1. Meeting Board Training Requirements while Doing More with Less
Paul Carlson, Skip Ferris, Beth Peterson
Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency

2. Session Objectives Participants will gain an understanding of:
Why board training is important to the health of community action
Various methods for performing board training
Board training tools available at no cost
AEOA’s model for providing board training on a limited budget
Challenges and opportunities around providing board training

3. Why do we do Board Training?
The Board of Directors sits atop your community action agency.
Board members do important, necessary work for the organization.
Community Action’s Organizational Standards require that we do Board training and document same.
CAPs running Head Start programs require documented Board training as well.
Individuals do not have access to formal Board training in other educational settings.
There are benefits to having trained Board members.

4. Duty of Care
A board member must be active in organizational planning and decision making. Board members must exercise reasonable care when he/she makes a decision for the organization.
Reasonable care is what an “ordinarily prudent” person in a similar situation would do.

5. Duty of Loyalty
A board member must never use information gained through his/her position for personal gain and must always act in the best interests of the organization. Board members must avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts.

6. Duty of Obedience
A board members must be faithful to the organization’s mission. He/She cannot act in a way that is inconsistent with the organization’s goals. The public trusts the board to manage funds to fulfill the organization’s mission.

7. National Organizational Standards
Governing board members have been provided with training on their duties and responsibilities within the past 2 years.
“In order to meet Organizational Standard 5.8, there is no specific curricula requirement, or training methodology required…The organization needs to have documentation that the training occurred (including content) as well as documentation that each board member has been provided with training opportunities…As with orientation, volunteer board members may choose to not participate in these opportunities but attempts by the board and staff to ensure everyone had the opportunity to participate is critical.”

8. Fiduciary Responsibilities
As noted above, IM 82 addresses board orientation and recommends that “Board members need to be trained to carry out both the legal, or fiduciary, aspects of their service and their leadership responsibilities to help guide the agency toward "success."
At a minimum, it is recommended that board training cover the following topics:
Fiduciary Responsibilities
Orientation to statutory and regulatory requirements (CSBG Act, other Federal, State or local statutes and regulations, including non-profit board requirements;
Agency articles of incorporation, bylaws, etc.
Overview of Board functioning - appointment, representation, meetings, committees, conflict of interest policy, relationship to executive director and staff, etc.
Role and Responsibilities of the Executive Director
Role and Responsibilities of the Board regarding the employment, retention, and compensation of the Executive Director and key agency staff
Overview of agency administration and financial management policies and procedures - oversight role and responsibilities of the board
Orientation to, and how to oversee, agency mission, long-range and annual plans
Orientation to, and how to oversee, agency programs and services
Orientation to, and how to oversee, agency evaluation and reporting policies and procedures - role of the board in program and personnel performance evaluation.

9. Agency Leadership - Board Roles and Responsibilities and Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA)
Agency Development –
Needs Assessment
Agency Mission determination
Agency Planning -
Strategic Long-Range Planning
Annual Planning - performance expectations and targets
Forming Partnerships with other resources in the community
Program Implementation –
Tracking of Milestones, interim performance results and reports
Making mid-course corrections to improve performance
Evaluation - (Results Oriented Accountability)
Result-Focused Evaluation - clients and community
Results-Focused Evaluation - agency and staff
Using Information for Planning
Using Information for Additional Funding and Advocacy

10. Models For Board Training
There are numerous ways of providing board training
Full-day retreat(s)
Multiple half day sessions
Web-based training
One-to-one (e.g. orientation, new Board members, etc.)
Embedded in regular board meetings
Others?

11. Why We Chose This Model
Board members reside throughout our geographically large service area increasing reimbursement costs for holding meetings.
Board members with long tenures, vast experience.
Board members have limited time available for Board training.
Board members shared that they would prefer this model.
We wanted interaction from numerous agency departments with the knowledge needed to share with our Board.
Short chunks of training with follow-up resources and handouts is the most effective way for Board members to retain the knowledge.

12. AEOA’s Board Training Model
All new Board members are provided an individualized orientation with the Executive Director.
Developed a Board Training Committee to pull expertise from numerous departments and to share the opportunity to present.
Board training is provided at each regularly scheduled Board meeting.
Fiscal training happens at every Board meeting.
Webinars and online resources are provided between meetings.
Developed handouts for board members to keep for future reference.
Developed a three year schedule of rotating topics.
Targeted topics to events relevant at the time (i.e ROMA reporting, audit, Head Start)

13. Head Start
Head Start National Standards require specific board training as well.
Program Governance Administration Sec. 642 (d)(3)
“Training and Technical Assistance – Appropriate training and technical assistance shall be provided to the members of the governing body and the policy council to ensure that the members understand the information the members receive and can effectively oversee and participate in the programs of the Head Start agency.”
45 CFR § Training
“An agency must provide appropriate training and technical assistance or orientation to the governing body, any advisory committee members, and the policy council, including training on program performance standards and training indicated in § (m) to ensure the members understand the information they receive and can effectively oversee and participate in the programs in the Head Start agency.”

14. Example Schedule of Training

15. Example Handouts Given

16. Resources Used https://nascsp.org/ - CSBG T/TA Resource Center
– Tools and Resources
- Playlists
1il3T Qk
governance-head-start

17. Lessons Learned Know your Board members and get continuous feedback
Know your agency’s schedule of events (i.e. 990 submission, strategic planning or CNA schedule, ED evaluation, etc.)
Training must be pithy and succinct
Vary your speakers and training techniques
Use resources that already exist
Plan ahead and carefully, but be flexible
Notify Board members that training is an expectation of serving on the Board

18. Questions?

19. For more information:
Paul Carlson Skip Ferris
Beth Peterson