Activist Network Coordinating Pair Responsibilities

Activist Network Coordinating Pair Responsibilities

The Activist Network Coordinating Pair (AN, CP) consists of one volunteer and one staff lead, appointed by the Board and the Executive Director, respectively. The CP staff role is equal to the volunteer role, but is flexible in delegation of responsibilities between the staff and volunteer by mutual agreement. The CP has neither budget- nor policy-making authority.

The primary role of the CP is to establish and manage the “health” and improve the vitality of Sierra Club’s Activist Network. The CP works to empower, coach, communicate, convene and resolve.

Specifically, the CP will:

·  carry out the vision of the AN,

·  seek staff and volunteer support for CP-level work as needed,

·  appoint the volunteer/staff co-leads for the Activist Network Support Team to ensure a broad range of support for the entire network [link/reference to Support Team responsibilities description here],

·  recognize issue team volunteer leaders (New Issue Teams are recognized by the CP when activists present a compelling case that a particular issue needs the Club's ongoing, focused attention.),

·  address any need to replace team leaders,

·  ensure, working with the core issue team activists, that each AN team is filling a niche where their work is needed, has a specific charge, and has functional goals that do not conflict, and is in coordination with, ongoing work by any current teams,

·  provide coaching to the teams, help coordinate and communicate, and assist in making needed connections among teams as well as all other internal (including, but not limited to, the Board of Directors, Executive Director, chapters, and Board Advisory Committees) and external (such as partnerships or coalitions) bodies,

·  seek opportunities to advance the initiative of activists by recognizing good work publicly, and to promote them for broader replication,

·  work to see that teams can achieve results, have measures for success and communicates these,

·  accomplish the one-Club goal (all entities working together as one organization united by our mission and values)

·  provide guidance to all AN teams on Board priorities, communicate policy requests, gaps, or hurdles identified by the teams to the appropriate person or entity for resolution,

·  ensure effective budget process (ensuring the AN budget is measured, scheduled, and balanced; communicating the AN budget to/from the Finance and Risk Management Advisory Committee and the Board; facilitate and enforce budget process deadlines) that is consistent with planning cycles and takes advantage of new opportunities, recommends funding and resource criteria to the Board.

·  ensure proper reporting and authorization of funding expenditures, help navigate ST and issue teams navigate finances

·  enforces a Support Team conflict of interest policy (proposes to the Board and implements the Board-approved policy),

·  provide input to fundraising process,

·  work with team leaders to identify best-practices for efficient resource allocation use,

·  insures disputes are addressed

·  develop metrics with, and provide a “State of the Network” report to, the Advisory Committees for their input to the Board, to include:

o  leadership development assessment;

o  impact of the AN work to advance the Club’s mission priorities and the overall mix of Club activities;

o  resources needs of the AN;

o  impact of the AN to advance the Club’s visibility, outreach, and reputation,

·  regularly assess the workload of the Support Team, and propose a reduction or increase in its capacity to effectively match its resources to the needs of the Network, and assist them when requested,

·  work with the Volunteer Leadership Advisory Committee (long term) and Chapter and Leader Support (short term) on training needs within the Network.

Activist Network Support Team Responsibilities

The Activist Network Support Team (AN, ST) consists of a volunteer and staff co-lead who are appointed by the Activist Network Coordinating Pair, as well as volunteers who are skilled in multiple areas of expertise, which translates to robust support and rapid implementation of the needs of the AN activists and teams.

The primary functions of the Activist Network Support Team and its leadership: 1. administer the entrepreneurial fund, 2. coach, encourage and build activist and strong teams, 3. ensure technology meets needs online needs (right tools, state of the art, etc) 4. Support robust training environment 5. Communicate and coordinate

The volunteer and staff co-lead:

·  share responsibilities and can mutually agree upon delegation of duties to best promote the vision of the activist network and working as One Club. The staff co-lead will liaise with staff departments.

·  appoint a diverse and talented team of individuals to the AN Support Team, to be predominantly composed of volunteers, and to include chapter, regional and national staff if the budget so supports;

·  coordinates the distribution of the AN fund1

Support Team member (including the co-leads) expertise needed:

·  Administers the AN fund

·  Provide budget needs/requests/gaps in a report to the CP in accordance with the established budget cycle and norms

·  Work with the VLAC and the C&LS to insure the best training possible which meets the needs of members of the AN (effective teams, member engagement, use of technology, face-to-face organizing, etc)

·  Networking

o  Assist in convening the annual Activist Assembly.

o  Coaches, encourages, helps organize, builds teams

·  Technology

o  Seek out new & needed online tools for the online AN.