Accountability and communications
NNCO_VOLTaking part in the voluntary sector
Accountability and communications
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Contents
- 4.Accountability and communications
- Learning outcomes
- 4.1The role of trustees
- 4.2Know, grow and show the difference you make
- 4.3Communicating with others
- 4.4Key points from Section 4
- 4.5Section 4 quiz
- Glossary
- References
- Acknowledgements
4.Accountability and communications
Introduction
Accountability is at the core of the work of voluntary organisations. In a broad sense, accountability means being held to account. In the sense of voluntary (and other) organisations, it means being responsible for actions taken by the organisation and also being able to communicate, explain and justify what they have done. Therefore, the organisation needs to be accountable to all its stakeholders – the people and groups who have an interest in what the organisation does, that is, service users, staff, volunteers, donors and members, funders, government, the wider public and so on.
Section 4 is divided into three topics:
- The role of trustees looks at the role trustees play in governance and strategy- setting. It also considers their responsibilities and the ways in which they are accountable.
- Know, grow and show the difference you make explains how voluntary organisations make an impact and how this activity can be planned, measured and communicated.
- Communicating with others explores what being a good communicator entails through examining different methods of communicating and how to improve the ‘message’. This can create more effective and accountable relationships with different audiences.
Learning outcomes
By completing this section and the associated quiz, you will:
- understand the difference between governance and management, and the role of trustees in voluntary organisations
- understand what is meant by the impact of a voluntary organisation and why it matters
- be able to improve the ways in which you communicate with others.
If you already work, volunteer or are a trustee then you will be able to apply the examples and knowledge gained to your own experience. If you do not yet work or volunteer in the voluntary sector then you could think about how these topics relate to an organisation you are interested in. You might even be inspired to consider applying for a role as a trustee, in which case you will have a clearer idea of what it entails.
4.1The role of trustees
Trustees or members of the governing body play the key role of overseeing the organisation. They have specific responsibilities which they must carry out with the other members of the governing body, according to the organisation’s constitution and relevant legislation. All formal voluntary organisations have a ‘governing document’ which is called different things in different organisations, such as constitution, memorandum and articles of association, trust deed or rules. This document essentially contains the aims and rules of the organisation, lays out what the organisation will do and how it will do it, and illustrates how the organisation is democratic and accountable. If there are problems or questions about what the organisation has done, then it serves as a point of reference.
Governance relates to the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and accountability of an organisation.
Good governance ensures that:
- the law and regulations are complied with
- an organisation is well run and efficient
- problems are identified early and dealt with appropriately
- the reputation and integrity of the sector are preserved
- charities make a difference and the objects of the charity are advanced.
Good governance involves:
- agreeing the purpose of the charity
- agreeing broad strategies to carry out the charity’s purpose effectively
- accounting for the non-profit’s performance
- ensuring it operates within the law.
Management, on the other hand, is about implementing the strategies agreed by the board, for example by detailed planning, putting procedures in place and raising money. Management and implementation is carried out by members of staff or volunteers. However, staff and volunteers may well contribute to governing and leading the organisation as well. There are inevitably exceptions, for example where trustees are also volunteers carrying out day-to-day duties in very small organisations; where the paid director of an organisation makes a substantial contribution to the strategic decision-making when meeting with the trustees; or where, in a very large charity where departments are devolved, they have considerable autonomy but this is usually still implementation and management rather than governing.
Who are trustees and what are their main responsibilities?
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Figure 1Advancing the objects or purpose of the charity
View description - Figure 1Advancing the objects or purpose of the charity
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NCVO (2015) states that charity trustees are the people who are entrusted to look after money (or other resources such as land or property) given to a charity by a person or group of people. Charity trustees must ensure that these resources are used effectively to achieve the particular purpose for which they were given. Trustees are:
- voting members of the governing body
- elected or appointed in accordance with the charity’s constitution
- almost always unpaid
Trustees also have ultimate responsibility for everything the charity does and in a smaller organisation may delegate day-to-day tasks to staff and/or volunteers. This responsibility is not just at meetings but 365 days a year! This highlights what an important role being a trustee is. In a charitable company, company directors and trustees are the same people.
In thinking about their broader role, there are three essential questions for trustees to consider when governing a voluntary organisation:
- Why does my organisation exist?
- Where is it going now and in the future?
- Are we meeting our objectives in the most effective way?
The first of these questions relates to the impact and public benefit of the organisation; the second is about leadership, stewardship and strategy, that is, setting aims and objectives and priorities as well as safeguarding resources for beneficiaries; and the third is about stewardship and accountability. Again, this shows the importance and contribution of trustees in many different types of organisations in a range of fields.
Legal duties
The main legal duties for trustees of registered charities are laid down by the various Charities Acts in the UK and by the charity regulators. The key duties are to:
- ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
- comply with the charity’s constitution and the law
- manage the charity’s resources responsibly
- act with reasonable care and skill
- act collectively
- ensure the charity is accountable.
There is a lot of guidance available on these issues (for example via National Council for Voluntary Organisations in England (see NCVO, 2015)) and the different charity regulators for the UK. The Wales Council for Voluntary Action also offers specific information and guidance. So if you are keen to become a trustee you might want to do some further reading (see the References at the end of this section). The charity you want to get involved with would also hopefully have information available.
Why be a trustee?
There is a shortage of trustees, particularly from younger age and more diverse groups. According to a campaign run by NCVO in 2009, the reasons for becoming a trustee included:
- a desire to become more actively involved in the community (22%)
- the chance to do something to progress a cause (17%)
- more meaningful way to support a charity than donation (17%)
- the chance to develop skills (17%).
These reasons might be similar to the reasons for volunteering in general, but wanting to be a trustee is quite different because of the large responsibilities and liability. People might not realise all of this when they first apply for a role.
Start of Activity
Activity 1
Allow about 5 minutes.
Start of Question
Watch this video of Cara Miller talking about being a trustee and her own experience of it. Make notes on what she says is involved and consider the benefits and challenges of the role.
Start of Media Content
Watch the video at YouTube.com.
View transcript - Uncaptioned interactive content
End of Media Content
End of Question
Provide your answer...
View discussion - Activity 1
End of Activity
If you are interested in applying to be a trustee, you should ask yourself the following questions to reflect on whether you have the right aptitudes, skills and experience.
Start of Box
Box 1Finding the right fit
- What are your motivations for wanting to be a trustee?
- Are you committed to the objects and values of the charity?
- On what level does the charity operate (international, national, local)?
- What does the charity do, for example campaigning, service delivery, policy, research?
- What will be expected from you?
- Is the charity financially sound?
- What is the size of the charity and what are its potential liabilities?
- What policies are in place to deal with risk?
- Who else is on the board? Can you meet them?
End of Box
Start of Activity
Activity 2
Allow about 5 minutes.
Start of Question
Imagine that you want to be a trustee (if you are already a trustee, reflect on what you thought about when you first applied). Write notes on the questions in Box 1 and reflect on which ones would be the most important for you personally.
End of Question
View discussion - Activity 2
End of Activity
Box 2 provides the example of Angela, who became a trustee and was able to use her existing professional skills and experience and apply them to a different context. When advertising for new trustees, organisations often specify particular areas they wish to recruit to: for example, fundraising, finance, managing change, partnership working or networking and so on. In addition to the relevant specialist skills and experience, the following would also be relevant: good communication skills, being able to reflect on your work, being willing to learn and ask questions, a good listener and skills in chairing meetings.
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Box 2Example of a trustee’s contribution
Angela Beagrie, Head of Compliance with NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group, was delighted to see a volunteer opportunity posted on a social media site by Reach that was just what she was looking for. She was keen to use her professional skills to help a charity that needed those skills to succeed.
Via Reach – which promotes skills-based volunteering – Angela was appointed as a trustee for Independent Options, a charity providing a range of services to people with learning disabilities in Stockport, Trafford and sections of Greater Manchester.
Jim Grassick, chair of the charity’s board, says, ‘In Angela’s case, we were looking for someone who might help us in our dealings with local members of Parliament as we tried to publicise the plight of some of our users’ parents, who we feel are unjustly treated by the local authority. Not deliberately, but by accident as they are lumped together with everyone else. Angela brought this experience. She had worked as a Special Advisor in the political office in No.10 Downing Street, advising on lobbying strategies.’
’However, Angela has brought a lot more to the charity. She has experience of writing company strategies. She is focused on turning information into actions.’
’It’s fantastic,’ Angela says of her appointment, ’I’d only been there a few months and already helped to write their strategic plan. I’m now working on a campaign to get the support of the local MPs for the issues affecting the families we work with.
’I didn’t realise so much was going on locally. There were so many opportunities and charities that need the skills you can offer.’
(Reach 2016a)
End of Box
Reach (2016b) summarise the issues around eligibility, that is, who can become a trustee. Most people over 18 years of age can become trustees, except those who have already been disqualified as company directors and those who have been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty or deception.
Applying to be a trustee is similar to a job application: it may involve a letter of application, your CV and an interview.
As well as making a difference, being a trustee can provide considerable experience if you are interested in building a CV suited to working in the voluntary sector. However, trustees cannot go on to be employed by the organisation where they are a trustee.
You will finish this topic by thinking about what it is like to be a member of staff or a volunteer in an organisation where there is a threat to accountability and the impact on the organisation and its stakeholders.
Start of Activity
Activity 3
Allow about 5 minutes.
Start of Question
Imagine you are working or volunteering in an organisation where the trustees do not seem to be in control of finances or strategy. Write down three things that would concern you, for example the impact on the organisation’s purpose, service users, staff, volunteers, wider support.
End of Question
Provide your answer...
View discussion - Activity 3
End of Activity
4.2Know, grow and show the difference you make
With limited money in the voluntary sector it is vitally important to take time to consider whether you are making the biggest difference you can with the resources you have.
The difference that a voluntary sector organisation makes to people, communities or the environment is called its impact. An impact could be anything from reduced isolation of older people in Wolverhampton to a greater number of puffins in the UK, for example. Achieving its impact is the ultimate purpose of the voluntary organisation; it is why it exists. Impact is the profit of the voluntary sector.
To achieve its impact a voluntary organisation produces products and services. It might produce services such as a parenting class for new parents or products such as an audio book for people with sight loss, for example. These products and services are called outputs. They aren’t produced for the sake of providing services, but as a way of achieving the organisation’s impact.
This distinction between what a voluntary organisation produces (outputs) and what it achieves (impact) is important. Being clear on this distinction means that you are better able to think about why you are doing the things you do and to consider or even measure whether they are working and if they could be done better.
Start of Activity
Activity 4
Allow about 10 minutes.
Start of Question
Read the statements below and decide whether each statement relates to the output or the impact of a youth centre in Barnsley:
- a games session on Saturdays for 12–16 year olds
- reduced local vandalism committed by young people
- 75% of young people have new friendships
- a table-football table
- five one-to-one sessions with a youth worker
- increased confidence.
End of Question