Hang Gliding Federation

HGFA Management Procedures Manual

HANG GLIDING FEDERATION

of

AUSTRALIA

MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

MANUAL

Revised Edition August 2007

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. HGFA Purpose, Vision and Objectives 5

HGFA Purpose 5

HGFA Vision for 2004 5

3. Constitution 6

4. HGFA Management 7

Functions of HGFA Management Board 7

The Role of the Board 8

Roles within the Board 9

Board Motions and Resolutions 11

Election of Board Members 11

Employees 12

General Manager 12

Office Manager 13

Sub-Committees 13

HGFA Standing Sub Committees 14

Competitions Committee 14

General Objectives and Responsibilities 14

Authority 14

Organisational Responsibilities 14

Accountability 15

Safety & Operations Committee 15

Authority 16

Organisational Responsibilities 16

Accountability 16

Short Term Sub Committees 16

State Branch Sub-Committees 16

General Objectives and Purpose 17

5. Financial Policies 19

Budgets 19

Insurance Policies 20

Grants & Sources of Financial Assistance 20

Sites of National Importance (see also Section 11) 20

Financial Assistance for Improvement of Flying Sites 20

HGFA Site Investment - Long Term Security for Sites 21

Australian Sports Commission 21

Financial Assistance for Competition Teams 21

Hosting of International Events 22

Annual Report 22

Audit 22

6 Club Affiliation Requirements and Terms of Reference 23

Responsibilities 23

Club Affiliation Application & Annual Report Forms 26

7. General Administrative Policies 27

Volunteer and Sporting Awards 27

Drugs in Sport - HGFA Doping Policy 27

Member Fatal Accident Policy 27

Life Membership 27

Visiting Pilot Membership (VPM) Procedures 28

Trainee membership 28

Flight Instructor Supervision 28

Issue of Pilot Certificates and Endorsements 28

Membership database & privacy issues 28

Instructor Code of Conduct 29

TABLE of CONTENTS Cont….

8. Skysailor Production 30

9. Accident Reporting and Investigation Procedures 31

Accident Report Processing 31

Fatal Accident Investigation 31

10 The HGFA Strategic Plan 32

11 Guidelines for Displays & Airshows 34

12 Guidelines for Site Establishment & Retention 37

13 HGFA Documents and Records 40

1. Introduction

This document should be read in conjunction with the HGFA Constitution, the HGFA Operations Manual and other HGFA publications where applicable.

The HGFA Management Board may amend sections of this manual at any time as a result of policy revisions, regulatory changes or other reasons. Therefore only one master copy of this document shall exist. This copy shall be maintained by the General Manager, and held at the national office of the Federation.

Therefore persons viewing copies other than the master copy should confirm the currency of sections before use. The currency date of each section is identified within each section or sub-section. All copies may not be kept up to date.

Members of the HGFA are invited to submit comments or suggestions about any part of this manual.

2. HGFA Purpose, Vision and Objectives

Currency date: August 2007

HGFA Purpose

The Hang Gliding Federation of Australia exists to promote and develop free flight.

HGFA Vision for 2010

In 2010 the HGFA will be a dynamic, responsive and inclusive organisation developing, supporting and promoting free-flying.

The Hang Gliding Federation of Australia Incorporated (HGFA) is a non-profit organisation consisting of regional bodies and affiliated Associations, Clubs and individuals whose aims and objectives are to foster and encourage the operation of hang gliders, paragliders and weightshift microlights for educational, recreational, sporting and research purposes.

The broad objectives of the HGFA are:

To represent generally the views of persons connected with hang gliding, paragliding and microlighting within Australia;

To coordinate and promote the development, progress and advancement of hang gliding, paragliding and microlighting;

To acquire and disseminate information and advice on hang gliding, paragliding and microlighting in all their aspects;

To promote competitions, contests, tests and records for hang gliding, paragliding and microlighting throughout Australia;

To consider, coordinate, promote and procure reforms and improvements in the laws affecting hang gliding, paragliding and microlighting;

To impart training, coaching and instruction in hang gliding, paragliding and microlighting; and

To promote, coordinate and regulate safety standards and procedures, engineering standards and procedures, flying and proficiency standards and all other matters relating to the safety and protection of members, participants, spectators and property.

As a sport aviation administrative body the HGFA is affiliated with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).

International affiliation with the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) is maintained through the Australian Sport Aviation ConFederation (ASAC) and by participation on the FAI technical committee for hang gliding and paragliding - Commission Internationale De Vol Libre (CIVL).

This manual is the repository for administrative & management procedures, general information and policies of the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia.

3. Constitution

Currency date: Refer Constitution.

The HGFA Rules (constitution) contains the code by which the Federation operates. It provides details of the Federation’s purpose, powers, memberships, management, committees, meetings etc.

Where any statement contained in this manual conflicts with the constitution, the constitution shall take precedence.

4. HGFA Management

Currency date: August 2007

All business of the Federation is controlled by the Management Board, which consists of nine representatives as elected by postal ballot by the members.

The Board has the power to perform all such acts and do all such things as appear to the Board to be necessary or desirable for the proper management of the affairs of the HGFA.

The HGFA constitution further details the responsibilities of the Management Board.

Functions of HGFA Management Board

The HGFA Management Board consists of nine member representatives elected by HGFA members.

The Management Board elects a President, Secretary and Treasurer who together with the General Manager form the Executive Committee.

The basic objectives of the Management Board are to:

ensure that the Federation operates in accordance with its Constitution, statutory obligations and in the best interests of its members;

ensure that standards and procedures are in place that allow HGFA sports reasonable access to airspace and that the sport is conducted in a manner that provides an acceptable level of safety; and

approve plans for the continued viable development of HGFA sports.

The Board is responsible for the management of the HGFA on behalf of its members.

It has a responsibility to:

·  co-ordinate the planning of activities in a manner which ensures the aims and objectives of the Federation are fulfilled

·  carry out the recommendations of members as expressed at the annual general meeting

·  provide members with detailed information regarding the running of the Federation

·  monitor the performance of HGFA officials, of any sub-committees or employees to see they are carrying out their functions according to their job descriptions

·  ensure that all committee members are well-versed in past activities and the reasons for previous decisions, making sure any deviations from these are fully considered

·  negotiate training opportunities for all volunteers at national, state & club level for their respective duties, provide detailed written and oral records and job descriptions to all newly elected committee members or sub committees so they can settle into their duties quickly

·  plan and budget for the future

·  ensure that all members of the committee are role models in the area of leadership and dedication to fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of their position on the Board

The Board provides a variety of services including research, planning, event organisation, report production, administrative training and seeking sponsorship for the organisation.

The rules - as stated in the HGFA constitution - dictate how the Board should function; how it is appointed, how often it should meet; how long members should serve; and who is eligible to serve.

The Board is assisted in its tasks by the General Manager and a number of Officers and Technical Committees. In general these Officers and Technical Committees have delegated authority to discharge the tasks for which they are responsible with a minimum of supervision and/or approval from the Management Board. This delegation is set out in written Terms of Reference.

The Role of the Board

In a more formalised structure - the role of the Board is to:

Plan

· examine alternatives for action, and decide according to the purpose and philosophy of the organisation.

Organise

· ensure actions follow planning, that achievable objectives are agreed to with suitable strategies designed to ensure satisfactory progress and that action plans are implemented and evaluated.

Lead

· be enthusiastic and work from an informed and well-researched knowledge base which includes a sub-committee or working group structure, clear and concise reports and wide representation of interests and opinion available to the committee.

Control

· be responsible for defining expectations and requirements, and for providing the support and resources needed for these to be achieved, and monitored.

In summary the Board is responsible for:

1. Administration

2. Financial management

3. Leadership

The Board is as a team that draws on the skills and talents of each member, working with the one common goal that will ensure the HGFA’s success.

Effective Board members have:

· energy and enthusiasm

· an interest in people

· good leadership skills

· tact and discretion

· good listening skills

· dedication

Roles within the Board

The President - Leadership

The President should:

· be well informed of all HGFA activities

· be aware of the future directions and plans of members

· have a good working knowledge of the constitution, rules and the duties of all office holders and sub-committees

· manage committee and/or executive meetings

· manage the annual general meeting (by delegation if required)

· represent the HGFA at local, regional and national levels (or delegate to appropriate people)

· be a supportive leader for all members

· act as a facilitator for HGFA activities in conjunction with the General Manager

· ensure that planning and budgeting for the future is carried out in accordance with the wishes of the members

President Qualities

The President is the principal leader and has overall responsibility for the Federation’s administration.

The President controls the discussions that take place during management committee meetings. To do this, the President should give direction without being dictatorial or biased.

An effective President is:

· unbiased and impartial on all issues

· well informed about the purpose of the meetings and items to be covered

· a good listener who will be able to summarise the main points of discussion

· able to avoid repetition, arguments, interruptions and deviation from the matter under discussion

· well versed in the rules or procedure for the type of meeting being held and allow for relevant debate

· able to delegate

An effective President should be fair and decisive and to exercise good management practices. These skills come with practice and regular self-appraisal.

The President should be able to:

Lead without controlling:

Involve members in decisions that affect them.

Stimulate balanced discussion.

Time meetings to begin and finish on time.

Encourage focused discussion and keep meetings on track.

Negotiate successfully between members.

and LISTEN.

Secretary

The Secretary is the chief administration officer of the HGFA. This person provides the co-ordination link between the General Manager and the members, the executive committee and outside agencies.

The Secretary should be someone who has a keen interest in the organisation and wants to see it progress. With good support from the staff, previously well-maintained records and clear instructions on what has to be done the secretary is one of the organisations most valuable assets.

Ideally an effective secretary is someone who can:

· communicate effectively

· think clearly and positively

· maintain confidentiality on relevant matters

· manage and supervise others (in relation to secretarial duties)

· organise and delegate tasks

Due to the volume of incoming mail the HGFA does not keep a correspondence book and does not table all correspondence at meetings.

Letters needing a decision (as decided between the General Manager, Secretary and President) will be submitted as separate agenda items. However, all correspondence requiring a response and not of a purely member services nature are kept for at least twelve months by the General Manager.

Treasurer

The Treasurer oversees the finances of the HGFA, with the preparation of a budget, planning for the organisation’s financial future, and assisting other committee areas with matters relating to finance.

The volume and nature of HGFA financial transactions require daily management; consequently the National Office handles all out going transactions up to $5000 in accordance with the budget. Out going transactions in excess of this amount are coordinated through the Treasurer.

To assist the Treasurer, the HGFA has a Finance & Planning committee.

The Treasurer is responsible for the financial management of the HGFA and is expected to carry out the following duties:

· ensure money received is banked promptly via the office staff

· ensure accounts are paid promptly & in accordance with the budget

· in conjunction with the Finance & Planning committee prepare budgets for the forthcoming year describing all sources of income and expenditure

prepare annual financial accounts for auditing and provide the auditor with information as required

ensure HGFA annual returns are filed with the Commission for Corporate Affairs office

· ensure the office maintains accurate records of current income and expenditure

· be the signatory on cheques in excess of $3000 (with at least one other person)

· ensure tax returns and income tax payments, superannuation and other employer responsibilities for employees, are carried out as required by law

· in conjunction with Board members manage HGFA investment programs

· complete all external agency grant acquittals are completed within the time frame of such agreements.

An effective treasurer needs to be:

· well organised

· able to allocate regular time periods to maintain/check the books

· able to keep good records

· be aware of information needing to be kept for the annual audit and annual returns

Board Motions and Resolutions

The Board may make resolutions and decide motions at a Board meeting or via a telephone conference as specified in the HGFA Constitution.