1. Board Meeting
October 2-3, 2018

2. Today’s Board Actions
Address the Problems We Need to Solve (next slide).
Are these the right problems, and in the right time scale?
Select option(s) and tell ED to implement and do your part; or edit
Review the proposed Interim Work plan
Agree to endorse and re-inforce it when I send out a note announcing it.
Thus, our discussion should be about these as the right priorities. I welcome advice on implementation steps, but the Board’s role is determination of priorities, not who does what work.
Determine if these are your roles; if not, clearly articulate what your role is that is different than the above.

3. Problems We Need To Solve
Now:
Manage communications with members to reassure them that the Alliance will continue to exist and will be strong again
Communicate Interim Period scope of work
Reassure existing staff that they have a more stable work environment coming soon
Soon:
Hire and onboard new staff; Reassure members and potential candidates that they should apply and interview for our jobs, and that job will be largely the same when they start it
Communicate the resolution of the Litigation Hold
Long-Term:
Continue to examine decision-making and governance to allow everyone greater clarity

4. Interim Period: Overall Approach to Work
No Interim Program Managers; while Cassie and I have been working as “interim PMs”, we no longer have the staff to do it.
What’s critical to keep going until we have more staff?
Completing strategic planning
So Jesse, Lesley & I will have every other week calls with Team Chairs, provide any facilitation
Continuing some communication with Ex Libris regarding issues
Maintaining our shared content licenses
Supporting member communities, who can help themselves in a less organized way

5. How We’ll Manage Work DUX: RSF: SCTS: Systems: ULC:
No regular service; they’ll receive some service through Lesley
UNLESS a DUX person wants to come forward and be paid part time like in RSF
RSF:
Kate Jones will provide limited service
SCTS:
Stays largely as is
Reduced Network Zone service
Systems:
Lesley will take on some coordination with Ex Libris
ULC:
Announce no service, except maintenance of the Archives West server
Provide partial refunds to A&M members
(I have to explore DPLA; as we have a new contract there)

6. Specifically, this means for Teams:
Teams and Groups meet by themselves
Where they need special meetings / dates set up, they work with me and Elizabeth
Elizabeth routinely hosts meetings for groups
I’ll meet with the Team Chairs, Jesse & Lesley every other week. Team Chairs usually meet with their PM for minutes each week, so this replaces that.

7. Timelines Team Recruitment in November Board Approval in January
Original
New
Team Recruitment in November
Board Approval in January
Team Launch in February
Groups beginning forming in March
Most major new work under the new plan begins in July
Team Recruitment after most PMs are hired
Board Approval in Spring
Team Launch prior to July
Groups form FY20, after Summer Meeting

8. Options for Addressing Problems (note these are not mutually exclusive)
Have independent party interview remaining staff (Elizabeth, Jesse, Lesley, Amy, Dana) to perform “stay” interviews – what will make them be inclined to stay?
Rebuild AS IS; do so quickly and continue our “Hiring Blitz” plan
At Council, continue to prioritize the work we want through strategic planning; use the rest of the time to pause and discuss the nature of support members want for this plan
Address the relationship with the ED, including staying as is, part ways, or document a new scope of work

9. Option 1: Stay Interviews
Description:
Stay Interviews are used to build trust. See for more information
These could take as little as a week or so, but then the Board would need to meet again to review the results and discuss options
Recommendation: If the Board does this, while the sites I saw recommend the manager performs them, I recommend we use our third party HR company to do so, and the Board receives aggregated feedback. If I remain as ED, I would receive it upon the Board’s decision regarding the ED role.
Disadvantage: This would likely delay the selectin of other Options, as the Board would use this information to support other decisions.

10. Option 2: Continue Planned Hiring Blitz
Description: The Board decides to continue our Hiring Blitz plan. I have DUX, RSF and Systems Search Committees formed; I would be able to release DUX & RSF positions in the next weeks, for hiring in January (at the latest). For ULC, I would start soon and again aim to hire in January.
Disadvantage:
I wouldn’t apply, or encourage my colleagues / staff to apply, to an organization that lost 50% of its staff in the last year, and has an active Litigation Hold. I’d be wondering what is happening there, and what will happen next. I think the Board would need to make a statement (as I requested at the Sept 13 Board meeting addressing stability of the Alliance; going beyond the proposed encouragement to apply).

11. Option 3: Council Discussion
Option 3: Council Discussion. Wait until after Council for any decisions
Description: We would adjust the Council agenda to allow a lengthy discussion of priorities and how we want to have staff to support these priorities. Council will be keenly interested in the status and health of the Alliance, and this gives them a direct say.
Disadvantage: It could be challenging to have a focused discussion and resolution, even if we dedicated the meeting to the topic. This is a tough problem for 38 people to solve together. We would again likely delay the implementation of other Options.

12. Option 4: Consider the ED Role
Description A: The Board decides that you want to make a complete change at the Executive Director level. Options:
Convince a retired Dean / Director to be Interim
A Board member does this part time
A local non-profit expert / firm comes in as Interim
Description B: The Board decides that despite the problems, the person in the ED position remains as is. Steps:
Leave everything as is. Adjust goals over the next month.
Work with the ED to clearly articulate any changes to the ED goals / Scope of Work / Board oversight

13. Board Action Depending on Options Selected
Option 1: Stay Interviews. Advise Dana to contact our new HR contractor to do these interviews as soon as possible; Michelle advises staff (collectively) that we are doing this; Dana works with Elizabeth to plan a Board meeting for Board to review results
Option 2: Hiring Blitz. Board must consider ED request of Sept 13 for a statement noting how stability is achieved in the Alliance, and either support it; edit it; or note that they don’t believe it is a problem
Option 3: Council discussion. Board constructs appropriate agendas and communication to prepare Council

14. Option 4: ED Role. Decide which option to implement (or edit) and communicate that.