Governance and organisation development Sarah Noack, Hart Field-Site Group

Governance and organisation development Overview of the organisation Recruitment of new board members, succession and leadership roles Employment and building capacity of staff members

Governance and organisation development Continually evolving… Informal gathering of growers to become the first Hart field day State department & soils board driven Withdrawal of state dept. funding in the mid 90s Private consultants 1990s 2000’s Purchased own land for research site Independent incorporated group Board structure implemented Sponsorship & project based Increasing hours needed for project management First full time employee Regional internship program commenced

Hart Field-Site Group: Organisation structure The board 12 volunteer members (growers, consultants, industry) Chairman and treasurer honorarium Executive committee - chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, secretary Sponsorship subcommittee Employees Research & Extension Manager Regional Intern Members Contractors Administration Payroll Media and publicity Trial management (SARDI)

Twelve positions on three year terms (every year 4 members are up for re-nomination/retirement). How do we recruit board members? Open call at our AGM. Encourage retiring and current board members to suggest skill set replacements. Clear expectations of a three year board term. Other opportunities within the organisation (research, sponsorship and event development). Identify board members interested in leadership roles (EARLY) to provide mentoring among old/new board members and training opportunities. Board structure and recruitment

Research position was a direct result of Hart’s 2012 strategic plan. Taking on a full time staff member drove a number of changes in Hart’s HR capacity: WH&S policy, employment contracts, payroll, superannuation, WorkCover, office space, vehicle, phone & insurance. Required Hart administrator and treasurer to take on more hours to achieve this and undertake some upskilling. Communication between board members and staff is key in a small organisation (primary contacts, involvement at board meetings) Annual review process (acknowledge achievements, challenges, goal setting and training). Employment of staff