Overview of Role & Responsibilities

Overview of Role & Responsibilities

The Management Committee's overall responsibilities can be summarised under five key headings:

Vision and Leadership

The Management Committee ensures that everything the organisation does supports its vision, purpose and aims. They establish the fundamental values, the ethical principles in which the organisation operates.
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Accountability and Legal Liability

The Management Committee must account for everything the organisation does, including its spending and activities. The Management Committee is accountable to the membership of the organisation and other key stakeholders such as funders and donors. The Management Committee monitors and evaluates all areas of the organisation’s performance.
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Keeping It Legal

The Management Committee ensures compliance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements and seeks guidance around any uncertainties. Everything the Management Committee and the organisation do must also be in line with its governing document, e.g. constitution or memorandum and articles of association.
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Financial Oversight

The Management Committee ensures that all money, property and resources are properly used, managed and accounted for. In order to be accountable, suitable systems must be in place and kept up to date.
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Managing Staff and Volunteers

In organisations that employ staff, the Management Committee is essentially the employer. They must ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place for staff and for volunteers, and that both are properly managed and supported.
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The Management Committee and The Organisation

The community and voluntary sector is made up of groups and organisations that have either:

• no paid staff (and everyone’s a volunteer), or
• paid staff (ranging from one or two, to well over 30).

The diagram below illustrates how a Management Committee fits within an organisation employing staff and how communication channels work.

The Management Committee, then, is ultimately responsible for the organisation. However, they often:

• delegate tasks to a sub-committee
• seek external advice
• liaise with patrons
• delegate to staff
• delegate to volunteers

In addition, if a membership organisation, the Management Committee will have an important communication role with its members. And, of course, there is communication with a range of external organisations such as funding bodies, statutory agencies, other voluntary organisations, etc.