Apsaa Executive Council/Board of Directors Retreat

APsaA Executive Council/Board of Directors Retreat

October 29-30, 2016

Chicago Hilton

Marquette Room (3rd Floor)

Jeffrey Kerr, facilitator

Saturday, October 29

8:00 – 9:00BREAKFAST - Joliet Room (3rd Floor)

9:00 – 9:15Welcome and goals for the retreat (H. Wolfe, M. Gundle, R. Lightbody)

9:15 – 10:00Setting the stage:

• Review of Task Force evolution and Executive Council discussion in Chicago 6/16 (Mike Gundle)
• Review of materials and survey (Kerry Novick and Phoebe Cirio)

10:00 – 11:00First Small Groups:

Functioning and Responsibilities of Executive Council as APsaA’s Board

of Directors

Current bylaws stipulate that ultimate responsibility for all actions rests with the Executive Council. The questions below are aimed at developing ways that the Council can carry out its fiduciary responsibilities more effectively. While Council governs, the Department Heads manage through the committees. Department Heads as well as Executive Officers bring policy matters to the Executive Council for deliberation and decision.

Questions:

1. How does the difference between governance and management impact the functioning and interaction of Council, Departments, and Committees of the Council and of the Corporation?
2. How can Councilors accomplish their role of oversight? What are ways to improve on how the Committees of the Corporation and the Committees of the Council are organized and how they are accountable to Council?
3. How can we educate ourselves to be competent and effective Councilors/Board members, for instance, how can Councilors consistently understand the evolving budget? Would it help in that instance to have the Finance Committee be a Committee of Council?
4. How often should Executive Council revisit APsaA’s mission and consider strategic planning? How should the effectiveness of Council be assessed?

11:00 – 12:15Full Councilors Discussion

12:15 – 1:15LUNCH - Joliet Room (3rd Floor)

1:15 – 2:15Second Small Groups:

The Role and Function of the Executive Committee

Two documents have been distributed in preparation for these small

groups: (a) a description of the current Executive Committee’s role and function and (b) a summary of how our ExCom is designed as described in APsaA bylaws, and of executive committees in general as described in Robert’s Rules of Order. Please review these as background for this part of the discussion.

Questions:

1. What questions remain in your mind about the role and organizational function of the Executive Committee in APsaA?
2. What is the best way to expand the Executive Committee beginning in June 2017 when the BOPS is sunsetted? How many Councilors should be added? How should they be selected? Should Candidates and/or non-analysts be added?
3. How can we improve communication between the ExCom, Council Committees and the Executive Council? What mechanisms of interaction would be effective?
4. What difference might it make to have the Council meet more frequently than twice a year? Is it financially feasible and a good use of funds to meet more often as a full Board?

2:15 – 3:30 Full Councilors Discussion

3:30-3:45 BREAK

3:45 – 4:45 Third Small Groups:

APsaA’s Leadership Functions

APsaA has several kinds and levels of leaders. We want to think about their different functions and how to make their roles clear and complementary, in the service of effectiveness and communication.

Officers and Councilors-at-Large are elected nationally; Executive Councilors are elected locally. Our goal is to develop ways for these groups to interact so that they can lead APsaA in an informed and cogent manner.

Questions:

1. What is our structure of governance? What are the implications of a mix of locally- and nationally-elected Councilors? How can Councilors maintain their primary focus on APsaA matters and also communicate with and respond to local groups? How can Candidates best have a role in Executive Council?
2. How can the Executive Council ensure that Department Heads are overseeing their assigned aspects of APsaA’s mission? How do we empower Department Heads without micromanaging their activities? How can the Executive Council ensure that Council Committee Chairs are fulfilling their mandates?
3. What might be the advantages and disadvantages of having a Council “Chair” or “Lead Director” elected by Council? How would the Chair’s role be defined? Would this person have oversight over all Committees of Council? Are there alternatives to this idea?
4. How would the roles of President of APsaA and Council Chair optimally interact? How should the agenda for twice yearly Council meetings be determined? Who can most effectively preside over these meetings?

4:45-6:00Full Councilors Discussion

6:00-6:15Reflections on the Day

6:15ADJOURN (Open evening – you’re on your own!)

Sunday, October 30

7:00 – 8:00Breakfast - Joliet Room (3rd Floor)

8:00 – 9:00Fourth Small Groups:

Ensuring Adaptive and Responsive Governance

Passage of bylaw amendments currently requires 2/3 support of

members who cast a ballot. This has been seen by some as a deterrent to adaptive change. We want to think about how the organization can nimbly and flexibly adapt to changing situations, how we can balance the capacity to modify governance without disrupting the integrity of the Association.

Questions:

1. How can APsaA governance and structure evolve to optimally meet the needs of its members and adapt quickly to crises and changes?
2. How can APsaA build in the flexibility to change the governance structure or functioning without needing to amend bylaws?
3. What method of self-assessment would best serve the changing needs of the organization and allow it to be responsive to the needs of the profession as seen by our members?
4. (For all tables) What substantive, practical proposals for change do you want to see come out of this retreat to be taken to the Council in January 2017?

9:00 – 10:15Full Councilors Discussion

10:15– 10:30BREAK

10:30 – 12:00Summary of Retreat,

Action Items for January 2017 Council meeting, Next Steps

12:00RETREAT ENDS

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