1. Decision-Making by TNI Committees and Boards Requirements and Guidance

2. Policy Committee Mission  Develops general policies and procedures for TNI.  Resource for developing policies and SOPs  Reviews existing policies and SOPs for consistency and conformity with TNI mission  Provides recommendations for endorsement by TNI Board

3. Developers -- Reviewers DEVELOP  Policies and SOPs  Affecting more than one TNI Program  Administrative  When directed by TNI Board  When requested by a program or committee REVIEW  All policies and SOPs  Consistency among each other  Conformance to TNI Mission  Recommend endorsement by TNI Board

4. Committee Profile  Administrative Committee  Under direction of TNI Board  Members are representatives of TNI Programs and committees  One member from the TNI Board  One at-large member

5. Member -- Representing  Alfredo Sotomayor*  Jerry Parr  JoAnn Boyd  RaeAnn Haynes  Silky Labie  Carol Schrenkel  Steve Stubbs  Bob Wyeth *Chair  TNI Board  Ex-Officio  LASC  Proficiency Testing  Consensus Standards  Technical Assistance  NELAP  Advocacy

6. Hierarchy of Normative Documents  Articles of Incorporation  Bylaws  General TNI Policies  General TNI SOPs  General TNI Guidance  Program Policies  Program SOPs  General TNI Guidance  Need to look at all to completely understand process

7. Document Process  Draft, finalize, and approve policies and SOPs  Refer to other programs when needed for concurrent approval  Send to Policy Committee for consistency review  Send to TNI Board  Organizational impact  Final endorsement  Post on TNI Website

8. Ownership  Charter guides creation of product  Drafter owns product  Reviewer suggests changes  Drafter responds to suggested changes  All can review, suggest  Only drafter can change product

9. General Policies and SOPs  Creating General Policies for TNI  Conflicts of Interest  Ethical Conduct of TNI Member  Use of TNI Logos and Marks  Management of Records  Format Guidelines for SOPs of TNI  Operations of TNI Committees and Program Boards  Decision-Making Rules for TNI Committees and Boards

10. Why Tackle Decision- Making?  Global issue  Outcome of all deliberations  Prelude to committee products  Policy Committee felt guidance would be useful  We are all concerned about “voting”  Integral to ensuring mission

11. The SOP  SOP 1 – 102: Decision-Making Rules for TNI Committees and Boards  Endorsed: TNI Board: December 12, 2007  Effective: January 31, 2008  Implementation: May 1, 2008  Applicability: All TNI Programs and Committees

12. Requirements  Declare type of rule used to make a specific decision  Establish clear decision points  Establish quorum requirements  No fewer than three Committee Members or Directors  Record in the minutes all decisions made  For motions, record text, originator, and member who seconds

13. Options to Requirements  Consider allowing absent members to register a vote  Change rule for making a decision following an established rule  Document votes cast by each member  Record a minority or dissenting opinion

14. Foundation for Decision- Making  Participatory decision-making leads to sustainable agreements  Clear decision points mark the moment and allow proceeding with implementation  Decision-making by clear rules promotes accountability and ownership  All decisions made should follow established rules.

15. Types of Decisions  High-stakes  Long lasting results  Not easily reversible  Can be complex or contentious  Affect many  Require ownership by many  Low-stakes  Simple, routine

16. High or Low?  Where will the committee have dinner?  Who will be a committee member?  How are minutes approved?  When is an SOP revised?  How often does the program board meet?  How is the committee’s charter approved?  Who will be the Chair of TNI Board?

17. Types of Decision-Making Rules  Flip a coin  Person-in-charge decides without discussion  Person-in-charge decides after discussion  Majority vote*  Enthusiastic support*  Unanimous agreement* *Rules that can involve consensus, a participatory process of deliberation to make a decision

18. “Flip a Coin”  Arbitrary, random  Picking numbers from a hat, lottery  Not appropriate for high-stakes decisions  Good for quick low-stakes decisions  Will the minutes be printed on blue or white paper?  Will the Chair buy dinner for committee members?

19. Person-in-Charge Decides Without Discussion  Good for low-stakes decisions  For high-stakes decisions:  Connects authority with accountability  Can create blind spots  By delegation of a group to a leader  In times of crisis  Example  Chair cancels scheduled meeting  Executive Director chooses sweatshirt color

20. Person-in-Charge Decides After Discussion  Combines authority with advice  Can promote giving false advice  Works well using devil’s advocate thinking  May seem wasteful for low-stakes decision  Example  Executive Director chooses meeting locale after considering advice of planning committee

21. Majority Vote  Most commonly used rule  Group can decide on majority level  Simple, 51%  Two-thirds  Creates winners and losers  Works well for quick low-stakes decisions

22. Enthusiastic Support  Strives for unanimity, but recognizes it is not always possible  Very good for high-stakes decisions  Support is registered on a scale  Characterizes degree of support more accurately  Can lead to alternative decision-making rule  Group decides on scale and level of support to use

23. Gradients of Agreement  Endorse  Agree with reservation  Mixed feelings  Don’t like, but won’t block  Veto

24. Rule in Action  Can use colors  Green = complete agreement  Red = VETO  Can use numbers  5 = Complete agreement  1 = VETO  Key is to decide before you are considering a proposal

25. Example  To elect a Chair, a Board requires:  That 8 out 10 members register agreement on first three levels, but a veto does not defeat proposal  To remove a member, a committee requires:  That 7 out of 10 members register agreement on the first two levels, that all members vote, and veto defeats proposal

26. Unanimous Agreement  Most involved  Takes time and understanding  All have veto power  Effort is rewarded with sustainability  Example  To recognize an accreditation body, a board requires unanimity

27. Reaching Closure  Last phase of decision-making  Essential and crucial, yet often omitted  If you don’t close it, it remains open  Reach closure via a meta-decision

28. “Meta-Decision”  A decision made by a group or person-in- charge that determines whether a decision on a proposal under discussion can or cannot be made.  You are deciding whether you can decide

29. Example  To approve SOP Policy Committee requires:  RULE: Enthusiastic support  SUPPORT LEVEL*: All votes in top three levels, no vetoes, all members vote  IF NO SUPPORT (IMPASSE): Redraft and reconsider  FINAL CONSIDERATION*: If no support again, simple majority will decide * Meta-decision points: Chair decides when to end discussion

30. Roadmap to Your Decision- Making  Tabulate the types of decisions you make  Assign a rule to each type of decision  Establish how to change an assigned rule  What to do if there is an impasse  Approve the decision-making scheme  By an appropriate rule  Consider the meta-decisions  Document all decisions made

31. Conformance to TNI Mission  Promotes openness  Upfront decisions  Creates transparency  Documents crucial transactions  Ensures inclusiveness  All accounted, all participate

32. In Other Words  Read it  Understand it  Walk it  Implement by May 1, 2008