How to Provide the Free Micro-eMBA Program for Businesses

People Looking On Tablet

Free Micro eMBA — How to Provide the Program for Businesses

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC
.

You Can Provide Program with Little in Expertise or Resources!

You have a wonderful opportunity to offer a highly accessible,
“nuts and bolts” program to others in your area! Offering
the program will be much easier than you think. You’ll read below
about a straightforward approach called “peer-training groups”
that you can use to design and carry out the program. This approach
requires little in expertise or resources from you.

First, we’ll review some basic considerations in offering any
management-related development program. Then we’ll review the
peer-training group approach that addresses many of the primary
considerations in offering a program.

Sections of This Document Include the Following

Primary Considerations in Setting Up
Any Development Program

How Peer-Training Groups Make It Easy
to Provide the Program

Suggested Number of Meetings Per Learning
Module

Regarding Verification and Certification
of Learning

Also consider
Related Library Topics


Primary Considerations in Setting Up Any Development Program

There are some fairly standard considerations in setting up
and offering any management and organization development program.
You’ll need to think about the following primary considerations.
(Keep in mind that the peer-training process takes care of many
of these standard considerations for you!) They include:

  • What do you want to accomplish overall with your Free Micro-eMBA
    program? Professional development? Organization development?
    Networking? Complement another training program? Other(s)?
  • How will learners gain the necessary knowledge, skills and
    abilities to achieve the outcomes that are preferred from the
    program? Will learners listen to lectures? Do readings? Have
    discussion? Other(s)?
  • What group(s) of learners will be in your program? New entrepreneurs?
    Experienced chief executives? Board members? Middle managers?
    Consultants? Volunteers? Other(s)?
  • How will learners be organized as they go through the program?
    In groups/classes? On their own? As part of another program?
    Other(s)?
  • In the case of an online program, will your learners have
    consistent access to computers and the World Wide Web?
  • How will you evaluate the quality of the process in your
    program? How will you identify what outcomes were achieved by
    learners? How will you show evidence of that learning?
  • What expertise might you need to offer and support the program?
    Subject-matter experts? Trainers? Evaluators? Advertisers?
  • How will you advertise your program and recruit learners?
    Advertisements? Newsletters? Classifieds in newspapers? Direct
    mail? Word of mouth? Other(s)?
  • What materials and facilities do you need? Training materials?
    Classrooms? Parking spaces? Other(s)?
  • What costs are involved? Trainers? Subject-matter experts?
    Facilities? Advertising?
  • What fee will you charge learners?
  • Where will you get help if needed?
  • What is involved in kicking off the program?

How Peer-Training Groups Make It Easy to Provide the Program

Peer-Training Incorporates State-of-the-Art Methods of Adult
Development

Adults learn best when they a) actually apply new information
and materials, and b) exchange ongoing feedback with others around
those experiences. Few traditional classroom conditions support
these ideal conditions for learning. In most cases, an expert
delivers the training and afterwards learners leave the room,
seldom to see each other again. Too often, training materials
sit on shelves collecting dust — learners never really apply
their new learning. This problem doesn’t happen in peer-training
groups!

The process in peer-training does provide ideal conditions
for learning. The peer-training process is based on the action
learning process, which is used across the world for personal,
professional and organizational development. The peer-training
process was developed by Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Sponsors of
the Free Micro-eMBA can use the peer-training process to carry
out the program in a straightforward fashion that makes little
use of high-priced experts and facilities.

Before Peer-Training Begins, Sponsor Markets Program and Recruits
Learners

Before the peer-training process begins, the program sponsor
organizes learners to go through the program. This involves some
basic advertising and promoting about the program. How that marketing
is carried out depends very much on the nature and needs of the
sponsoring organizations and the locale in which the program is
being offered. The sponsor may find the program
flyer
useful during the local advertising effort.

How the Peer-Training Process Works

Once the group of learners has been organized, here’s generally
how the peer-training process works. The following sequence repeats
itself for each topic in a program.

1. The sponsor provides training materials in regard to a certain
topic. (In this case, all of the materials are already completely
and available for free in the Free Micro-eMBA.)
2. Learners meet on a regular basis, for example, every two to
four weeks in three-hour meetings. Meetings are about three hours
long.
3. Between meetings, learners read the training materials in regard
to the topic.
4. Each meeting starts with some type of training activity, often
just a one-hour, open discussion about the particular topic that
the learners had just read about previous to coming to the meeting.
5. Immediately after the one-hour discussion period, learners
are organized into groups of 5-7 learners each to do a two-hour
peer-training circle (ideally, in separate rooms).
6. In their groups, learners share any materials that they brought
to share with other learners in their group, for example, policies,
plans, etc., that were developed from applying new information
and materials learned during the program
7. In each group meeting, each learner gets a specific amount
of time (a time slot of, eg, 20 minutes) to get help from other
members of the group. During their time slot, each learner addresses
five specific questions, including:
a) How did I apply the new information and materials gleaned from
the meeting of two to four weeks ago?
b) What did I learn from applying that information and materials?
(It’s highly suggested that the learner write down their
perceptions of their new learning.)
c) How do I plan to apply the new information and materials gleaned
from today’s meeting?
d) How can this group of peers help me apply the new information
and materials before the next meeting in two to fours weeks?
e) Are there any information and materials that I’d like my peers
to bring for me in the next meeting that we’ll have in two to
four weeks?
8. At the end of that meeting, each member evaluates the quality
of that meeting and specifies what could have been done to make
the meeting even better.
9. Between meetings, members apply the new information and materials
that were gleaned from the previous meeting.

Then steps 1-9 are repeated for each topic, or part of a topic
(see Suggested Number of Meetings Per
Learning Module
), in the program.

Resources to Guide the Peer-Training Process

Sponsors can choose to implement the peer-training process
on their own, or they can obtain time-tested guidebooks which
give step-by-step instructions for organizing, facilitating and
evaluating peer-training groups. (The sponsor may want to pilot
a group or two of learners just to get the “feel” for
the peer-training process.)

Sponsors of the Free Micro-eMBA (which is geared to for-profit
organizations and individuals) can obtain guidebooks by going
to the Authenticity Consulting, LLC, website that includes information
about Authenticity
Circles
. Authenticity Circles materials cost about $15 per
member for the entire program!


Suggested Number of Meetings Per Learning Module

The program’s learning modules vary in the amount of materials
to review and activities to conduct (in order to build systems
in the organization). Therefore, it may be prudent to use more
than one meeting to address certain modules (this is in the case
where the program sponsor has chosen to organize learners together
in meetings, eg, in peer-training groups). Note that learners
may choose to go through the program in an order other than that
specified in the Catalog
of Learning Modules
. That’s fine. Still, certain modules may
require more than one meeting of learners.

Note that the following are suggested — ultimately,
it’s up to the program sponsor and learners as to how many meetings
they want to have.

Learning Module

Suggested Number of
Learner Meetings (see NOTES below)

Program Orientation 1
Starting and Understanding Your Business Organization 1 about topics for reflection/discussion
1 about activities to build systems/practices
Your Role as Chief Executive 1
Developing Your Basic Management and Leadership Skills 1 about topics for reflection/discussion
1 about activities to build systems/practices
Building and Maintaining Your Board 1
Developing Your Strategic Planning 1 about topics for reflection/discussion
1 about activities to build systems/practices
Designing and Marketing Your Products/Services and Promoting
Your Organization
1 about topics for reflection/discussion
1 about activities to build systems/practices
Managing Your Business Finances 1
Staffing Supervising Your Employees 1 about topics for reflection/discussion
1 about activities to build systems/practices
Managing Ethics in the Workplace 1

NOTES:

1. The above table suggests a total of 15 meetings in the program.
The number of meetings in the program ultimately depends on:
a) How many modules the learner (or the program) chooses to complete
b) The amount of time between meetings. The more time between
meetings, the more likely that learners could address a module
in one meeting.

2. The length of time to complete the program depends on:
a) The amount of time between meetings, for example, two to four
weeks.
b) How many modules that learner (or the program) chooses to complete.


Regarding Verification and Certification of Learning

Ultimately, It’s Up to the Program Sponsor/Provider to Determine

It’s up to the sponsoring organization to decide if the program
will include certification of learning, for example, a diploma,
“continuing education units” (CEU’s), certificate, etc.

It’s ultimately up to the local sponsoring organization to
decide how any verification and certification of learning is to
occur. The sponsor is in the best position to collect and evaluate
the necessary information in order to verify extent of learning
and ultimately reward certification.

Learners in circles might consider from among the following
evaluation ideas to decide their approach to evaluating their
learning in the program. NOTE: Before and after every circle meeting,
learners will complete a Session Planner Form which has learners
answering the questions about their learning, as well.

Objective Criteria That Could Be Considered for Evaluation
of Learning

The following criteria apply to programs where learners are
organized into groups, for example, in the peer-training process.

Item/activity

Evaluator*

Passing Grade

Failing Grade

attendance facilitator · none or one absence · absence from two or more meetings without visible effort
to make up the missed meetings
documentation of learning facilitator · fully completed · not completed
reflective document with summary of learning from the program facilitator · integration and synthesis of learning · lack of integration and synthesis of learning
portfolio (collection of written results from the program) facilitator · complete · not completed

*The evaluator may be an outside facilitator or all learners,
for example.

Subjective Criteria That Could Be Considered for Evaluation
of Learning

Item/activity

Evaluator**

Passing Grade

Failing Grade

quality of learner’s feedback in meetings group feedback in final meeting · sustained high quality and quantity of feedback
· build on own and others’ strengths
· minimal feedback
quality of learner’s use of their time slots in meetings group feedback in final meeting · well-prepared explanation of current goal
· helped the group to help them
· overall: took charge of their learning
· obvious lack of preparation for meetings

**The evaluator may be an outside facilitator or all
learners, for example.


Return to the Free
Micro-eMBA home page
.


For the Category of Personal Development:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Managing Your Organization’s Finances

Man Pointing at a Report Paper on a White Board

Free Micro-eMBA Module #8: Managing Your Organization’s Finances

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC
. Adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision in Business
and Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision for Nonprofit Staff.

This module is in the organization development program. However,
this module can also be used by anyone as a self-study exercise
to learn more about managing finances.

Sections of This Module Include the Following

Introduction
Outcomes
Materials for Review
Suggested Topics for Reflection and Discussion
Activities to Build Systems and Practices
Assessments
Tracking Open Action Items


INTRODUCTION

New business leaders and managers have to develop at least
basic skills in financial management. Expecting others in the
organization to manage finances is clearly asking for trouble.
Basic skills in financial management start in the critical areas
of cash management and bookkeeping, which should be done according
to certain financial controls to ensure integrity in the bookkeeping
process. New leaders and managers should soon go on to learn how
to generate financial statements (from bookkeeping journals) and
analyze those statements to really understand the financial condition
of the business. Financial analysis shows the “reality”
of the situation of a business — seen as such, financial management
is one of the most important practices in management. This module
will help you understand basic practices in financial management,
and build the basic systems and practices needed in a healthy
business.

In the case of a corporation, the board has final responsibility
for the overall financial health of the organization. Therefore,
it’s critical that new corporations quickly build up the roles
of the board treasurer and board finance committee. The treasurer
and finance committee can be wonderful assets to the chief executive
when managing the finances of the organization — however, the
chief executive should never completely ignore the finances by
leaving them for the treasurer and other board members to manage.
The board’s role in ongoing governance of finances can include
ongoing review of financial reports during board meetings, approving
yearly budgets and financial statements, approving a set of fiscal
policies (guidelines for managing finances), reviewing results
of a yearly audit conducted by an outside auditor, co-signing
checks that are over certain limits and approving contracts, and
ensuring the organization conforms to relevant rules and regulations.

NOTE ABOUT LEARNING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: At first, when learning
financial management, many people might react that the learning
experience seems mostly like filling one’s head with strange concepts
and processes. Typically, the learning process starts with this
experience — it probably isn’t until the learner actually enters
an accounting transaction and analyzes a financial statement that
learning about financial management seems more “real”.
But the learning process almost always starts by reviewing concepts
and processes. Financial management almost always tells the truth
about the situation of a business — so the learning process is
well worth the effort.

NOTE ABOUT BOARD COMMITTEES: Consider establishing a Board
Finance Committee to review and
help guide implementation the information in this learning module.
Major activities and goals from this learning module could be
incorporated in that Committee’s Committee Work Plan.

Also consider
Related Library Topics


OUTCOMES

Learners who complete this module will achieve the following
outcomes:

  1. Learn Basics of Bookkeeping and Finances
  2. Understand Budgeting and Deviation Analysis
  3. Understand Basic Cash Management Practices
  4. Recognize Major Financial Statements
  5. Know Basics of Financial Analysis
  6. Evaluate Your Financial Management Practices

MATERIALS FOR REVIEW

  • The following materials will help you address each of
    the topics and learning activities in this module.
  • Note that additional materials for review are associated
    next to certain topics and activities listed in this module.

Background Reading

Quickly get a “big picture” view of the aspects of
financial management by scanning the types of topics and their
order at
All
About Financial Management in For-Profits

Basics and Getting Started

Basics
of Financial Management

– – – Role
of Treasurer (read link “Role of Treasurer”)

– – – Charter
and Work Plan for Board Finance Committee

– – – Getting
an Accountant or Bookkeeper if Needed (read “Getting and
Using Accounting Services”)

– – – Buy
Accounting Software to Help You? (scan each of the articles at
the links)

– – – Getting
a Bank and Banker (read “Getting and Using a Banker”)

– – – Basic
Overview of For-Profit Financial Management

– – – – – – Basics
of Financial Management in U.S. Small For-Profit Businesses

– – – – – – Free
Introductory Accounting & Bookkeeping Tutorial
(scan the topics in the tutorial)

Activities in the Yearly Accounting Cycle

Bookkeeping Basics:

Bookkeeping
Basics, including:

– – – Beginners’ Guide to Financial Statements
– – – Bookkeeping and Accounting Tutorial
(more detailed tutorial … be patient)

Financial
Controls

– – – Internal
Controls for a Small Business (scan the controls to get a sense
for them)

– – – Sample
Financial Procedures Manual

Critical Operating Activities in Financial Management:

Managing
a Budget (read all)

– – – The Right Way to Prepare a Budget?
– – – Small
Business Budget Example

Credit
and Collections (read at least 3 articles)

– – – Collection Letter Secrets to Getting Paid
Budget
Deviation Analysis (read all)

Financial Statements and Analysis:

Financial
Statements (read 2 of the articles)

– – – Profit
and Loss (Income) Statement (read all)

– – – Balance
Sheets (read all)

Financial
Analysis

– – – Profit
Analysis (read 2 of the articles)

– – – Break-Even
Analysis (read 2 of the articles)

– – – Ratios
(read 2 of the articles)


SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR REFLECTION
AND DISCUSSION

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to discuss the following
    questions with peers, board members, management and staff, as
    appropriate.

Preparation for Financial Management

1. What is the role of the board treasurer? See Role of Treasurer.

2. What are at least 3 goals of a Board Finance Committee?
See Charter and Work Plan for Board Finance Committee.

3. What needs to be considered when selecting an accountant?
See Getting an Accountant or Bookkeeper if Needed.

4. What needs to be considered when buying accounting software?
See Buy Accounting Software to Help You?

5. What needs to be considered when selecting a banker? What
services might a business need from a bank? See Getting a Bank and Banker.

6. What is the board’s role in financial management? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

Basics of Accounting

1. What is the accounting cycle? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

2. What are the elements of an accounting system? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

3. What is a fiscal policies and procedures manual? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

Bookkeeping and Financial Controls

1. What general activities are included in bookkeeping? See
Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

2. What types of information are in a financial fiscal policies
and procedures manual? See Sample Financial Procedures Manual.

3. What is cash-basis vs. accrual-basis accounting? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

4. What bookkeeping journals might you start out with? See
Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

5. What is a Chart of Accounts? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

6. What is the purpose of financial internal controls? What
are some practices in internal controls (HINT: think about signing
checks, opening mail, how to verify that account totals are accurate,
etc.)? NOTE: The concepts in financial controls are essentially
the same between a for-profit and nonprofit organization. See
Internal Controls for a Small Business — scan
the controls to get a sense for them
.

Budget, Cash Management, Credit and Collections, and Budget
Deviation Analysis

1. What is a yearly (or operating or annual) budget? How is
a yearly budget prepared? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
,
The Right Way to Prepare a BudgetHow Do We Prepare a Budget?

2. What are fixed expenses and variable expenses? See The Right Way to Prepare a Budget and
Fixed and Variable Expenses?

3. What is petty cash? How should it be handled? (The concept
is essentially the same in nonprofits and for-profits.) See Internal Controls for Petty Cash and Receipts.

4. What is a cash flow and how should cash be managed? See
Managing Cash Flow.

5. What is a cash flow statement? What is a cash flow projection?
See Managing Cash Flow.

6. What is a budget deviation analysis? What information is
considered during this analysis? See Budget Deviation Analysis.

Financial Statements and Analysis

1. What are two major forms of financial statements used by
for-profit organizations? See Financial Statements.

2. What general information is included a Profit and Loss Statement?
Balance Sheet? See Financial Statements.

3. What can be detected from a profit and loss statement? See
Profit and Loss Statement.

4. What can be detected from a balance sheet? See Balance Sheet.

5. What is the purpose of profit analysis? Break-even analysis?
Ratio analysis? See Profit Analysis, Break-Even Analysis and Ratio Analysis.


ACTIVITIES TO BUILD SYSTEMS AND
PRACTICES

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to complete the following
    activities, and share and discuss results with peers, board members,
    management and employees, as appropriate.
  • As you proceed through the following activities, be sure
    to note any incomplete actions in the Action Item Planning List.

Building Role of Treasurer and Board Finance Committee

1. In the case of corporations, one of the greatest assets
to a chief executive can be the board treasurer and finance committee.
Do you have a board treasurer and a finance committee? If not,
make it a high priority to recruit a treasurer and organize a
board finance committee. See Charter and Work Plan for Board Finance Committee.

Designing Operating (or Annual or Yearly) Budget

1. Your operating budget depicts the revenue the organization
expects to earn. It also depicts how that revenue will be spent.
Budget development starts from strategic planning. If you completed
Module 6: Developing Your Strategic Plan.
then you already have designed a basic yearly operating budget.
If you completed Module 7: Marketing Your Products, then you’ve
updated your operating budget to include revenue and costs of
your products and services. If you have not completed these two
modules, you should review information and materials in those
modules to draft and update a basic operating budget.

2. Obtain authorization of the operating budget by the board
(in the case of corporations). Board members should receive copies
of the operating budget for their review and authorization in
a board meeting. The minutes of the board meeting should reflect
member’s approval of the budget. Approval indicates that the board
expects the organization to operate over the coming year according
to the expected expenses and revenues depicted in the approved
operating budget. Note that if board members have been involved
in previous strategic and product/program planning, then their
approval of the budgets should be very straightforward at this
point.

Building Basics of Bookkeeping and Financial Controls

1. For your business, do you use a cash-basis vs. accrual-basis
accounting system? How do you know? What system should you be
using? What about for generating financial reports? See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

2. Will you be using a software tool to do your bookkeeping
and accounting? See Buy Accounting Software to Help You?

3. What bookkeeping journals do you use for your business?
If you do not have journals, then start with a simple cash journal.
See Basics of Financial Management in U.S. Small
For-Profit Businesses
.

4. Do you have a Chart of Accounts for your business? If you do not have one,
then consider an example provided in the following links. If you have selected
a software tool to help you manage your finances, then that tool might already
have a Chart of Accounts in it. See Chart of Accounts.

5. What financial controls do you have in place? If you have
not yet done so, draft a set of financial controls for your organization.
Think about controls to guide signing checks, handling petty cash,
opening mail, how to verify that account totals are accurate,
etc.) (The concepts in financial controls are essentially the
same between a for-profit and nonprofit organization.) See Sample Financial Procedures Manual.

Credit and Collections

1. Imagine that you did not get paid by a client or customer.
What would you do? Write down your answer and consider it to be
a basic draft of a financial procedure to handle collections.
See Credit and Collections and
Collection Letter Secrets to
Getting Paid
.

Budget Deviation Analysis

1. A few months after implementing your operating budget (that
includes expected expenses and revenues), modify the budget report
to include the column headings listed in your reading in the section
Budget Deviation Analysis. Analyze how closely
actual expenses and revenues are matching planned expenses and
revenues. What is the percentage difference for each item or account
or line item in the report? Is that percentage difference a problem?
What caused the difference? What are you going to do about the
differences in the future? Conduct a budget deviation analysis
each month in your business.

Financial Statements — Profit and Loss (Income Statement)

1. Generate an Income Statement for your business. Generating
an income statement requires that you have been entering business
financial transactions either by hand in a journal(s) or in an
accounting software package. Ideally, you have an accounting software
package that will produce a statement for you merely by entering
a command or clicking on the button on your computer screen. If
you generate a statement by hand, see examples in Profit and Loss (Income) Statements to provide
direction. Do you have an operating profit or loss?

Financial Statements — Balance Sheet

1. Generate a balance sheet for your business. Similar to an
income statement, generating a balance sheet requires that you
have been entering business financial transactions either by hand
in a journal(s) or in an accounting software package. Ideally,
you have an accounting software package that will produce a sheet
for you merely by entering a command or clicking on the button
on your computer screen. If you generate a sheet by hand, see
examples in Balance Sheets to provide direction. Do you
have a positive or negative net worth? Calculate your current
ratio. See Ratios. What does your current ratio indicate
about your organization? Calculate your quick ratio. See Ratios. What does your quick ratio tell
your about your organization?

Financial Statements — Cash Flow

1. Generate a cash flow statement for your business. A cash
flow statement can be one of the most important statements for
a new business because it can depict whether you can pay your
near-term bills or not. Generating a balance sheet requires that
you have been entering business financial transactions either
by hand in a journal(s) or in an accounting software package.
Ideally, you have an accounting software package that will produce
a sheet for you merely by entering a command or clicking on the
button on your computer screen. See Managing Cash Flow.


ASSESSMENTS

1. Evaluation
of Financial Practices in Businesses


REMINDERS FOR THOSE IN THE ON-LINE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Reminders About You

1. Are you using your skills learned in previous modules? For
example, as you using methodical approaches to problem solving
and decision making? Are you using strong practices of meeting
management? Are you communicating key information to others throughout
your organization?

2. Are you discussing topics and materials with peers, board
members and others, as appropriate? Discussion and ongoing feedback
are some of the best methods to really learn new information and
materials.

3. Are you helping others to hold you accountable to your times
that you committed to reading and study in this program?

4. Are you reflecting on learnings from past modules and how they build on the learning
in this module? For example, are you seeing your organization from a systems view,
as explained in the module “Starting and Understanding Your Organization?”


TRACKING OPEN ACTION ITEMS

1. One of the first indicators that an organization or a person
is struggling is that open action items are not tracked and reviewed.
(Open action items are required actions that have not yet been
completed.) Instead, people only see and react to the latest “fires”
in their workplaces or their lives. Whether open action items
are critical to address now or not, they should not entirely be
forgotten. Therefore, update and regularly review a list of open
action items (identified while proceeding through this program)
that includes listing each open action item, who is responsible
to complete it, when it should be completed and any associated
comments. When updating the list, consider action items as identified
during discussions, learning activities and assessments in this
module. Share and regularly review this action item list with
the appropriate peers, board, management and employees in your
organization. You can use the following Action Item Planning List. (At that Web address,
a box might open, asking you which software application to open
the document.)

2. If you have questions, consider posing them in the national,
free, online discussion group hr.com, which is attended
by many human resource and organization development experts.


(Learners in the organization development program can return
to the home page of the organization development program.)


For the Category of Financial Management (For-Profit):

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Conducting Complete Fitness Test of Your Business

Group of colleagues together having a fitness test

Free Micro-eMBA Module #11 (Optional Module): Conducting Complete Fitness Test of Your Business

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

This module is in the organization development program. However, this module can also be used by anyone as a self-study exercise to assess the health of major aspects of a business.

Sections of This Module Include the Following


INTRODUCTION

This module provides a set of extensive checklists that can be used to assess the health of a business’s practices in the areas of legal, governance (Board), human resource management and supervision, market research, advertising, public relations, customer service and sales, and financial management.

If you have completed the various learning modules in the organization development program, then the various checklists in this module will likely indicate that the practices in your business are very healthy.


OUTCOMES

Evaluate Quality of:

  1. Compliance to Laws and Regulations
  2. Board Operations
  3. Strategic Planning
  4. Supervisory and Human Resource Management Practices
  5. Market Research
  6. Advertising
  7. Public Relations
  8. Customer Service and Sales
  9. Financial Management

MATERIALS FOR REVIEW

  • The following materials will help you address each of the topics and learning activities in this module.

For-Profit Organizational Assessment


SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to discuss the following questions with peers, board members, management and staff, as appropriate.

1. After doing the above assessment, identify the 2 or 3 functions (Boards, human resources, planning, etc.) that had the most checkmarks in the “Needs Work” columns.

2. Which of those 2 or 3 functions needs attention before the others? If the Board and/or Strategic Planning got the most checkmarks, then be sure those functions get prompt attention because, without attending to them, it’s not likely that improvements in other functions will last very long. Those two functions are what tend to ensure the long-term health of all other functions.


ACTIVITIES TO BUILD SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to complete the following activities, and share and discuss results with peers, board members, management and staff, as appropriate.
  • As you proceed through the following activities, be sure to note any incomplete actions in the Action Item Planning List.

1. After identifying which of the 2 or 3 functions need the most attention (see #1 above) for now, list the activities that were marked as “Needs Work” in each of those functions, eg., list the activities that “Needs Work” in Boards.

2. For each of those lists, refer to that list as a “Work Plan” and assign that Plan to a Board Committee to oversee that the list is addressed, eg, assign the list of “Needs Work” in the Board function to a Board Development Committee or assign the list of “Needs Work” in the finances function to a Finance Committee to ensure the list is addressed.


ASSESSMENTS

There are no assessments in this section of the module, as there are in the other modules in the program, because this module is all about assessments, as provided above.


TRACKING OPEN ACTION ITEMS

1. One of the first indicators that an organization is struggling is that open action items are not tracked and reviewed. (Open action items are required actions that have not yet been completed.) Instead, organization members only see and react to the latest “fires in the workplace”. Whether open action items are critical to address now or not, they should not entirely be forgotten. Therefore, update and regularly review a list of open action items that includes listing each open action item, who is responsible to complete it, when it should be completed and any associated comments. When updating the list, consider action items as identified during discussions, learning activities and assessments in this module. Share and regularly review this action item list with the appropriate board, management and staff members in your organization. You can use the following Action Item Planning List.

2. If you have questions, consider posing them in the national, free, online discussion group hr.com, which is attended by many human resource and organization development experts.


REMINDERS FOR THOSE IN THE ON-LINE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

1. Are you exchanging feedback with others about what you’re learning in this program?

2. Are you sticking to your study schedule for this program?

3. Are you practicing your basic skills in management and leadership, including in problem solving and decision making, planning and meeting management?

4. Are you communicating throughout your organization by using your skills in internal communications?

5. Are you managing yourself? How many hours a week are you working? Are you noticing any signs of stress? If so, what are you doing about it?

6. One of the ways you might be able to tell if you’re stressed out and/or losing perspective might be whether you’re tracking details or not. Are you using the action item list referenced above?

7. Are you reflecting on learnings from past modules and how they build on the learning in this module? For example, are you seeing your organization from a systems view, as explained in the module “Starting and Understanding Your Organization”?


TRACKING OPEN ACTION ITEMS

1. One of the first indicators that an organization or a person is struggling is that open action items are not tracked and reviewed. (Open action items are required actions that have not yet been completed.) Instead, people only see and react to the latest “fires” in their workplaces or their lives. Whether open action items are critical to address now or not, they should not entirely be forgotten. Therefore, update and regularly review a list of open action items (identified while proceeding through this program) that includes listing each open action item, who is responsible to complete it, when it should be completed and any associated comments. When updating the list, consider action items as identified during discussions, learning activities and assessments in this module. Share and regularly review this action item list with the appropriate peers, board, management and employees in your organization. You can use the following Action Item Planning List. (At that Web address, a box might open, asking you which software application to open the document.)

2. If you have questions, consider posing them in the national, free, online discussion group hr.com, which is attended by many human resource and organization development experts.


(Learners in the organization development program can return to the organization development program.)


For the Category of Evaluations (Many Kinds):

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.


Managing Ethics in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Managers

Concentrated coworkers sitting on seminar in modern workspace

Free Micro-eMBA Module #10

Managing Ethics in the Workplace

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

This module is in the organization development program. However, this module can also be used by anyone as a self-study exercise to learn practical approaches to managing ethics in the workplace.

Sections of This Module Include the Following


INTRODUCTION

The management of ethics in the workplace holds tremendous benefits for everyone, benefits both moral — and even practical. This is particularly true today when it is critical to understand and manage highly diverse values in the workplace, and at a time when too many people still feel that business ethics is a topic for philosophy or is about shaming and blaming people. This module aims to make the topic of business ethics very understandable and accessible.

The field of business ethics has traditionally been the domain of philosophers, academics and social critics. Consequently, much of today’s literature about business ethics is not geared toward the practical needs of leaders and managers — the people primarily responsible for managing ethics in the workplace.

The most frequent forms of business ethics literature today typically include:

  • a) philosophical, which requires extensive orientation and analysis; ‘
  • b) anthologies, which require much time, review and integration;
  • c) case studies, which require numerous cases, and much time and analyses to synthesize; and
  • d) extended stories about businesses “gone bad”.

This lack of practical information is not the fault of philosophers, academics or social critics. The problem is the outcome of insufficient involvement of leaders and managers in discussions and literature about business ethics. More leaders and managers must become more involved. This module aims to help address this issue.

Also consider
Related Library Topics


OUTCOMES

Learners who complete this module will achieve the following outcomes:

Set Up Systems to Manage Ethics, Including:

  1. What is Business Ethics?
  2. Myths About Business Ethics
  3. 10 Benefits of Managing Ethics
  4. Ethics Management System
  5. 8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics
  6. 6 Key Roles and Responsibilities
  7. Codes of Ethics
  8. Codes of Conduct
  9. Ethics Policies and Procedures
  10. Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
  11. Conduct Ethics Training

MATERIALS FOR REVIEW

The following materials will help you address each of the topics and learning activities in this module.


SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR REFLECTION
AND DISCUSSION

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to discuss the following questions with peers, board members, management and employees, as appropriate.

1. What are “ethics” and “business ethics”? See What is Business Ethics?

2. What are at least 3 of the myths about business ethics? See 10 Myths About Business Ethics.

3. What are at least 4 of the benefits of managing ethics in the workplace? See 10 Benefits of Managing Ethics in the Workplace.

4. What does a highly ethical organization look like? See One Description of a Highly Ethical Organization.

5. What is an ethics management program? What does it do and how does it do it? Do all organizations have an ethics management program? See Ethics Management Programs: An Overview.

6. What are at 4 of the benefits of managing ethics as a program? See Ethics Management Programs: An Overview.

7. What are at least 4 of the guidelines for managing ethics in the workplace? See 8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics in the Workplace.

8. What are at least 4 of the roles and responsibilities to manage ethics as a program in the workplace? See 6 Key Roles and Responsibilities in Ethics Management.

9. What is a code of ethics? See Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics.

10. What is a code of conduct? See Ethics Tools: Codes of Conduct.

11. What are at least 5 of the types of policies and procedures that could be used to guide behavior toward those suggested in a code of ethics or conduct? See Ethics Tools: Policies and Procedures.

12. What is an ethical dilemma? Does it usually involve a clear right and wrong? See Ethics Tools: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas.

13. What are at least 3 examples of real-life ethical dilemmas? See Ethics Tools: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas.

14. Describe at least 1 of the 3 examples provided for resolving, or addressing, an ethical dilemma. See Ethics Tools: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas.

15. If you have an ethics policy that asserts certain desired behaviors in the workplace, but you actually tolerate those behaviors, what will the legal system usually decide are your actual policies? See Ethics Tools: Training.

16. What training might you conduct to sensitive organization members to the ethical aspects of their day-to-day activities and decisions? See Ethics Tools: Training.

17. What are at least 5 ways to train people about an ethics program and ethics in the workplace? See Ethics Tools: Training.


ACTIVITIES TO BUILD SYSTEMS AND
PRACTICES

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to complete the following activities, and share and discuss results with peers, board members, management and employees, as appropriate.

1. Draft a code of ethics for your organization. Remember to include examples of preferred behaviors with each of the values in your code of ethics. Present the code to your board, explain its purpose and how you’d like to use it, e.g., to discuss it with staff members, post it throughout your organization and renew it annually. See Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics and Ethics Tools: Codes of Conduct.

2. Pose an ethical dilemma (from the reviewed materials) to the staff and walk them through application of one of the three methods to resolve ethical dilemmas (these methods are included in the materials, as well). See Ethics Tools: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas.

3. Refer to your mental list of the mostly likely ethical dilemmas to occur in your organization. Would these potential dilemmas be addressed by current policies and procedures? Note what policies and procedures need to be added (included yearly review of your code of ethics) and propose them to a local personnel expert. Update your policies handbook and explain the additions to all organization members. See Ethics Tools: Policies and Procedures.


ASSESSMENTS

Culture is comprised of the values, norms, folkways and behaviors of an organization. Ethics is about moral values, or values regarding right and wrong. Therefore, cultural assessments can be extremely valuable when assessing the moral values in an organization.


TRACKING OPEN ACTION ITEMS

1. One of the first indicators that an organization or a person is struggling is that open action items are not tracked and reviewed. (Open action items are required actions that have not yet been completed.) Instead, people only see and react to the latest “fires” in their workplaces or their lives. Whether open action items are critical to address now or not, they should not entirely be forgotten. Therefore, update and regularly review a list of open action items (identified while proceeding through this program) that includes listing each open action item, who is responsible to complete it, when it should be completed and any associated comments. When updating the list, consider action items as identified during discussions, learning activities and assessments in this module. Share and regularly review this action item list with the appropriate peers, board, management and employees in your organization. You can use the following Action Item Planning List. (At that Web address, a box might open, asking you which software application to open the document.)

2. If you have questions, consider posing them in the national, free, online discussion group hr.com, which is attended by many human resource and organization development experts.


(Learners in the organization development program can return to the home page of the organization development program.


For the Category of Ethics:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.


How to Diagram the Framework of Your Business Organization

Serious coworkers working on business project in office

Diagramming the Basic Framework of Your Business Organization

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC
.
AField Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing
and Evaluation
.

Also consider
Related Library Topics

Description

The following framework can be filled in by readers to design
a logic model (or diagram) for their organization and for each
of its programs or products. Guidelines and examples are provided
to help the reader.

Purpose of a Logic Model

A logic model is a top-level depiction the flow of materials
and processes to produce the results desired by the organization.
The model can be very useful to organize planning and analysis
when designing the organization and its products/programs or when
designing evaluations of products/programs. It can also be useful
for describing the organization.

What to Include and What Not to Include

Logic models can be in regard to whatever application in which
the designer chooses to use them. However, when using logic models
to analyze or describe organizations or departments, it’s often
best to use logic models to depict major, recurring items in the
organization or departments — rather than one-time items. For
example, you might not choose to do a logic model for the one-time,
initial activities to build an organization (constructing the
building, registering with state and federal authorities, etc.).
However, you might benefit more from using logic models to analyze
and describe the major, recurring activities that occur in the
organization or department (once they’re built) to continue to
produce the results desired for customers.

Size and Level of Detail

The logic model should be of a size that readers can easily
study the model without extensive reference and cross-comparisons
between pages. Ideally, the logic model is one or at most two
pages long. The level of detail should be sufficient for the reader
to grasp the major items that go into an organization, what occurs
to those inputs, the various outputs that results and the overall
benefits/impacts (or outcomes) that occur and to which groups
of people.

Note the content of program logic models is often more specific
than models for organizations. This level of specificity is often
quite useful for planners.

Definitions of Basic Terms

Logic models typically depict the inputs, processes, outputs
and outcomes associated with an organization and its processes
or products. Don’t be concerned about your grasping the “correct”
definition of each of the following terms. It’s more important
to have some sense of what they mean — and even more important
to be consistent in your use of the terms.

Inputs

These are materials that the organization or department takes
in and then processes to produce the results desired by the organization.
Types of inputs are people, money, equipment, facilities, supplies,
people’s ideas, people’s time, etc. Inputs can also be major forces
that influence the organization or products. For example, the
inputs to a product that is bought by trainer to teach learners,
for example, training materials, teachers, classrooms, funding,
paper and pencils, etc. Various laws and regulations effect how
the product may be applied, for example, safety regulations, Equal
Opportunity Employment guidelines, etc. Inputs are often associated
with a cost to obtain and use the item — budgets are listings
of inputs and the costs to obtain and/or use them.

Processes (or Activities or Strategies or Methods)

Processes are used by the organization or program to manipulate
and arrange items to produce the results desired by the organization.
Processes can range from putting a piece of paper on a desk to
manufacturing a space shuttle. However, logic models are usually
only concerned with the major recurring processes associated with
producing the results desired by the organization. For example,
the major processes used by an organization to produce a product
for trainers might include recruitment of learners, pretesting
of learners, training, post-testing and certification.

Outputs

Outputs are usually the tangible results of the major processes
in the organization. They are usually accounted for by their number,
for example, the number of products made by the organization.
Outputs are frequently misunderstood to indicate success of an
organization or product. However, if the outputs aren’t directly
associated with achieving the benefits desired for customers,
then the outputs are poor indicators of the success of the organization
and its products.

Outcomes

Some organizations may choose to analyze their organizationals
results in terms of outcomes, which are (hopefully positive) impacts
on customers whom the organization wanted to benefit with its
products. Outcomes are usually specified in terms of:
a) learning, including enhancements to knowledge, understanding/perceptions/attitudes,
and behaviors
b) skills (behaviors to accomplish results, or capabilities)
c) conditions (increased profits for customers, etc.)

It’s often to specify outcomes in terms of short-term, intermediate
and long-term.


Basic Example of a Logic Model

The following example is intended to further portray the nature
of inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes.

The logic model is for an organization called the Self-Directed
Learning Center (SDLC).

Logic models for programs are often more detailed.

Inputs

  • Free articles and other publications on the Web
  • Collaborators
  • Free Management Library
  • Funders
  • Self-directed learners·
  • Volunteers
  • Computers
  • Web
  • Supplies

Processes

  • Provide peer-assistance models in which learners support each other
  • Provide free, online training program: Basics of Self-Directed Learning
  • Provide free, online training program: Basic Life Skills
  • Provide free, online training program: Passing your GED Exam

Outputs

  • 30 groups that used peer models
  • 100 completed training programs
  • 900 learners who finished Basics of Self-Directed Learning
  • 900 learners who finished Basic Life Skills
  • 900 learners who passed their GED to gain high-school diploma

Short-Term Outcomes

  • high school diploma for graduates
  • improved attitude toward self and society for graduates
  • improved family life for family of graduates

Intermediate Outcomes

  • full-time employment for learners (in job that required high-school education)
  • increased reliability and improved judgment of learners
  • enhanced publicity and public relations for SDLC

Long-Term Outcomes

  • independent living for learner (by using salary to rent apartment)
  • strong basic life skills for learner
  • improved love life for learner who’s now in a relationship
  • increased likelihood and interest for learner to attend college

Logic Model for

Organization (Name)
Or Product (Name)

Inputs

Processes

Outputs

Short-Term Outcomes

Intermediate Outcomes

Long-Term Outcomes


For the Category of Business Development

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Building and Maintaining an Effective Board of Directors (for corporations)

Elderly Women in a Business Meeting

Free Micro-eMBA Module #5: Building and Maintaining an Effective Board of Directors

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC
.

This module is in the organization development program. However,
this module can also be used by anyone as a self-study exercise
to learn more about building and maintaining a board of directors.

Sections of This Module Include the Following

Introduction
Outcomes
Materials for Review
Suggested Topics for Reflection and Discussion
Activities to Build Systems and Practices
Assessments
Tracking Open Action Items


INTRODUCTION

If you are an incorporated business, it’s very likely that
you have already at least the beginnings of a board of directors.
Theory and law dictate that the board of directors is responsible
to govern your organization. Typically, new boards of directors
in a new organization work hands-on, almost as partners — or
as a “working board” — with the chief executive. A
wise CEO will see Board members almost as strategic partners,
rather than as a necessary evil that corporations must have.

It’s not uncommon, especially for new organizations, to act
as if they are lucky even to have anyone on their board. Wrong!
You deserve — and should always expect — to have a very participative
board that, no matter how hands-on they are at first, also attend
to major decisions about the organization.

For the organization to grow and remain healthy, board members
must grow in their roles to become more of a “governing board”.
Completion of this module will ensure that your board has the
necessary components, policies and practices in place from which
to develop a healthy governing board.

Note that you, as a learner in this program, can greatly enhance
the development of your board by continuing to involve board members
in discussions about topics and questions posed by this program.

NOTE ABOUT THE ORDER OF MODULES (AND SOME DUPLICATION WITH
PREVIOUS MODULE ON ROLE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): : The modules
about starting an organization and about the role of chief executives
briefly mention certain activities in regard to building a preliminary
board of directors — there is a little bit of necessary duplication
between these two modules. This module helps the learner to round
out the board of directors and ensure they are fully functioning
for the organization.

NOTE ABOUT BOARD COMMITTEES: Consider establishing a Board
Development Committee (in the case of corporations) to review
and help guide implementation the information in this learning
module. Major activities and goals from this learning module could
be incorporated in that Committee’s Work Plan.

Also consider
Related Library Topics


OUTCOMES

Learners who complete this module will achieve the following
outcomes:

  1. Understand Roles and Responsibilities of a Board
  2. Adopt Board Policies
  3. Build Board Committees
  4. Recruit New Board Members
  5. Ensure Strong Participation of Board Members
  6. Prepare for Board and CEO Evaluations
  7. Build Board Calendar to Schedule All Operations
  8. Organize a Board Manual
  9. Train Board Members
  10. Assess the Health of Your Board Practices

MATERIALS FOR REVIEW

  • The following materials will help you address each of
    the topics and learning activities in this module.
  • NOTE: There are many materials included for review in
    this section. However, you do NOT need to review all of them
    in detail.
    a) You do not need to follow links out of the following documents
    b) You do not need to follow links in “Also see” sections
    c) You do not need to review any materials marked as “nonprofit”

Board Roles and Responsibilities

Overview
of Board Roles and Responsibilities (read all “for-profit”
and quickly scan some job descriptions)

– – – Overview
of Roles and Responsibilities of Corporate Board of Directors
(read all)

– – – Board
and Staff Responsibilities (read all)

Some
Legal Considerations for Board Members

Sarbanes
Oxley Act

Insurance
Against Liability

Board Operations

Board
Operations and Systems (read introductory paragraph)

– – – Depiction
of “System” of For-Profit Board

– – – Sample
Board Operations Calendar (read all)

Documents — Charter/Constitution/Articles, Operating Rules,
Policies, etc.

Articles
of Incorporation (scan one in the “for-profit” section)

Corporate Bylaws
(scan this one to get a sense for what’s in a bylaws)

Corporate
Resolutions (is a single act of approval to approve, eg,– scan
one)

Board
Policies (scan the names of some of the policies)

Staffing the Board

Staffing
the Board

– – – Joining
a Board (read a few articles)

– – – Sample
Board of Directors Recruitment Grid

– – – Guidelines
for Recruiting New Board Members (read all)

– – – Sample
Contents of Board Member’s Manual (read all)

– – – Orienting
New Members to Boards of Directors (read all)

– – – Basic
Guidelines and Sample Agenda for Board Training Session (read
all)

– – – Compensating
Board Members

– – – Removing
Members (read several)

Ensuring Successful Committees

Forming Board Committees
– – – Typical
Types of Board Committees (read all)

– – – Sample
of a Board of Directors Committee Work Plan

– – – Ideas
to Generate Participation in Committees (read all)

– – – Guidelines
to Form an Advisory Group (read all)

Ensuring Successful Meetings

Board
Meetings General Guidelines

– – – Sample
Board of Directors Meeting Agenda (read all)

– – – Basic
Sample of Board of Directors Meeting Minutes (read all)

– – – Board
Attendance Policy (Sample) (read all)

– – – Board
Retreats (read all articles)

– – – Annual
General Meeting

Evaluating the Board

Evaluating
the Board and Members (read introductory paragraphs)

– – – Evaluating
the Board of Directors (read all)

– – – Self Evaluation (read all)

Board and Staff Relations

Board
and Staff Relations (read all)

– – – Board
and Staff Responsibilities

– – – Suggestions
to Enhance Working Relationship Between Board Chair and Chief
Executive

– – – How
Much Should Your Board Be Involved in Management?

Evaluating CEOs

Evaluating
the CEO

– – – Guidelines
for Evaluating the Chief Executive (read all)

– – – Sample
Form to Use During Evaluation of Chief Executive (read all)

– – – Sample
of a Board’s Supervisory Skills Development Plan for CEO


SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR REFLECTION
AND DISCUSSION

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to discuss the following
    questions with peers, board members, management and employees,
    as appropriate.

Board Roles and Responsibilities

1. Name the five duties and ten responsibilities of boards
(as listed on the materials included in your materials for review)?
(Note that various experts might offer a different mix of duties
and responsibilities. The important point here is to get a basic
sense of the overall responsibilities of a board.) See Overview of Roles and Responsibilities of Corporate
Board of Directors
.

2. To whom is a board of directors responsible, that is, to
whom do they “report”? See Overview of Roles and Responsibilities of Corporate
Board of Directors
.

3. What is the board chair responsible for? vice chair? secretary?
treasurer? See Sample Job Descriptions for Members of Boards
of Directors
.

4. Test your knowledge of the roles of board and staff by completing
the table at Board and Staff Responsibilities — Test Your
Knowledge
. Be sure to compare your answers to the table at
Board
and Staff Responsibilities
.

Board Operations

1. What are the recurring major activities of a board of directors?
See Sample Board Operations Calendar.

2. What are some of the recurring yearly activities that a
Board should do? See Sample Board Operations Calendar.

3. What are at least five ideas to generate and sustain strong
participation of board members? See Ideas to Generate Participation in Committees.

Board Policies

1. What is the purpose of board policies? See Board Policies.

2. What is the purpose of board bylaws? See Corporate Bylaws.

3. What is a board manual? Name as many board manual contents
as you can. See Sample Contents of Board Member’s Manual.

4. What is a board resolution? See Board Resolutions.

Board Staffing (Recruiting, Orienting, Training, Informing)

1. What is the most important consideration when you set out
to recruit new members to your board? See Guidelines for Recruiting New Board Members.

2. How many guidelines can you name for orienting employees?
See Orienting New Members to Boards of Directors.
Informing them on a regular basis? See How Do We Keep Board Members
Informed?

3. How should you train your Board members? See Basic Guidelines and Sample Agenda for Board
Training Session
.

4. What should you consider when deciding the compensation
to your Board members? See Compensating Board Members.

5. What’s involved in removing board members? See Removing Members.

Board Committees

1. What is the purpose of a board committee? See Typical Types of Board Committees.

2. What is a standing committee? Ad hoc committee? When should
each type be used? See Typical Types of Board Committees.

3. How many committees can you name and what is the purpose
of each? See Typical Types of Board Committees.

4. What is an advisory group (or committee or board)? See Guidelines
to Form and Advisory Group
.

5. What is a work plan for a committee? See Sample of a Board of Directors Committee Work
Plan
.

6. Can you name at least 4 of the ideas to generate participation
in committees? See Ideas to Generate Participation in Committees.

Board Meetings

1. What is a board meeting agenda? How are they developed?
See Sample Board of Directors Meeting Agenda.

2. What is the purpose of board meeting minutes? What should
be included in the minutes? See Basic Sample of Board of Directors Meeting Minutes.

Board Evaluations

1. How does the board evaluate itself? What is considered during
the evaluation? How often should the board evaluate itself? See
Board
of Directors Self-Evaluation
and Evaluating the Board of Directors.

2. How does the board evaluate the chief executive officer?
See Guidelines for Board of Directors Evaluation
of Chief Executive
and Sample
Form for Board’s Evaluation of the Chief Executive
.

Special Topic — Board Liabilities

1. Is your board aware of any potential liabilities? Should
your board members consider getting any certain forms of insurance?
See Some Legal Considerations for Board Members
and Insurance Against Liability.

2. What are the ramifications of the Sarbanes Oxley Act for
your company? See Sarbanes Oxley Act.


ACTIVITIES TO BUILD SYSTEMS AND
PRACTICES

  • Learners are strongly encouraged to complete the following
    activities, and share and discuss results with peers, board members,
    management and employees, as appropriate.
  • Note that the roles of your board and employees will become
    more clear as you complete strategic planning and product planning
    later on in this program.
  • As you proceed through the following activities, be sure
    to note any incomplete actions in the Action Item Planning List.

Specify Your Board’s Roles and Responsibilities

1. Clarify what your board will be doing and your staff will
be doing. Complete the Board and Staff Responsibilities — Test Your
Knowledge
according to the wishes of your board. You can compare
your preferences to those suggested in the table at Board and Staff Responsibilities.

Authorize Up-to-Date Board Policies

1. Adopt an up-to-date and acceptable set of bylaws. Before
the next meeting, the board chair and CEO should write a memo
that highlights important points from the current bylaws. Or,
they might make marks in the margin of the current bylaws as means
to highlight important points. Include these highlights in the
board packet of information that gets sent to each board member
before the next meeting. Set aside 20 minutes in an upcoming board
meeting to collect feedback about the current bylaws. Consider
board resolutions to make any changes to the bylaws. Once changes
have been made, consider a resolution to formally adopt the bylaws.
See Corporate
Bylaws
.

2. What board policies will you need? Draft — and carefully
enforce — a policy for board attendance. See Board Attendance Policy (Sample).

3. What other policies are required by Sarbanes Oxley? Role
of Audit Committee? Whistleblower? Document Retention/Destruction?
See Sarbanes Oxley Act.

Organizing Your Board Committees (Includes Recommendations)

1. What board committees should you have? You should have at
least an executive committee that can meet between board meetings,
if necessary. This committee could be comprised of chairs of other
committees and/or officers of the board. To identify other needed
committees, carefully consider the types of major issues that
your organization faces and any strategic goals to be accomplished
over the next year. What is the nature of these goals and issues,
for example, audit, compensation, financial, board development
and personnel? If possible, establish committees for each of the
major types of issues and goals faced by our organization. See
Typical
Types of Board Committees
.

Recommendation: Establish the Following Initial Board Committees

2. Strongly consider establishing at least the following board
committees. Each of the following committees can help you accomplish
major sections of this Online For-Profit Organization development
program. Each of the following committees should have its own
work plan. The work plan should include goals to accomplish the
major activities specified in the associated sections of this
online program.

Strongly Suggested Standing Committees to Have:
a) Executive Committee — This committee can be comprised of chairs
from other committees and/or officers of the board. See Executive Committees — To Be or Not To Be.
b) Board Governance Committee — This could be done by the executive
committee for now. This committee also could include nominating,
orienting and training new board members. See Board Governance Committee.
c) Audit Committee — See Setting Up an Audit Committee.
d) Marketing Committee
e) Finance Committee

Other Standing Committees to Consider:
f) Personnel Committee
g) Product Evaluation Committee

Committees to Consider Organizing as Needed:
h) Planning Committee (this can be comprised of the chairs of
other committees)

Note that you will probably have much clearer idea about what
committees to have when you get done with your strategic planning
in an upcoming module. See Description of Typical Committees.

3. Quickly establish work plans for your committees. As soon
as your board has approved the new organization of committees,
be sure that each committee sets about to develop its own work
plan. Using a work plan is one of the best ways for committees
to stay effective and engaged. See Sample of a Board of Directors Committee Work
Plan
.

Staff Your Board With Needed Skills

1. Identify what skills are now needed by your board. Again,
consider the nature of major issues and goals currently faced
by your organization. Also reference the Sample Board of Directors Recruitment Grid.
Write down what skills are needed.

2. Develop procedures for recruiting and orienting board members.
Include steps to recruit members, orient members, get completed
applications from board candidates and elect new members. Consider
information in Guidelines for Recruiting New Board Members,
Orienting
New Members to Boards of Directors
and Sample Board Application Form. Have the entire
board review the procedures for acceptance and authorization.

3. Use your new procedures to begin recruiting new board members.
(The size of the board is usually specified in the bylaws. You
can recruit enough members to reach this size. If the size needs
to be changed, consider a resolution to modify the bylaws.)

Ensure Strong Participation of Board Members (Board Meetings)

1. Get board packets out to members at least a week before
each meeting. One of the clearest indicators to board members
that the organization is not taking them seriously is if they
don’t get materials in time for adequate review before board meetings.Write
a procedure for your staff to always send out a packet of meeting-preparation
information to board members at least one week before the next
board meeting. In the packet, include at least the following:

a) agenda for the upcoming meeting
b) report from the chief executive about major accomplishments
and current issues and plans over the next two months
c) financial reports, including at least a budget report and cash
flow statement
d) materials that can help board members act on any major decisions
expected from them in the next meeting

2. Expect nothing less than full (or excused) absence from
meetings. What kind of attendance are you getting to current board
meetings? Are you regularly getting at least a quorum of members?
(The quorum is the minimum number of members that must be present
in a meeting for that meeting and its processes to be considered
official. The quorum is usually specified in the bylaws). If you
are not getting strong attendance, then be sure to enforce a Board
Attendance Policy (Sample)
. If you don’t enforce this policy,
then you have a major problem — the problem is that you
aren’t taking it seriously to expect and pursue a strong board
of directors.

3. The board’s worst enemy — the “numb out” factor.
One of the first signs that a board is in trouble is when members
have opinions that they don’t express during meetings. If you
find yourself sitting in a board meeting and realize you have
“numbed out”, then you’re not doing your duty as a board
member. Do you need to follow any of the guidelines in Ideas to Generate Participation in Committees?

Ensure Your Board and Chief Executive are Really(!) Effective

1. Establish a procedure for regular board self-evaluations.
Don’t just “go through the motions” and not evaluate
whether the board is really effective or not. How does your board
evaluate itself now? Do you have a procedure that has been accepted
and authorized by board members? Is your board evaluating itself
on a regular basis? The board should conduct evaluations on a
yearly basis, or at least every two years. If the board isn’t
evaluating itself on a regular basis, then make this point to
discuss in an upcoming meeting. Consider information in Board of Directors Self-Evaluation and Evaluating the Board of Directors.

2. Establish a procedure for to evaluate the chief executive
on a regular basis — preferably once a year. Don’t just “go
through the motions” and not evaluate whether the chief executive
officer is really effective or not. Does your board evaluate your
chief executive officer? How often? How are the results used?
If you are not evaluating the chief executive on a regular basis,
then why not? Make this a point to discuss in an upcoming meeting.
Consider information in Guidelines for Board of Directors Evaluation
of Chief Executive
and Sample
Form for Board’s Evaluation of the Chief Executive
.

Clearly Communicate What Your Board Does (Board Operations)

1. Establish a calendar of the recurring major activities to
be conducted by your board each year. The calendar should be accepted
and authorized by the board. Consider information in the Sample Board Operations Calendar.

Ensure Adequate Protection from Liabilities

1. Conclude what insurance you do and don’t need for board
members. Is your board aware of any potential liabilities? Should
your board members consider getting any certain forms of insurance?
Consider information in the
Legal and
Insurance Considerations for Board Members and
Overview of Liability Insurance (including Directors’
and Officers’ Insurance).

Build a Board Manual for Each Board Member

1. Ensure that each board member has a policies manual that
contains at least the following policies and materials. See Sample
Contents of Board Member’s Manual
.

a) Description of roles and responsibilities of your board
– see Overview of Roles and Responsibilities of Corporate
Board of Directors

b) Job descriptions for each board member and officer position
– see Sample Job Descriptions for Members of Boards
of Directors

c) Descriptions of your board committees, their overall responsibilities
and work plans – see Typical Types of Board Committees

d) Policies for recruiting new members, orienting them, informing
them and removing them – see Joining, Recruiting, Orienting, Informing, Removing
Board Members

e) Your board meeting attendance policy – see Board Attendance Policy (Sample)

f) Procedure for evaluating your board of directors – see Board
of Directors Self-Evaluation

g) Procedure for evaluating your chief executive officer –
see Guidelines for Evaluating the Chief Executive

h) Sample meeting agendas and board meeting minutes – see Sample
Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
and Basic Sample of Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

i) Copies of your articles of incorporation (if applicable)
and bylaws

j) Copy of your strategic plan (if applicable)

k) Board operations calendar

Train Board Members to Be Highly Effective (Board Training
Session)

1. Conduct a board training session to ensure each board member
fully understands their role and has the necessary resources to
carry out their role. Review information in the document Basic Guidelines and Sample Agenda for Board
Training Session
. Now draft a training session agenda that
specifies the topics that will be covered in the session, who
will address each topic and how. Schedule and carry out the training
session.


ASSESSMENTS

Consider any or all of the following assessments as means to
evaluate the health of your board of directors.

1. Board of Directors Self-Evaluation


REMINDERS FOR THOSE IN THE ON-LINE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

1. Are you exchanging feedback with others about what you’re
learning in this program?

2. Are you sticking to your study schedule for this program?

3. Are you practicing your basic skills in management and leadership,
including in problem solving and decision making, planning and
meeting management?

4. Are you communicating throughout your organization by using
your skills in internal communications?

5. Are you managing yourself? How many hours a week are you
working? Are you noticing any signs of stress? If so, what are
you doing about it?

6. Are you reflecting on learnings from past modules and how
they build on the learning in this module? For example, are you
seeing your organization from a systems view, as explained in
the module “Starting and Understanding Your Organization?”


TRACKING OPEN ACTION ITEMS

1. One of the first indicators that an organization or a person
is struggling is that open action items are not tracked and reviewed.
(Open action items are required actions that have not yet been
completed.) Instead, people only see and react to the latest “fires”
in their workplaces or their lives. Whether open action items
are critical to address now or not, they should not entirely be
forgotten. Therefore, update and regularly review a list of open
action items (identified while proceeding through this program)
that includes listing each open action item, who is responsible
to complete it, when it should be completed and any associated
comments. When updating the list, consider action items as identified
during discussions, learning activities and assessments in this
module. Share and regularly review this action item list with
the appropriate peers, board, management and employees in your
organization. You can use the following Action Item Planning List. (At that Web address,
a box might open, asking you which software application to open
the document.)

2. If you have questions, consider posing them in national,
free, online discussion groups hr.com, which are attended
by many human resource and organization development experts.


(Learners in the organization development program can return
to the home page of the organization development program.)


For the Category of Boards of Directors:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Board and Staff Responsibilities — Test Your Knowledge

Group of colleagues going through a document

Board and Staff Responsibilities —
Test Your Knowledge

Applies to for-profits unless otherwise noted.

Use the following table to test your
knowledge of the differences between the roles of the board and
staff of an organization. Under the column titled “Responsibility”,
note if the activity is:
Board
Staff
Joint

Then compare your answers to the table
at Board and Staff Responsibilities.

Activity

Respon-
sibility

PLANNING:

Director the process of planning |
Provide input to long range goals |
Approve long range goals |
Formulate annual objectives |
Approve annual objectives |
Prepare performance reports on achievement of goals and
objectives
|
Monitor achievement of goals and objectives |

PROGRAMMING:

Assess stakeholder (customers, community) needs |
Oversee evaluation of products, services and programs |
Maintain program records; prepare program reports |
Prepare preliminary budget |
Finalize and approve budget |
See that expenditures are within budget during the year |
Approve expenditures outside authorized budget |
Insure annual audit of organization accounts |

PERSONNEL:

Employ Chief Executive |
Direct work of the staff |
Hire and discharge staff member |
Decision to add staff |
Settle discord among staff |

COMMUNITY RELATIONS:

Interpret organization to community |
Write news stories |
Provide organization linkage with other organizations |

BOARD COMMITTEES:

Appoint committee members |
Call Committee Chair to urge him/her into action |
Promote attendance at Board/Committee meetings |
Recruit new Board members |
Plan agenda for Board meetings |
Take minutes at Board meetings |
Plan and propose committee organization |
Prepare exhibits, material and proposals for Board and
Committees
|
Sign legal documents |
Follow-up to insure implementation of Board and Committee
decisions
|
Settle clash between Committees |

For the Category of Boards of Directors:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Facilities Management

Colleagues listening to executive at meeting in office boardroom

Facilities Management

Sections of This Topic Include

Plan Your Facilities
Select the Best Location
Specific Facilities (signage, computers, etc.)
Setting Up an Office
Telecommuting (working from home)
Inventory
Management (this section is in “Operations Management)

Logistics
and Transportation Management (this section is in “Operations Management”)

Also consider
Related Library Topics


Plan Your Facilities

Small-business planning often overlooks the critical importance of clarifying
what facilities are needed to support the development and provision of a product
or service, and then to plan how to get those facilities. That is true especially
if you are providing a product rather than a service because a product often
requires space to store the necessary materials and supplies to produce the
product, as well as to develop it.

Important decisions about facilities include, for example: How much space do
I need for storage? Production? Personnel? How should the facility represent
my brand, my colors and tone? What about parking? What about expected future
growth? Should I rent or buy?

After answering the above questions and considering the guidelines in the following
articles, write down your requirements for facilities. You, or any others who
are helping you, can continually reference your requirements to ensure that
your facilities meet your requirements.
Strategic
Facility Planning — Now More Important Than Ever
What
to Consider When Making Business Facility Decisions
Implementing
Facilities Management Successfully in 7 Steps
Facility
Planning: Steps, Process, Objectives, Importance
50
Expert Facilities Management Tips and Best Practices

Useful Resources in Facilities Planning Include
Planning
| Project
Planning
| Technical
Writing

Select the Best Location

Having having thought about your needs and preferences for facilities, you
are ready to think about where to locate your business. Decisions include, for
example: Do I want proximity to my customers? Proximity to my suppliers? Distance
from my competitors? What municipalities might grant you some tax breaks if
you locate near them? What about parking?

Before you select a location, your answers to these questions should be written
in a specification that you can reference when searching for a location or that
you can bring to a real-estate agent. That way, you will be making the best
choice based on your actual needs, rather than on your personal preferences.
How to Find the Best Location
A
Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Right Location for Your Business
Choosing
the Right Location for Your New Business
How
to Choose the Best Location for Your Small Business
How
to Choose a Business Location

Useful Resources in Selecting a Location Include
Planning
| Technical
Specifications
| Contracting

Specific Facilities

Building

Strategic Facility Planning:
A White Paper

HVAC Systems

HVAC (Definition)
Types
of HVAC Systems

Offices

See Setting Up an Office below.

Computers

Computer and Network Security
The Use of Computers in Facilities/Installations Planning
Computer Aided Facilities
Management

Setting Up An Office

Designing
An Effective Home Office

Designing
Your Home Office

Introduction
to Property Management

(This section is about setting up office facilities. Information about organizing
yourself, your files, paperwork, etc., is included in the topic Organizing
Yourself
.)
Office
Design, Leasing and Organizing

Organizing
Yourself (organizing your office and activities, once the office is set up)

Time
Management

Telecommuting (virtual workplace)

Basics

Basics of Telecommuting for Companies
The Rise of the Truly Virtual Workplace
Why and how to transition to a virtual workplace

General Resources About Telecommuting

Telecommuting Defined
26 Great Telecommuting Resources
Telecommuting Resource Center
List of sites
and articles about telecommuting

General Resources
About Facilities Management

USArchitecture.com a by the State Directory of Architecture, Engineering and Construction
International Facilities Management Association
Facilities Management News


For the Category of Facilities Management:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Theory of Change

Change-word on a-wooden-background

Theory of Change – Understanding How Any System Works

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

Much of the content
of this topic came from this book:
Nonprofit Programs - Book Cover

Sections of This Topic Include

Basic Overview of Theory of Change
How to Develop a Theory of Change
Example of a Theory of Change (for Community Collaboration)
Examples of Theory of Change
Special Topics About Theory of Change
Trainings and Resources About Theory of Change

Also consider
Guidelines
and Framework for Developing Logic Models
Related Library Topics


Basic Overview of Theory of Change

A system, such as a program, product or program has a recurring set of activities,
including:

  1. Inputs to the system, such as curriculum materials, funding and expertise
  2. Processes that occur to the inputs, such as trainings, facilitations and
    coaching
  3. Outputs from the processes, such as the number of students trained
  4. Changes in external resources, such as new knowledge, skills and abilities
    among the students

Logic models are often used to depict this flow of activities. However, what
is missing from the logic models are depiction and explanation of how those
activities affect — or are supposed to affect — each other. The theory of
change is extremely useful in that regard.

A logic model can clearly depict the order of the phases in a systematic program,
such as the training program above. However, it does not explain how those phases
are closely integrated to produce the desired outcomes from the program. For
example, the logic model does not explain the assumptions that program designers
make when they conclude that certain processes will produce certain outputs
and outcomes.

The theory of change of the program explains those assumptions. It explains
the assumed causes and effects that program designers can study in order to
understand why a program works or does not work. The theory of change can also
explain what others must do to duplicate or improve similar programs.

Theory of change applies to almost any kind of designed system, including products,
services and programs. Thus, the concept can be extremely useful to any kind
of organization or internal unit in the organization.

Theory
of Change vs Logical Framework – what’s the difference?
Differences
Between the Theory of Change and the Logic Model

How to Develop a Theory of Change

Theory
of Change – When to Use
Theory
of Change (a how-to)
Theory
of Change (another how-to)
How
to Build a Theory of Change

Example of a Theory of Change (for a Community
Collaboration)

The following example is based on this logic model for a community collaboration of several nonprofit organizations working together to accomplish a common overall change in the community. The reader
is encouraged to print out that one-page model as he or she reads the following
theory of change. During the example collaboration, the lead organization supports
the organizational development of each partnering organization with assessments,
trainings, coaching and peer learning.

Information in a theory of change is sometimes described in a reverse order
of the parts of the logic model because the primary focus is on – and
starts with – the expected outcomes.

7. Community-level, long-term outcomes:

  • certain social issues will be resolved for a certain group of clients in
    certain geographic area(s)

Program Activities:

These desired outcomes are to reduce the occurrence of gang activity, youth
violence, and child abuse and neglect among 12-21 year-olds in a certain area
by the end of the 3-year Program. The amount of change and the indicators to
those amounts for each social service might not yet be determined. Hopefully
the suggested degree of alignment between the participating organization’s
program outcomes can come from the result of the upcoming community assessment
and asset mapping. The occurrence and quality of these outcomes will be evaluated
at the end of the Program.

Assumption:

  • The outcomes (impacts on clients) of the programs of each of the participating
    organizations in the Program are aligned with contributing to the desired
    community-level, long-term outcomes.

6. Long-term outcomes in each of the participating organizations: organizational
effectiveness and positive impacts in the community

Program Activities:

Each organization will undergo capacity-building activities to implement the best
practices in each of the major functions, for example, Boards, strategic planning,
programs, marketing, staffing, finances and fundraising.

Assumption:

The Program’s capacity-building activities will result in each organization’s
successful implementation of best practices that, in turn, will achieve effectively
organizational and program effectiveness for each organization and, in turn,
will result in positive impacts in the community.

5. Intermediate outcomes in each organization: new skills and abilities for
the personnel in the organizations

Program Activities:

Each organization’s personnel will learn about the best practices needed
in each common function in an organization in order to achieve a highly effective
organization and that personnel will apply those new skills to develop those
new abilities.

Assumption:

The Program’s methods and short-term outcomes will produce sufficient
skills for those personnel to implement best practices and capacity building.

4. Short-term outcomes in each organization: new knowledge for personnel in
the organizations

Description:

Personnel in each organization will gain new knowledge about the necessary
best practices in the most important functions in nonprofits in order to develop
high-performing nonprofits.

Assumption:

The Program’s methods will produce sufficient knowledge about best practices
and capacity building, along with indicators toward that knowledge.

3. Tangible outputs for each organization

Program Activities:

Tangible results will include, for example, valuation plans, assessments and
reports, action plans, strategic plans, training sessions, coaching sessions,
peer learning sessions, coaches’ notes, facilitators’ notes and
status reports.

Assumptions:

  1. The Program actually uses the desired methods according to the eight principles
    for successful capacity building, as suggested in the Human Interaction Research
    study (listed below in the “Program methods …” section).
  2. The Program methods actually produce these recurring outputs.
  3. Establishment of best practices, and subsequent organizational and program
    effectiveness, will proceed through short-term outcomes (knowledge about capacity
    building), intermediate outcomes (skills to use capacity building to implement
    best practices) and long-term outcomes (having implemented the best practices).
  4. These recurring outputs will contain sufficient information about the status
    of implementation of the best practices such that various levels of outcomes
    can be ascertained.

2. Program methods / interventions (capacity building activities)

Program Activities (capacity building activities):

The Program’s methods/interventions are designed according to the eight
principles for capacity building effectiveness, which are:

  1. Comprehensive (comprehensive assessments are done and a variety of capacity
    building activities are used, including assessments, awards, training, coaching,
    peer learning, etc.).
  2. Customized (according to the life cycle and culture of the organization
    via assessment and interviews).
  3. Competence-based (capacity building plans are customized to the organization’s
    resource level).
  4. Timely (capacity building plans are scheduled according to the organization’s
    resource level).
  5. Peer-connected (a time-tested, peer coaching model is used).
  6. Assessment-based (each organization is assessed via a variety of methods,
    including two different organizational assessment tools and interviews).
  7. Readiness-based (each organization’s readiness is assessed via a readiness
    checklist and interviews).
  8. Contextualized (capacity building continually accommodates/adjusts for other
    current activities within and around the organization).

Assumptions:

  1. Each of the organizations will participate as expected in the Program.
  2. Program personnel will be trained and effective in delivering Program services.
  3. The Program’s capacity building methods ultimately will guide participants
    to implement and operate the best practices.

1. Inputs to the Program

Description:

Among the inputs are nonprofit organizational performance “best practices”
as defined by the United Way Management Indicators Checklist, which is a comprehensive
organizational assessment tool designed by 20 nonprofit organizational development
consultants. The best practices are itemized as approximately 170 specific behaviors
within a nonprofit organization. The best practices will be embellished with
best practices for sustaining a successful collaboration among the participating
organizations.

Other inputs are Program funding, eight participating organizations, consultants,
trainers, coaches, capacity building “best practices” and facilities.

Assumptions:

  1. The Program’s selected “best practices” are those that
    together, when implemented, will achieve organizational and program effectiveness
    for each organization. The definition of “organizational effectiveness”
    has long been under scrutiny. Thus, this Program adopts these operating definitions.
    An “effective” program achieves desired outcomes among its targeted
    group of clients and in the timeframe desired. Also, an “effective”
    organization has ongoing high-quality operations that support ongoing effective
    programs.
  2. The selected organizations each have programs that, together, achieve the
    desired community-level outcomes.
  3. These best practices can be organized into the funder’s mandated four
    areas of outcomes for each participating organization, including development
    of leadership (Board and staff), organizational systems, program operations
    and community engagement/awareness.

Articles About Basics of Theory of Change

What is
Theory of Change?
What
is this thing called ‘Theory of Change’?
Theory of Change
Theory
of change basics: A primer on theory of change
Theory of change
How
Does Theory of Change Work?

Examples of Theory of Change

Theory of Change
– Examples
Use
of Theory of Change in Health Interventions
How
can a Theory of Change framework be applied to short-term international volunteering?
Theory
of Change for Strategic Planning
Use
of Theory of Change in Project Evaluations
Constructing
Theories of Change for Information Society Impact Research

Special Topics About Theory of Change

Evaluating a Theory of
Change Framework
Six
Theory of Change Pitfalls to Avoid
How to and how not to develop
a theory of change to evaluate a complex intervention

Trainings and Resources About Theory
of Change

Center for Theory of Change
Theory
of Change Training Curriculum
Theory
of Change for Development
Theory
of change (numerous articles)



For the Category of Evaluations (Many Kinds):

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books


Checklist for Program Evaluation Planning

People Having a Discussion at the Office

Checklist for Program Evaluation Planning

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

The following checklist might prove useful when planning evaluations for programs. The reader would benefit from first reading Basic Guide to Program Evaluation.

Name of Organization

Name of Program

Purpose of Evaluation?
What do you want to be able to decide as a result of the evaluation? For example:
__ Understand, verify or increase impact of products or services on customers/clients (eg, outcomes evaluation)
__ Improve delivery mechanisms to be more efficient and less costly (eg, process evaluation)
__ Verify that we’re doing what we think we’re doing (eg, process evaluation)
__ Clarify program goals, processes and outcomes for management planning
__ Public relations
__ Program comparisons, eg., to decide which should be retained
__ Fully examine and describe effective programs for duplication elsewhere
__ Other reason(s)

Audience(s) for the Evaluation?
Who are the audiences for the information from the evaluation, for example:
__ Clients/customers
__ Funders/Investors
__ Board members
__ Management
__ Staff/employees
__ Other(s)

What Kinds of Information Are Needed?
What kinds of information are needed to make the decision you need to make and/or enlighten your intended audiences, for example, information to understand:
__ The process of the product or service delivery (its inputs, activities and outputs)
__ The customers/clients who experience the product or service
__ Strengths and weaknesses of the product or service
__ Benefits to customers/clients (outcomes)
__ How the product or service failed and why, etc.
__ Other type(s) of information?

Type of Evaluation?
Based on the purpose of the evaluation and the kinds of information needed, what types of evaluation is being planned?
__ Goal-based?
__ Process-based?
__ Outcomes-based?
__ Other(s)?

Where Should Information Be Collected From?
__ Staff/employees
__ Clients/customers
__ Program documentation
__ Funders/Investors
__ Other(s)

How Can Information Be Collected in Reasonable and Realistic Fashion?
__ questionnaires
__ interviews
__ documentation
__ observing clients/customers
__ observing staff/employees
__ conducting focus groups among
__ other(s)

When is the Information Needed?

What Resources Are Available to Collect the Information?


For the Category of Evaluations (Many Kinds):

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.