1.What is a Committee?
a) Ad hoc committee –temporary, specific purpose, solve short-term problems
b) Formal committee – part of organizational structure, specific delegated duties and authority
a) Permanent
b) Have authority
c) Follow well established procedures
a) Rules of procedure
b) Chairperson or secretary
c) Committee papers and reports
d) Notice-announcement of meeting prepared and circulated in advance
e) Agenda-setting out what is to be discussed and in what order
f) Minutes of meeting which are official record of what has taken place
g) Have fairly rigid procedure about speaking, voting rights, proposing the motion and meetings, rights of attendance, agenda construction, quorum
1.1 The Rules of Procedure
a) To promote smooth running of a committee
b) To ensure that consistency and fair play are maintained
c) To enable both sides in an argument to state their case
d) To help to minimize the effect of bullying tactics
e) To ensure a proper record of all proceedings is kept
1.2 The size and success of a committee
a) Too large – insufficient time for individual to voice their view, but if everyone spoke it would waste valuable time
b) Too few – lack of breadth of expertise, decision may have insufficient deliberation
Successful committee should:
a) be representative of all interests
b) have a chairperson with the qualities of leadership to coordinate and motivate the other committee members, and the ability to handle the group firmly and fairly
c) choose suitable subjects for action, and make precise proposals by agenda
d) circulate reports prior to meeting
e) have clear cut terms of reference
f) have necessary skills and experience
g) be worth the cost of its operation
2.The purposes of committees in an organisation
b) relaying decisions and instructions
c) brainstorming free exchange to generate new ideas and approaches
d) participative problem-solving
e) providing advice and information
f) consultation
g) act as delaying mechanism
h) oversee a function or procedure
3.Types of committees used in the organisation
Ad hoc committees - to complete a particular task
Audit committees - review the company’s accounting policies and internal controls, annual financial statements and the audit report with the company’s external auditors.
4.Examples of committees
4.1Board of directors
- group of people legally charged with the responsibility to govern a company
- elected by shareholders
- purpose is to :-
* lay down strategy, general policy and broad sectional policies
* ensure legal standards are met and accordance with its Articles of Association
* sanction capital expenditure and the method of disposal of profits
* ensure sufficient capital is available and maintain an efficient system
4.2 Steering committee
- its role is to :
- IT activities are in line
- provide leadership at senior level
- resource allocation decisions are effective
- co-ordinate requirements
- create the terms of reference for project team
- monitor the progress of various projects
4.3 Works safety committee
- it include :
- Human resources manager
- Safety officer
- Department representatives
- Works manager
- Union representatives
4.4 The Accounting Standards Board(ASB)
- setting accounting standards from the Accounting Standards Committee (ASC) in August 1990
- aim to promote consistency in corporate reporting by creating financial reporting standards
- oversee the working practices and procedures in an organization with respect to :
- conflicts of interest
- confidential information
- complaints of customers
- transactions involving related parties of the company
Advantages
Responsibility are shared
Ability to undertake a larger volume of work
Decisions are based on a group’s assessment of facts and ideas
Pool talent, judgement and allows specialization
Improves coordination
Provides focal point for information and action
Improves communication
Slower decision making
Decision may represent compromise solutions rather than optimum solutions
Waste time and resources
Managers may abdicate their personal responsibility for decision making
Some ‘experienced’ committee members may dominate
Excess procedural matters
Can not act quickly and flexibly
sheer size and complexity of modem enterprises
growing pressures from all sections
Authority
Size
Membership
Subject matter
Minutes
-Cost effectiveness
6 The roles of the chair and the secretary of a committee
6.1 The chair
Resposiblities:
Keeping to schedule and agenda
Maintaining order
Ensuring correct procedure
Ensuring impartiality
Summing up or putting the issue to vote and declaring result
Checking and signing the minutes
Must have:
Decisive skills
Ability to silence people in friendly but firm manner
Skill in communicating clearly and tactfully
Skill of summarising
Awareness of non verbal behaviour
Knowledge of relevant regulations
6.2 The Secretary
Resposibilities:
Before the meeting –
Fix date and time
Book venue