congregation needs: A unified structure for making governance decisions. The governing board represents the membership by articulating mission and vision, evaluating programs and ensuring responsible stewardship of resources. A unified structure for making ministry decisions. Program leaders (paid and unpaid) work harmoniously to create effective programs with the support of a structure that delegates authority and requires accountability.

5 A firm and well-marked boundary, with active, mutual communication and accountability, between governance and ministry. 5

6 6 Recommendations from the Roles & Responsibilities Task Force The Task Force has made a total of 59 recommendations to improve life in our community. They are listed in full later in this report. Here are some of the key recommendations: 1. The Board should develop a current, accurate organization chart. 2. The congregation and its groups should use the RACI model of Responsibility Charting to describe the roles and responsibilities of various groups, board and committees to clarify how roles and responsibilities are to be defined and the processes of communication are to be used. 3. When the Board is considering a new policy, the congregation should be informed by all means at the Board s disposal, including but not limited to: weekly and monthly Angles, communication with the committees through specific instructions to the Council. 4. When a new policy is decided, the congregation should be informed by all means at the Board s disposal, including but not limited to: brief Sunday morning announcements in consultation with the Minister, weekly and monthly Angles, communication with the committees through specific instructions to the Council. 5. Evaluate the status of the music program organization. The current model, in which the Minister coordinates a music team, may not be sustainable over time. Funding should be developed to hire a Director of Music. 6. The RRT should initiate a process to develop a set of Guidelines for Communication to which the Congregation can be held accountable social norms for what do we communicate, how do we communicate, and the sacred purpose of what we are trying to do (build community) in our communication. 7. The Council should evaluate returning its former structure three ministry areas (Ministries of Faith development, Ministries of Faith in Action and Ministries of Faith Support) and six ministry coordinators plus a moderator and to taking a stronger role in the work of the church, beyond communication among/between committees.

7 7 8. Committees should be encouraged to consider themselves part of a whole church. Ways to do this are: listening to their Council reps, reporting to their Council reps, coming to the Committee of Chairs event(s). 9. The Chairs of the committees are expected to participate actively in the Council communication processes. 10. Congregation members should: a. Attend the annual meeting, understand and approve the budget b. Pay attention to communications c. Assume goodwill on the part of one another, the leaders and the minister d. If a concern arises, find the appropriate path to address it e. Listen and speak with a view toward arriving at the best outcome for all f. Be open to accepting positions on the Board, committees and task forces, as appropriate. g. Pledge at appropriate levels h. Greet newcomers i. Appreciate all that is done around you to create your church

8 8 Proposed Mechanism for Establishing a Firm and Well-Marked Boundary Responsibility Charting Responsibility Charting is a participatory process to define and clarify participation by various roles in completing tasks. Responsibility charting is used to: Clear up any confusion about "who does what." Ensure that for each task, there is an accountable party. Communicate "who does what". Facilitate additional communication by helping people who need to work together to get to know each other. Define the appropriate types of communication that are to be used. Prevent duplication of effort. Everyone has some process role in their job. Because of differing perceptions, one person s view of their role may be quite different than another s. Role perceptions held today will change tomorrow even though the job activities remain the same. There are three (3) basic assumptions in any role. They are: 1. ROLE CONCEPTION: What a person thinks his/her job is and how the person has been taught to do it. His/her thinking may well be influenced by many false assumptions (e.g., misleading titles, previous practices, etc.) 2. ROLE EXPECTATION: What others think the person is responsible for, and how he/she should carry out those responsibilities. Others ideas may also be influenced by incorrect information (e.g., the way it was at a former job, priority changes, assumptions, inconsistent messages from leadership, etc.). The role expectation is usually based on the output of results expected from the role. 3. ROLE BEHAVIOR: What a person actually does in carrying out the job.

9 9 Responsibility Charting The 5-Step Process 1. Identify work process Start with high impact areas first Don t chart process that will soon change Work process must be well defined 2. Determine the decisions and activities to chart Avoid obvious, generic or ambiguous activities, such as: o Attend meetings o Prepare reports Each activity or decision should begin with a good action verb Evaluate, Schedule, Write, Determine, Prepare, Update, Collect, Approve, Conduct, Develop, Inspect, Train, Report, Review, Authorize, Decide 3. Prepare a list of roles or people involved in those tasks Roles can be individual titles, committees, task forces Roles are better than individual names o RACI chart should be independent of personal relationships so the chart would still be valid if all new people filled the roles tomorrow 4. Develop the RACI chart As a general rule, first assign R s then determine who has the A, then complete C s and I s Meeting time can be significantly reduced if a straw model list of decisions and activities is completed prior to meeting. 5. Get feedback and buy-in Distribute the RACI chart to everyone represented on the chart but not present in the development meeting

10 10 Capture their changes and revise chart as appropriate Reissue revised RACI chart Update as necessary on an on-going basis RACI Closing Guidelines 1. Place Accountability (A) and Responsibility (R) at the lowest feasible level. 2. There can be only one accountable individual per activity 3. Authority must accompany accountability 4. Minimize the number of Consults (C) and Informs (I) 5. All roles and responsibilities must be documented and communicated 6. Discipline is needed to keep the roles and responsibilities clear. Drift happens. RACI has to be revisited periodically, especially when symptoms of role confusion reappear, for example: Concern over who makes decisions Blaming of others for not getting the job done Lack of action because of ineffective communications Questions over who does what A we-they attitude A not sure, so take no action attitude Poor morale

11 11 RACI Model RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE CONSULT INFORM However, since many people use responsibility and accountability somewhat interchangeably, I would like to change the model to DACI. DOER ACCOUNTABLE CONSULT INFORM Definitions Doer - person with the wrench in his or her hand Those who do the work to achieve the task. Accountable the buck stops here; has veto authority The one ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough completion of the task, and the one who delegates the work. In other words, an accountable must sign off (approve) on work that responsible provides. There must be only one Accountable specified for each task. Consult in the loop Those whose opinions or input are sought, typically subject matter experts prior to the decision or action; and with whom there is two-way communication. However, consultation does not imply veto power. Decisions can be made without the agreement of the consulted person. Inform in the picture

12 12 Those who need to know about the decision or action and are kept up-to-date on progress, sometimes only on completion of the task; and with whom there is just one-way communication. Sometimes they need to be informed before the task and sometimes only afterward. The timing requirements must be specified in the task description. It is critical to note that there are two functions dedicated to the activities related to the action itself doer and accountable. But there are also two functions related to communication and its timing. These communication issues are typically where we have the most problems and hurt feelings here at FPB.

13 5 th group 4 th group 3 rd group 2 nd group Group itself 13 Simplified RACI chart example Name of the person or group being analyzed Task # 1 Task #2 Task #3 Task #4 Task # 5 D = Doer A = Accountable Buck Stops Here. C = Consult (two-way). I = Inform (oneway) before or after noted in first column. Prepared by: Date Approved by for the Group itself Date Approved by for Group #2 Approved by for Group #3 Approved by for Group #4 Approved by for Group #5 Date Date Date Date

14 CYM Office Staff to prepare the written Order of Flowers Welcome Table Greeters Music Team Minister 14 SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLE Task: Prepare the Sunday Order of Service Prepare theme of service in the annual schedule Write sermons and/or homilies Select Music appropriate to the Service (by X date) Inform the minister of who will be greeters (by X date) DA I I I DA DA C I A D I Prepare For All Ages segment (by X date) AC C if music is required D D = Doer A = Accountable Buck Stops Here C = Consult (two-way) I = Inform (one-way) before or after noted in first column

15 15 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TASK FORCE TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE CONGREGATION RESPONSIBILITY CHARTING Use the RACI model of Responsibility Charting to describe the roles and responsibilities of various groups, board and committees to clarify how roles and responsibilities are to be defined and the processes of communication are to be used. COMMUNICATIONS System wide, not enough attention is given to communication. Every group should ask itself, as it does its work: Whom should we consult? With what other groups might we collaborate? Whom do we need to inform? The RRT should initiate a process to develop a set of Guidelines for Communication to which the Congregation can be held accountable social norms for what do we communicate, how do we communicate, and the sacred purpose of what we are trying to do (build community) in our communication. Input should be received from the congregation before the Board sets its budget priorities. Plan parties to celebrate successes, leaders, contributions (both personal and financial). FINANCE The Finance Committee should do the work of requesting input from the congregation in advance of the budget process. BOARD The names of Board and Council members should be listed in each Monthly Angle. Create a process, or assign a Task Force to create a process, to determine how Justice Fund moneys are to be spent. Develop a current ORG Chart for all groups and committees When a new policy is being considered, the congregation should be informed by all means at the Board s disposal, including but not limited to: weekly and monthly Angles, communication with the committees through specific instructions to the Council.

16 16 When a new policy is decided, the congregation should be informed by all means at the Board s disposal, including but not limited to: brief Sunday morning announcements in consultation with the Minister, weekly and monthly Angles, communication with the committees through specific instructions to the Council. Publicize the Policy Book that is kept in Winslow House. The Board should assume ultimate responsibility for the success of the Stewardship campaign. The Board should re-examine the role of the RRT. People appointed to the RRT should be visible and active in the congregation, as well as highly skilled. Develop a policy on who may speak in the name of the church, and under what conditions. Evaluate the status of the music program organization. The current model, in which the Minister coordinates a music team, may not be sustainable over time. Funding should be developed to hire a Director of Music Review Outstanding Agenda Items listed in the monthly Board of Trustees meeting agenda for opportunities for delegating them to other groups, such as the Council, a committee, a task force, or some other body. Right Relations Team The RRT should develop a written Code of Ethics for its own work within the Congregation. The RRT should have a higher profile a reliable presence every Sunday, perhaps a question box. Members of the RRT should be highly skilled at inviting others into productive ways to resolve conflict, and assisting congregation members in articulating converts. Equally important, they should be highly visible and well-known leaders in the congregation COUNCIL The Council should evaluate returning its former structure three ministry areas (Ministries of Faith development, Ministries of Faith in Action and Ministries of Faith Support) and six ministry coordinators plus a moderator and to taking a stronger role in the work of the church, beyond communication among/between committees.

17 17 o Language needs to be developed for this. It s not governance, and it was a mistake to call it governance. It s not day-to-day administration, though that s what was envisioned when the Council was first conceived. o What is it? It is ministry but that language is vague to many people. It s the holding and administration of a complex system, keeping all the parts in working order and in proper relation to one another. The Council should create a House Committee that would take responsibility for decisions about furnishings, décor, and room use. Replace a Convener with a Moderator. The President-elect should be the Board Liaison to the Council. Develop a written policy for the distribution of FPB Social Justice money COMMITTEES Committees should be encouraged to consider themselves part of a whole church. Ways to do this are: listening to their Council reps, reporting to their Council reps, coming to the Committee of Chairs event(s). The Chairs of the committees are expected to participate actively in the Council communication processes. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Recruit six Ministry Coordinators and a Moderator for the Council. o Nominate two members to each ministry area. People are more likely to accept a Council position if they know it is for a specific area that they have a connection with. Develop ways for the LDC to publicize their work. Find ways to make its work more visible to the Congregation. Who s on the LDC? What positions are they seeking to fill? Should this be in the Angle, etc.? Children & Youth Ministry CYM Director should be made an ex-officio member of the Council and attend meetings (as feasible given the time constraints of the position), receive Council minutes and reports. CYM Director should provide an monthly report through the Minister to the Board on the activities and needs of CYM

18 18 CYM Director should attend several Board meetings throughout the year and be available for question. Roles of the Congregation and the Minster CONGREGATION S ROLE: Attend the annual meeting Vote on the slate of officers elected at the annual meeting (and nominate from the floor, if wanted) Understand and approve the budget at the annual meeting Pay attention to communications Assume goodwill on the part of one another, the leaders and the minister If a concern arises, find the appropriate path to address it Be respectful of one another and of leaders Listen and speak with a view toward arriving at the best outcome for all Ask questions Be curious Be patient Be open to accepting positions on the Board, committees and task forces, as appropriate. Pledge at appropriate levels Speak positively about FPB in the community Build relationships with others in the congregation Greet newcomers Appreciate all that is done around you to create your church MINISTER Worship: primary responsibility for the quality of worship, including mentoring Lay Worship Leaders Pastoral care: responsibility for the quality of pastoral care. Conducting rites of passage. Supporting and mentoring lay pastoral care teams (Pastoral Associates, Helping Hands) Supervision of staff: Ultimate decision on hiring is in the hands of the Board, but the Minister participates in hiring and supervises staff Music: oversees program

19 19 Board and Council: serves as an ex-officio member and adviser to the Board and Council Communications: Newsletters are a staff function supervised by the Minister. Faith Development: The Minister supervises staff members (professional and volunteer) who provide faith development / religious exploration programs across the lifespan. The Minister also leads or creates one or more classes or study groups over the course of a year. Committees: The Minister is an ex-officio member of all committees but is not expected to attend all committee meetings, but to give appropriate attention and assistance when requested. Finance and Stewardship: The Minister is expected to give particular attention and guidance to the Stewardship team and the Finance Committee. Justice: The Minister uses a leadership voice to represent and publicize the church in the community, provides guidance and spiritual leadership to justice ministries of the congregation, and uses the pulpit to urge appropriate and active participation in work for justice that make UU values real in the world. Participate in the local Council of Churches and other local religious/spiritual groups. Contribute articles to the Cape Cod Times religion page. Respectfully submitted by the Roles & Responsibilities Task Force Bob Flanagan, Board Member and Task Force Chair Reverend Mary Ganz Julia Enroth Judy Harrison Jenny Mignone John Myers Suzanne Sullivan Carol Wall Date: July 17, 2014

20 20 Appendix A SUMMARY OF CONGREGATION AND MINISTER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Taken from Charts developed during the Spring 2013 meeting with the outside consultant) (C) From Congregation's Input Chart (M) From Minister's Input Chart Staff/Personnel Congregation's Roles and Responsibilities Personnel Policies (M) Hiring? (C) Minister's Roles and Responsibilities Chief of Staff (M) Supervising Staff (C) Day to Day Administration (C) Worship Congregation R & R Lay Worship (C) Sunday Morning Worship Support (C)

21 21 Ministers R&R Ultimate Responsibility for Worship (M) Training Worship Leaders (C) Preaching at Sunday Morning Services (C) Together Creating Worship (M) Music Congregation R & R Ministers R & R Ultimate Responsibility for Music (M) Together Music (C) Fiscal Matters Congregation R & R Budgeting How Money Gets Spent (C) Fund Raising Activities (C) Endowment (C) Stewardship (C) Ministers R & R Finances? (C)

22 22 Advising Stewardship of Money, Building, Community? (M) Communication Congregation R & R Communication with One Another (C) Ministers R & R Overlook Communications (C) Monthly Newsletter; Weekly Newsletter (M) Together Creating Effective Communication (M) Pastoral Care Congregation R & R Supporting Each Other Helping Hands (C) Lay Person Ministry (C) Ministers R & R Ultimate Responsibility for Pastoral Care (M) Together Creating Pastoral Care Program (M) Social Justice Congregation R & R Creating Social Justice Program (M)

23 23 Ministers R & R Ultimate Responsibility for Social Justice Program (M) Governance Congregation R & R Governance (Thru Board Of Trustees & other Committees and groups) (M) Ministers R&R Advising BOT (M) Leadership Congregation R&R Recruiting Leaders (C) Ministers R&R Leading and Training Small Group Ministry Facilitators (C) Ultimate Responsibility for Covenant Groups (M) Denominational Affairs Congregation R&R Denominational Affairs (M) Ministers R&R Advising Denominational Affairs (M) Participation in Denominational Affairs (C)

24 24 Membership Congregation R&R Overseeing Membership Role (C) Membership (M) Ministers R&R Advising Membership (M) Education Congregation R&R Education (C) Ministers R&R Ultimate Responsibility for Lifespan Program (M) Vision Congregation R&R Forming a Vision (C) Together Vision (M) Other Items on Charts Congregation Chart Congregation Roles and Responsibilities Accessibility

25 25 Committees new ones, defunct? Modeling Appropriate Behavior Ideas for Activities and Projects On-going Evaluation Maintaining the campus landscaping Supporting CYM Hospitality Ministers Roles and Responsibilities Rites of Passage Providing Spiritual Direction Representation of Our Faith Bringing Experience and Training to FPB Ministers Chart Congregation Roles and Responsibilities Various Entities Board, Council, Committees/Action Groups, Endowment, BMHPP Board President Speaking on Behalf of FPB in the Larger Community Ministers Roles and Responsibilities Speaking on Behalf of FPB in the Larger Community Input for the Council Fund Distribution Together Speaking on Behalf of FPB in the Larger Community for Controversial Issues Creating Joy, Kindness, Spiritual Growth, Living Out the Mission of the Church

26 26 Justice Funds Congregation: shared service plate Council: decisions for distribution of funds

27 Treasurer Committees Congregation Ministers Board Finance Committee 27 Appendix B Task list for the Finance Committee Note: This was developed as an exercise by the Task Force. It is not intended to be allinclusive. It was based on the charge from the Board dated January 17, It was written without direct input from the Finance Committee. It will take significant work to expand it to an accurate RACI Chart. Finance Committee Base the budget on the priorities established by the Board of Trustees reflecting the congregation s vision and mission Gather information from the congregation concerning priorities for the next year s annual budget Review the annual budget as developed by the Budget Development Team

28 28 Provide feedback to the Budget Development Team directly or through the Treasurer Review draft budgets during the budget process and make recommendations before they are presented to the Board Make financial recommendations to the Board or the Budget Development Team Work with all standing committees in helping to develop new budgets Partner with other committees when issues that impact the budget overlap with the charge of other committees Work with all

29 29 standing committees in monitoring current budget Refer proposed annual budgets to the Board of Trustees for review Monitor FPB income Monitor FPB expenses Reports information on income, expenses and pledge payments to the Board Meet at least quarterly with the Treasurer to review quarterly financial reports Report quarterly financial reports to the Board through the Treasurer Make recommendations to modify the budget at mid-

30 30 year to the Board, if necessary Early involvement in the budget process by reviewing and recommending modifications to current income and expenses. Note: The recommendations listed in the 2 rows above are brought forward by the Treasurer as part of the Budget Development Team

31 Committees Congregation Ministers Board Council 31 Appendix C Task List for the Council Note: This was developed as an exercise by the Task Force. It is not intended to be allinclusive. It was written with some limited input from the Council. It will take significant work to expand it to an accurate RACI Chart. Council Focus on committees Communicate with committees, Board and ministers Develop ways to promote committees within the congregation Assist committees with Communication Assist committees with Opportunities Assist committees with Membership Assist committees with

32 32 Improvements Issue written reports on a regular basis Form and dissolve committees in conjunction with the Board Create task forces for emerging needs Gathering of committees together Assist committees in determining budget requests Organize Participation Sunday Nominate one member for the Leadership Development Committee annually Other tasks as assigned by the Board

33 Other Committees Congregation Ministers Board Social Justice Committee 33 Appendix D Task List for the Social Justice Committee Note: This was developed as an exercise by the Task Force based on a list of tasks written by the Social Justice Committee but without its direct input. It is not intended to be allinclusive. It will take significant work to expand it to an accurate RACI Chart. Social Justice Seed and support justice initiatives with committees and the congregation Incubate others ideas Generate hope and excitement Be accessible advocates Tell justice stories Tell FPB s story Be models for how we deal with disagreements

34 Right Relations Team Council Stewardship Committee Finance Committee Congregation Ministers Board 34 Appendix E Task List for the Board of Trustees Note: This was developed as an exercise by the Task Force based on the FPB By-Laws but without direct input from the Board. It is not intended to be all-inclusive. It will take significant work to expand it to an accurate RACI Chart. Board of Trustees Have complete charge of operation, insurance and salaries. Develop FPB policies. Delete or amend previous policies. Establish committees Approve or revise annual budget as presented by the Finance Committee Submit a proposed annual budget to the congregation for approval Raise funds for FPB, UUA and BCD in conjunction with the Stewardship

35 35 Committee Permit use of property Submit annual report on committees Communicate proposed policies to the congregation Communicate final policies to the congregation Regular communication with congregation Develop positive working relationship with the minister Perform annual performance appraisals of the minister (by 3 Board Presidents) Develop and update a FPB Policy Manual Create and maintain a current, accurate organization chart