Just an additional note for those interested in ARMA Governance.....
from ONE Board member. Remember, though, I am not posting this in a
manner that speaks FOR the Board of Directors, only the Chair of ARMA
International and the President have that authority.  My apologies for
the length of this email in advance, but I want to provide as much
information as any interested member might want.

 

Many years ago, ARMA's Board was composed of Region Vice Presidents and
Officers (Chair, President, President-Elect, and Treasurer).  I served
as one in the early to mid 1990s.  At that time we were able to
determine a few things....that required change.  Region VPs had
volunteer jobs that required (my estimate) 20+hours/week of effort.  In
that role, Region VPs were a bit hamstrung in focusing on strategic
issues - what services were needed by the profession, where we needed to
take the Association next, etc.  We were very focused on the "here and
now", and on the interests of members within those regions.  Thus, ARMA
International moved to change the responsibilities of those in such
positions and built a structure of Region Managers and Coordinators to
serve the needs of their regions, and focused the attention of what had
been Region Vice Presidents on more of an Association-wide focus, and
renamed those positions as "Director" positions.

 

What we have seen from member input during the past two or three years
(perhaps even earlier than that), is that our members have desired that
ARMA move more quickly, provide more resources to move the profession
forward.  Thus, the full Board authorized an initial effort to review
our overall committee structure.  The result of that effort was a
recommendation that we move to what is called a "two-committee"
structure.  The goal of that effort is to move the Association to that
structure by July 1, 2009.  

 

The ARMA Board did act at its May meeting to approve that structure.  A
new group was then formed to determine what changes would be required of
the "governance structure", if any, may be needed for us to move Board
members into one of the two committees and how to incorporate
Association officers (Chair, President, President-Elect, Treasurer) into
that structure.  The Implementation Task Force is working on those
questions now, and will.... provide recommendations to the full Board
for consideration and decision.  

 

Since such decisions involve our existing legal structure - and could
lead to changes in Association Bylaws (requiring a 2/3 majority vote for
approval) and policies (currently known as our "Administrative
Letters"), developing such recommendations and developing the legal
underpinning to support such recommendations takes some time.  It's
important that we make any governance changes in a thoughtful manner and
that we provide for transparency with our membership.  Progress is
continuing to allow us to do that.

 

Patrick Cunningham discussed the ARMA Calendar, and I appreciate his
efforts to craft a calendar that may work for us.  At the request of the
President of the Association, and the Strategic Planning Committee, I'm
doing some work on that now to determine what changes we can make, and
will be providing that information to all appropriate parties, to ensure
that we fully "vet" any calendar change, before we make it.  That
calendar as well, is something that will require approval by the full
Board.

 

Patrick did a great job of pointing out that a different calendar could
help us move through an elections process more quickly.  That's
important, because at present....we have an 11 to 12 month time period
that elapses between the time any officer or director is nominated for a
board position, and when they actually take office.  That's a real
challenge for most who volunteer to serve to explain to their employers,
and places a candidate's "ARMA life" on hold through a lengthy process.
The current calendar also leaves us in a position where our "Strategic
Plan" (what we're going to focus on and what we're going to do for
members and for the profession) is a lengthy process.... that begins
with receiving member input, then tracks to a Strategic Planning
meeting, typically held in August, additional input and board
approval..... and then a long wait through the budgeting process before
we implement that plan on July 1 of the following year.

 

Ok, that's today's and yesterday's structure.  Can we make changes? Yes.
Should we make changes - also yes from my point of view.  

 

Members of the ARMA Board are committed to moving more quickly.... to
ensure that we (1) continue to improve our efforts to incorporate the
thinking of RIM professionals and ARMA members on what we need to do,
and (2) to move more quickly than in the past.  

 

I always encourage ARMA members to voice their concerns to any member of
the Board of ARMA International..... Members are "owners" of the
Association, so that input is vital.  Any Board member can be contacted
directly through the ARMA International web site at: http://www.arma.org
<http://www.arma.org/>  at any time.  For those interested in what we
currently foresee as our "Strategic Plan" today, feel free to go to:
http://www.arma.org/news/enewsletters/index.cfm?ID=2902&Type=IP and
comment on the draft documents that are under consideration at this
time.

 

Please don't hesitate to contact me off-line, or to contact any Board
member with concerns that you have.  If you have an interest in serving
on the International Board, stay tuned for any future call for
candidates - review the requirements and offer yourself as a candidate.


 

 

Douglas P. Allen, CRM, CDIA+

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