Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts

District Leadership Tool

The MASWCDleadershipselfassessment tool has been developed as a guide to use for your SWCD. This tool can be used to facilitate and generate ideas within your own District.There are no right or wrong answers. The MASWCD encourages you to use the leadership self assessment as an opportunity for board members and staff to have a strategic dialogue on advancing the district mission.

SWCD MISSION

  1. Does your SWCD have a mission statement?
  2. IF YES…Has the board reviewed it in the past 5 years?
/ YES NO
YES NO
  1. Do board members and staff know the mission statement?
/ YES NO
  1. Do board members and staff know how the community views the mission of your organizations?
/ YES NO

SWCD GOVERNANCE

  1. Has the board, with staff, explicitly identified a short list of issues that matter most to the district in the short and long run?
/ YES NO
  1. Does the board focus its efforts on governance and does the lead staff person include the board on matters of vision, mission and other governance matters?
/ YES NO
  1. Are board agendas carefully planned to ensure focus on district priority issues?
/ YES NO
  1. Do board members and staff conduct a special meeting that allows time to step back from the day-to-day operations of the district and examine future conservation program and strategies?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD have By-Laws (Operating Rules)?
  2. IF YES…Have they been reviewed in the past 5 years?
/ YES NO
YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD have a plan and budget for regular training of Supervisors in district functions, governance and programs?
/ YES NO
  1. Have all Supervisors participated in MASWCD Supervisor training and information opportunities (not including the convention) within the last five years?
/ YES NO

COORDINATION & COLLABORATION

  1. Does your SWCD have a mechanism in place for supervisors and/or staff to inform the county board about district matters?
/ YES NO
  1. Have one or more Supervisors attended a County Board meeting to present SWCD information (not including budget hearings) in the past year?
/ YES NO
  1. Does the SWCD regularly partner with other local water management entities (e.g., county, watershed districts, watershed organizations) on programs or projects?
/ YES NO
  1. Does the SWCD routinely sell or buy administrative/technicalservices with neighboring districts or water management entities?
/ YES NO
  1. Have one or more Supervisors attended the board meeting of another SWCD within the last year?
/ YES NO
  1. Does the SWCD meet with neighboring districts to review and compare program procedures?
/ YES NO

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

  1. Is there an accounting system that enables the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and GASB (Government Accounting Standards Board) pronouncements?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD you have an accounting policies/procedures manual?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD practice segregation of duties related to accounting (i.e. Bank statements sent to Treasurer)?
/ YES NO
  1. Is the amount of the district’s operating fund balance within limits established by the State Auditor’s office (4 to 6 months)?
  2. If NO, how much of a fund balance does your SWCD have (in months)? ______
/ YES NO

SWCD STAFF ~ Development; Training; Salaries & Benefits

  1. Does your SWCD have a staff training/professional development plan?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD have an established budget for staff training/professional development?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD staff have adequate training to address technical, administrative and resource requirements for conservation programs and/or laws?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD have a method of comparing salary, benefit level, etc. with other organizations so that it can remain competitive?
  2. Does your SWCD have a long range budget established to meet the goal of keeping compensation competitive?
  3. Is the compensation method reviewed periodically by the lead staff and the SWCD Board?
/ YES NO
YES NO
YES NO

PERSONNEL POLICIES

  1. Does your SWCD have a personnel committee?
/ YES NO
  1. Has your SWCD developed a personnel policy or adopted your County’s personnel policy?
IF YES…Do the policies address:
  1. Employee advertising & recruitment
  2. Procedures for interviewing, ranking, and selection
  3. Information on the classification and compensation for employees
  4. Conditions of employment (i.e. probationary period, discipline, termination, grievance)?
  5. Information on leave schedules (i.e. vacation, sick, PTO, holidays, etc.)?
  6. Administrative Procedures (i.e. hours of work, travel reimbursement, conflict of interest)?
/ YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
  1. Has your Personnel Policy been reviewed within the last five (5) years?
/ YES NO

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

  1. Has a job description been prepared for each staff position?
  2. IF YES…Have they been reviewed in the past 5 years?
  3. If YES…. Do the job descriptions describe in detail the experience, skills, and knowledge necessary to fulfill the job?
/ YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
  1. Have you asked your County Human Resources/Employee Relations department or an external resource professional for assistance in reviewing your SWCD job descriptions to ensure proper procedures are followed?
/ YES NO

INFORMATION, EDUCATION, OUTREACH

  1. Are you taking advantage of the range of media available for communication with your constituents and stakeholders?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD education/outreach program affect a change in activity or thinking? (i.e. individuals agree/volunteer to participate in an identifiedconservation activity or program)
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD regularly solicit the opinions, views and feedback from partners on district conservation program and policy issues?
/ YES NO
  1. Dothe elected board members provide information or updates on SWCD activities to their constituents that they represent?
/ YES NO

LEADERSHIP

  1. Do board members and staff regularly reflect on how the SWCD is doing, set performance goals and monitor performance?
/ YES NO
  1. Do board members and staff continuously engage in strategic thinking to advance the districts mission?
/ YES NO
  1. Does your SWCD have a clear vision?
/ YES NO

Note: the SWCD self-assessment is simply an organized process by which the SWCD board and staff regularly re-examines its collective and individual performance, and then reaffirms its commitment by identifying plans for improvement. You may want to modify this document to meet your individual district’s needs.

MASWCD SWCD Self Assessment Page 1