senior staff member

Management Committees can struggle to effectively manage the most senior staff member in the organisation. This can be for a variety of reasons, sometimes the most senior staff member has been with the organisation a long time and is more experienced than some members of the committee.  Generally the most senior staff member will have more information about the day to day running of an organisation.

Where a voluntary organisation employs paid staff, the Management Committee is ultimately the employer.  The Management Committee is responsible for ensuring that the organisation's policies and practices are compliant with relevant legislation, are kept up to date and that its employment practices are at an acceptable standard.  Good people management helps to contribute to the organisation's overall effectiveness and its ability to achieve its objectives. This of course brings additional responsibilities both legally and practically in terms of managing staff.

As the accountable body, the board will maintain and regularly review the organisation’s system of internal controls, performance, and policies and procedures, to ensure that:

Positive working relationships within an organisation help to get things done effectively. Conflict in whatever form is distructive and detracts from a normal, productive, working environment.  Trustees need to ensure that they are giving leadership by modelling positive working relationships, as well as taking action to improve things when there are difficulties.  This is part of their duty in ensure their organisations are efectively managed.

For more information on managing conflict within committees.

Stewardship refers to the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to ones care.  Assets are everything your organisation owns- including money, money owed to you, equipment, goods, property or lands etc.

Every management committee/board should provide leadership to the organisation by:

Therefore, it is essential that the management committee and the senior staff member understand their role and boundaries, and demonstrate respect for each other's position and powers.