ALIA office-bearer's guide

Group office-bearers

Roles and responsibilities

Groups must have three office-bearers: a convenor, a treasurer and a secretary. Office-bearers must be current members of ALIA - either a financial personal member or the formal representatives of a financial institutional member, or a formal nominee of an institutional member's appointed representative (please send the written and signed nomination to ALIA National Office to ensure formal registration).

If groups so choose, they may appoint further office-bearers to undertake particular roles for the group, which are not those of treasurer and convenor. Accountabilities remain with the group executive: the convenor, treasurer and secretary.

Group accountabilities are vested with the group's executive office-bearers. They report to the Board of Directors and must abide by the legal frameworks and directions provided by the Board, as outlined in earlier sections.

Communication between the Board and groups will generally go through ALIA National Office as the executive/administrative arm of the Board. ALIA National Office will bring issues of principle or concern to the attention of the Board as they may occur.

Each group has the discretion over the funds allocated to it, but to ensure the necessary financial accountability by the Association, all funds are held in a centralised account administered by ALIA National Office. Two of the three office-bearers must sign-off on all expenditure.

Where a group office-bearer is also the group's paid administrative support person, s/he cannot be the signatory to her/his own time sheets and requests for payment for expenditure associated with holding this job.

Group executive

An ALIA group's office-bearers are collectively responsible for:

• Planning the direction of the group, bearing in mind the objects of the Association
• Preparing the group's forward plans and budgets, and six-monthly progress reports
• Reviewing the group's progress and maintaining the focus of the group
• Co-ordinating the organisational work required to conduct the group's activities
• Facilitating communication with and between members of the group, including new members
• Providing advice to the Board of Directors and the executive director
• Taking a major lobbying role on issues relevant to the group, in co-operation with the executive director
• Undertaking ALIA membership promotions
• Communicating and co-operating with other groups and ALIA National Office, in particular when preparing lobbying activities
• Considering the health and safety of participants when organising group events, to ensure that ALIA cannot be held liable for any injuries
• Ensuring adherence by the group to ALIA's personal information-handling policy

Group office-bearers may be asked to represent the group, or the Association, at meetings and seminars organised by the Association or by other bodies. They will also be invited to represent the Association at student award ceremonies. ALIA group office-bearers are often asked to explain and promote entry into the profession to school or college leavers. Group office-bearers may also be asked to prepare, or provide input to, submissions or provide evidence on the Association's behalf to enquiries, tribunals or committees.

Office-bearers are encouraged to use the resources on ALIAnet and to contact relevant ALIA National Office staff for advice regarding the planning, organising and promotion of events.

Group convenor

The group convenor takes the overall responsibility for the group and is also the group's general point of contact for the ALIA Board and ALIA National Office. The convenor's responsibilities include the following:

• Planning of group program and activities [including professional development activities if this is within the scope of the group]
• Convening/chairing group activities and meetings
• Preparing group plan and budget submissions to continue the group and lodge these by the deadline
• Preparing the group's progress and annual reports and lodge these by the deadlines
• Communicating with group members
• Welcoming any new members, details of whom are provided by ALIA National Office every month
• Communicating with the Board of Directors and ALIA National Office
• Communicating with kindred ALIA groups
• Nominating a representative to the National Policy Congress and notifying ALIA National Office of that representative.
• Representing the Association at relevant forums [as determined by group's stated goal]
• Building membership of the Association and the group
• Ensuring group information is current on the website and elsewhere
• Ensuring probity in all group administration, including any conflicts of interest that may occur
• Approving group expenditure, as one of two signatories
• Ensuring that ALIA National Office communications are distributed to the other office-bearers and to group members, and acted on as required [these may be requests for information, reports and comments on policy issues]
• Ensuring that group office-bearers are appointed and that a full hand-over is undertaken when vacancies occur, and ensuring that ALIA National Office is informed of changes
• Ensuring that the group adheres to ALIA's personal information-handling policy.

Group treasurer

The group treasurer takes responsibility for the group's financial administration, and is the point of contact for ALIA National Office on these matters. The group treasurer's responsibilities include the following [tasks are explained in more detail elsewhere - see group treasurer's guidelines]:

• In conjunction with the convenor, preparing the group plan and budget submissions to continue the group, and ensuring that deadlines are adhered to
• Approving group expenditure, as one of two office-bearer signatories, and ensuring that funds are available
• Ensuring that all receipts and invoices clearly state the GST component - this is needed for the quarterly Business Activity Statement, which ALIA National Office submits quarterly to the Australian Taxation Office
• Forwarding all creditors' invoices to ALIA National Office for payment, in a timely manner
• Forwarding all debtor's details to ALIA National Office for recording, in a timely manner
• Banking all income received into the ALIA bank account for groups, in a timely manner
• Maintaining records of expenditure paid by petty cash and forwarding these - together with the receipts - to ALIA National Office for reimbursement: this will ensure that the group's petty cash float is topped up.
• Monitoring expenditure and ensuring that group activity is within budget - this includes checking the financial statements for the group, provided each month by ALIA National Office
• Communicating with ALIA National Office on financial administrative matters
• Ensuring probity in all group financial administration, and alert to any conflicts of interest that may occur
• Ensuring adherence by the group to ALIA's personal information-handling policy
• If stepping down as group treasurer, ensuring that all paperwork is up-to-date and that the books are signed off, and undertaking a full hand-over with the succeeding convenor
• Notifying ALIA National Office of any changes to contact details.

Group secretary

The secretary's role is to undertake the group's administration. The responsibilities may typically include:

• Keeping the group's website up-to-date and informative
• Monitoring the usage of the group's e-list
• Keeping Vital Link Online details for group office-bearers up-to-date, and to inform ALIA National Office of any changes
• Recording the decisions made at meetings of the group and its executive
• Communicating the outcomes and decisions of group meetings to members of the group, using an appropriate medium (mail, e-mail, newsletter, e-list)
• Maintaining general group correspondence
• Keeping group membership list up-to-date, using information provided from ALIA National Office
• Ensuring that records of group meetings, activities, correspondence are kept and archived in accordance with ALIA's archival guidelines
• Ordering address labels from ALIA National Office for mail-outs to members, or organise e-mail-outs with ALIA National Office
• Ordering ALIA stationery from ALIA National Office
• Ensuring adherence to ALIA's personal information-handling policy.

The secretary's role may also include the group's communications through a group newsletter (print and/or electronic) and/or e-list.

See also group secretary's guidelines later in this document.

Group administrative support

Groups with complex programs wishing to engage an administrative support person may do so, if included in the group's submission, approved by the Board of Directors, and engaged in accordance with ALIA's standard rates. The duties of the administrative support person may typically include:

Administration and co-ordination

• Organising group events in co-operation with office-bearers, including preparation of budgets and liaison with presenters
• Undertaking all group accounts-work, including banking, forwarding receipts and invoices to ALIA National Office, and ensuring expenditure authorisation
• Liaising with members of the group as directed, for example, gathering and preparing information for the group's e-list and for the state-wide newsletter
• Liaising with state local presence officer and ALIA National Office as directed
• Updating website as directed, and acting as group listowner

Clerical

• Word-processing of notes from meetings and correspondence
• Filing and maintaining the records of the group
• Collecting and distributing mail on behalf of the group
• Managing ALIA stationery: advising of stock levels, etcetera
• Arranging group functions: venue hire, arranging for catering, meeting and greeting guests
• Promotional activities: arranging advertising and promotion of group and events as directed
• Attending group meetings as requested
• Keeping a record of time spent on various activities and submitting this to ALIA National Office for payment
• Other administrative duties as requested.

The administrative support person is bound by ALIA policies, including the personal information-handling policy.

Monthly time sheets, specifying the nature of the tasks undertaken, number of hours and hourly rate, and authorised by the nominated group office-bearers, need to be forwarded to the finance officer (please remove the '.nospam' from the address) at ALIA National Office for payment.

If two or more groups wish to engage the same administrative support person, they can do so provided each group included their component in their budget and received the Board's approval. Each group need to individually request and acquit that person's services.

See the sample contract and duty statement for a group administrative support person at Appendix 1 and 2.

Conflict of interest

It is in the interests of all, that group office-bearers and administrative support persons avoid being placed in a situation of conflict of interest.

Where a group office-bearer is also the group's paid administrative support person, s/he cannot be the signatory to his/her own time sheets and request for payment for expenditure associated with holding this job.

ALIA policies and procedures

Group office-bearers are bound by any ALIA policy and procedure set by the Board of Directors. This includes the ALIA personal information-handling policy. This policy applies to all personal information collected by any means, including membership forms, registration forms, direct mail, e-mail, telephone, internet, member visits, events etcetera. The policy is provided at Appendix 3. Please contact ALIA National Office directly with any queries regarding our privacy policy.

Insurance

Group office-bearers and other ALIA members working for ALIA in a voluntary capacity are covered by ALIA's voluntary workers insurance. The coverage is up to $100 000 and the maximum weekly injury benefit is $500. Non-ALIA members working in a voluntary capacity are not covered by this insurance.

ALIA members and adult non-members participating in events organised by groups are covered by ALIA's public liability insurance, if ALIA or the group is proven to be negligent and deemed liable for any accidents that occur.

It is likely that insurance held by the owners of the venue for an event would be held liable if a chair collapses, or if food poisoning is contracted, or if electrical cords are not taped down (although the latter may be the group's fault). It is therefore important that groups have formal approval for the use of free venues, including libraries or other places of work.

Children, and participants in events that are adventurous or dangerous (for example, abseiling) are not covered by ALIA's insurances, so groups should not organise such events, or include children. Additional coverage for such events is hugely expensive and will not be taken up by ALIA.

Group meetings

A group may formulate a set of procedures governing its meetings. Members may meet face-to-face, by telephone or electronically. Minutes recording decisions should be kept and communicated, as appropriate, to the groups membership at large through posting on the group's website.

Minutes should be confirmed at the following meeting, and signed by the group convenor and secretary. Both should initial any alterations.

Continuing professional development activities

Some groups choose to have an office-bearer with specific responsibilities relating to professional development activities. ALIA research shows that members value professional development highly, so groups are encouraged to continue to organise professional development activities, and to work with and promote adherence to the Professional Development Scheme.

Groups may issue certificates of participation in professional development activities attracting points for the CPD Scheme. Blank certificates may be requested directly from the ALIA membership office by phone, or by completing and mailing or faxing the order form, or by using the online order form.

For advice relating to professional development activities and the CPD scheme, contact the ALIA professional development officer (please remove the '.nospam' from the address). Information is available from the specific CPD pages on ALIAnet, or through subscription to the CPD e-list.

Who should lobby whom?

Political lobbying is critical for the profession, and difficult to do well. Groups wishing to undertake lobbying activities are advised to do this in consultation and close co-operation with ALIA National Office to ensure a coherent, strategic and effective approach. Please contact the ALIA executive director directly.

The Board of Directors has determined a lobbying strategy for the Association. ALIA National Office is monitoring the legislative and other processes of federal, state and territory governments, is in contact with local government associations and collaborates with other professional associations to address key issues of concern. ALIA National Office is keen to work with groups and key individuals in the field.

How can groups influence the direction and operation of ALIA?

Groups report to the Board of Directors. Office-bearers may make recommendations to the Board for consideration at Board meetings, through the executive director.

The National Advisory Congress (NAC) is held once a year to provide ALIA members, through a representative from each group, to discuss issues of relevance for the profession in general and the ALIA membership in particular. The National Advisory Congress may make recommendations to the Board of Directors and matters for discussion are referred to the Board. The groups' nominated NAC representatives have the right to vote to elect two directors for the Board. The Board may refer other matters to the groups' NAC representative from time to time, if it so chooses. For groups to exercise their influence, it is important that they decide on their NAC representative soon after endorsement.