Return to article

Meeting talk: 2012 AGM/Candidates/Gideon Digby

Line 5: Line 5:
Hi Gideon, I have a couple of questions relating to your statement:
Hi Gideon, I have a couple of questions relating to your statement:
#As part of the statement uou argue that the committee needs to improve several aspects of the way it operates. Could you please outline the reforms which you think should be implemented to achieve this?  
#As part of the statement uou argue that the committee needs to improve several aspects of the way it operates. Could you please outline the reforms which you think should be implemented to achieve this?  
#* In October 2011 the members were asked to approve a [[Strategic Plan]] which was developed by a number of people including committee memebrs, WMAU members and people from outside. That plan was approved by the membership it identified 3 core areas that needed to be improved, along with potential methods in achieving that. Those three core principles were '''communication''', '''support the volunteers''', and '''professionalisation''' a key factor in achieving that was employing someone full time with the change to funding model and that now being followed by $0 FDC funnding employing a person full time is unrealisitic. Having a full time employee was never the magic bullet, 12 months on communication about what is being done still needs to be improved. The committee is there to serve the members that means the committee need to advise the community of what is being done one way in doing that is establishing a newsletter that reports on what the committee is doing, what projects its approved, what projects it is considering along with what is happening in the community where people are meeting what workshops are taking place and what events have been scheduled. This last point also goes to next core factor supporting the volunteers, working from scratch to make contacts and get an event off the ground isnt easy it takes a lot of time, energy and resources.<br>WAMU can support members thru stipends to enable them to spend time working on a project, to attend events that further our goals or obtain equipment necessary to continue their work. WMAU committee also needs to take leadership in the organisation of at least one event in each major member location that brings members of the committee face to with the members as well inviting local GLAMs to attend the day thus facilitating the opportunity for doors to be opened and questions to be answered, that is the basis behind [[Proposal:2013_national_town_hall_meeting_program|the Townhalls]]. This also contributes to professionalisation of WMAU by showing the wider community that when a member approaches them with an idea they have the backing of the association to develop the idea. Another issue with professionalisation is also linked to the first core principle of communication, no email to the committee, or other key email addresses should go unanswered and emails should be responded to as soon as committee member reads it acknowledging its reciept. Professionalisation is also about reporting, about accountability not only of the committee but also of those recieving assistance by report on what was achieved sharing the lessons both good and bad so that we can all benefit. Professionalism is also about being transparent, about declaring interests, about sharing information and decision making with the community its also about answering the tough questions as a committee we have a responsibility to the community its a resposibility that needs to taken seriously.
#You also state that WPAU should be seeking funding from a wider range of sources so that it's not beholden to the WMF's priorities. What other sources of funding do you think that WPAU should be seeking, and how should the conditions which apply to this funding be assessed as part of the application process?
#You also state that WPAU should be seeking funding from a wider range of sources so that it's not beholden to the WMF's priorities. What other sources of funding do you think that WPAU should be seeking, and how should the conditions which apply to this funding be assessed as part of the application process?
#*a key requirement of being an association is that we are independent to make our own decisions and not controlled by another body. Currently all our funds have come from one source that is The Foundation WMAU hasnt independently gained funding from other sources, even now the $0 FDC recommendation is going to have a significant impact our ability to function. WMAU has a limited amount of unassigned funds left and those funds if the 2013 plan is followed will be totally consumed impacting on WMAU ability to support member initives in a timely fashion, by the end of 2013 WMAU will be 100% dependent of the FDC. There are many places that we can seek funding from, grants from other organsation and government agenices as well as individuals. If WMAU is persuing the preservation languages then it should also be persuing funding from Indigenious bodies to assit in the costs preserving Indigenious languages obviously such assistance will be conditional on what is done. We can also look to the corporate world to get funding to provide coverage of Australian content, or sponsorship of the townhall program.
Thank you [[User:Nick-D|Nick-D]] 20:45, 18 November 2012 (EST)
Thank you [[User:Nick-D|Nick-D]] 20:45, 18 November 2012 (EST)

Revision as of 13:50, 18 November 2012

.

Questions from Nick-D

Hi Gideon, I have a couple of questions relating to your statement:

  1. As part of the statement uou argue that the committee needs to improve several aspects of the way it operates. Could you please outline the reforms which you think should be implemented to achieve this?
    • In October 2011 the members were asked to approve a Strategic Plan which was developed by a number of people including committee memebrs, WMAU members and people from outside. That plan was approved by the membership it identified 3 core areas that needed to be improved, along with potential methods in achieving that. Those three core principles were communication, support the volunteers, and professionalisation a key factor in achieving that was employing someone full time with the change to funding model and that now being followed by $0 FDC funnding employing a person full time is unrealisitic. Having a full time employee was never the magic bullet, 12 months on communication about what is being done still needs to be improved. The committee is there to serve the members that means the committee need to advise the community of what is being done one way in doing that is establishing a newsletter that reports on what the committee is doing, what projects its approved, what projects it is considering along with what is happening in the community where people are meeting what workshops are taking place and what events have been scheduled. This last point also goes to next core factor supporting the volunteers, working from scratch to make contacts and get an event off the ground isnt easy it takes a lot of time, energy and resources.
      WAMU can support members thru stipends to enable them to spend time working on a project, to attend events that further our goals or obtain equipment necessary to continue their work. WMAU committee also needs to take leadership in the organisation of at least one event in each major member location that brings members of the committee face to with the members as well inviting local GLAMs to attend the day thus facilitating the opportunity for doors to be opened and questions to be answered, that is the basis behind the Townhalls. This also contributes to professionalisation of WMAU by showing the wider community that when a member approaches them with an idea they have the backing of the association to develop the idea. Another issue with professionalisation is also linked to the first core principle of communication, no email to the committee, or other key email addresses should go unanswered and emails should be responded to as soon as committee member reads it acknowledging its reciept. Professionalisation is also about reporting, about accountability not only of the committee but also of those recieving assistance by report on what was achieved sharing the lessons both good and bad so that we can all benefit. Professionalism is also about being transparent, about declaring interests, about sharing information and decision making with the community its also about answering the tough questions as a committee we have a responsibility to the community its a resposibility that needs to taken seriously.
  2. You also state that WPAU should be seeking funding from a wider range of sources so that it's not beholden to the WMF's priorities. What other sources of funding do you think that WPAU should be seeking, and how should the conditions which apply to this funding be assessed as part of the application process?
    • a key requirement of being an association is that we are independent to make our own decisions and not controlled by another body. Currently all our funds have come from one source that is The Foundation WMAU hasnt independently gained funding from other sources, even now the $0 FDC recommendation is going to have a significant impact our ability to function. WMAU has a limited amount of unassigned funds left and those funds if the 2013 plan is followed will be totally consumed impacting on WMAU ability to support member initives in a timely fashion, by the end of 2013 WMAU will be 100% dependent of the FDC. There are many places that we can seek funding from, grants from other organsation and government agenices as well as individuals. If WMAU is persuing the preservation languages then it should also be persuing funding from Indigenious bodies to assit in the costs preserving Indigenious languages obviously such assistance will be conditional on what is done. We can also look to the corporate world to get funding to provide coverage of Australian content, or sponsorship of the townhall program.

Thank you Nick-D 20:45, 18 November 2012 (EST)