AEA POLICIES
Last Updated: November, 2012

d. New expenditures may not be added to either Schedule I or Schedule II without Board approval if they are in excess of 5% of the previous year’s Schedule I budget.

v. The ED shall not neglect to present Schedule I and Schedule II together as “The Whole Budget” any time the budget is discussed.

vi. The ED shall not commence expenditures during a fiscal year without Board approval of the budget for that fiscal year, with the exception of pre-approved pre-payments.

vii. The ED shall not fail to provide the Treasurer a complete draft budget for the following fiscal year three months prior to the start of that fiscal year.

C. EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COVERAGE: In order to protect the Board from sudden loss of ED services, the ED will not fail to provide a written emergency plan to each Executive Committee member and identify one or more other persons who would be able to step-in in case of emergency. Any person who assumes the position/or any responsibilities of the ED will be held accountable to the Board under all applicable policies.

D. DECISION MAKING: The ED shall not develop or implement programs, initiatives, or policies, without weighing (a) alignment with the association’s mission, vision, values, and goals, (b) input from the board, (c) input from members and relevant member groups (e.g. TIGs, relevant task forces), and adherence to the Member Engagement Principles (see glossary), (d) evaluative data, and (e) short- and long-term ramifications. The ED shall not implement new programs, initiatives, or policies without first informing the Board about the AMC’s plans. If a majority of the Board does not believe that the plans are a reasonable interpretation of Board policy, the ED shall not implement the plans without reconsideration of Board policy.

E. ASSET PROTECTION: The ED shall not allow association assets to be unprotected, inadequately maintained or unnecessarily risked. The ED shall not:

i. Fail to insure against liability losses to Board members and the organization itself in an amount no less than the average for comparable organizations.

ii. Pay for any significant amount of products, services, or contract or project staffing, at rates higher than average rates paid for or by relevant comparables.

iii. Fail to protect intellectual property, information (including member databases) and files from loss or significant damage nor breaches of confidentiality.

F. COMMUNICATION TO THE BOARD: The ED shall not withhold information or misinform the Board.

G. TREATMENT OF MEMBERS: With respect to interactions with members or those applying to be members, the ED shall not cause or allow conditions, procedures, or decisions that are unsafe, untimely, undignified, unethical, or unnecessarily intrusive. Further, without limiting the scope of the foregoing by this enumeration, the ED shall not:

i. Elicit information for which there is no clear necessity.

ii. Use methods of collecting, reviewing, transmitting, or storing client or member information that fail to protect against improper access to the material elicited.

iii. Fail to establish with members a clear understanding of what may be expected and what may not be expected from the service offered, and the opportunities available to them.

iv. Fail to inform members of this policy or to provide a way to be heard for persons who believe they have not been accorded a reasonable interpretation of their protections under this policy.

v. Fail to incorporate the association’s values as a key consideration throughout the process of identifying operational volunteers.

H. TREATMENT OF VOLUNTEERS and CONTRACTORS: With respect to the treatment of volunteers or contractors, the ED shall not cause or allow conditions that are unfair, undignified, or unethical.

IIII. DELEGATION POLICIES - As amended April 2012:

1. GLOBAL DELEGATION POLICY: The Board’s official connection to the operational organization, its achievements and conduct will be through the Executive Director (ED).

2. UNITY OF CONTROL: Only officially passed policies of the Board are binding on the ED.

A. Decisions or instructions of individual Board members, officers, or advisory or review groups, and task forces are not binding on the Executive Director except in rare instances when the Board has specifically authorized such authority.

B. In the case of Board members or members of advisory or review groups or task forces requesting information or assistance without Board authorization, the ED can refuse such requests that require, in the ED’s opinion, a material amount of staff time or funds or are disruptive to carrying out operations.

C. The ED will develop and maintain operational policies as needed to carry out the business of the association. These must be differentiated from Board policies. The operational policies guide the work; the Board policies guide decision-making, priority setting, monitoring and evaluation.

i. The ED will establish the following ongoing Working Groups: Elections, Awards, Diversity, and Ethics, each consisting of three members with staggered three-year terms. All appointees will be approved by the Board. The second-year member will chair the group. Additional members or additional working groups in service of these Association responsibilities can be appointed jointly by these Working Groups and the ED. These Working Groups will report to the ED, who will annually report on the work of each group to the Board.

• The Elections Working Group enacts the elections work of the Association.

• The Awards Working Group reviews nominations and selects winners for Association awards.

• The Diversity Working Group helps to steer and guide the diversity work of the Association and reports on this work to the Association and other relevant audiences.

• The Ethics Working Group helps to steer and guide the ethics work of the Association and reports on this work to the Association and other relevant audiences.

3. ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The ED is the Board’s only link to operational achievement and conduct, so that all authority and accountability of staff, as far as the Board is concerned, is considered the authority and accountability of the ED; consequently, the Board will view ED performance as identical to operational performance, so that reasonable progress towards Board stated Goals and adherence to Executive Limitations policies will be viewed as successful ED performance.

4. DELEGATION TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The Board will instruct the ED through written policies which prescribe the organizational Goals to be achieved, and describe organizational situations and actions to be avoided, allowing the ED to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.

A. The Board will develop policies instructing the ED to achieve specified results, for specified recipients at a specified priority or cost. In the absence of specifying a priority or cost, the ED may use any reasonable assumption of the appropriate allocation of resources within the restrictions identified in the Executive Limitations Policies. These policies will be developed systematically from the most general level to more defined levels, and will be called Goals policies.

B. The Board will develop policies that limit the latitude the ED may exercise in choosing the organizational means. These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and they will be called Executive Limitations policies.

C. As long as the Executive Director uses any reasonable interpretation of the Board’s Goals and Executive Limitations policies, the ED is authorized to make all decisions, take all actions, establish all practices and develop all programs. Such decisions of the ED shall have full force and authority as if decided by the Board.

D. The Board expects the ED to maintain and improve upon the existing baseline activities of the association as defined by the specific examples provided within the Goals Policy.

E. Within resources available, the Board expects the ED to develop and trial new programs in pursuit of the Goals Policies within the constraints defined under the Executive Limitations Policies.

F. The Board may change its Goals and Executive Limitations policies, thereby shifting the boundary between Board and ED domains. By doing so, the Board changes the latitude of choice given to the ED. But as long as any particular delegation is in place, the Board will respect and support the ED’s choices.

G. Evaluation for monitoring: Monitoring will enable the Board, other association leadership groups, and the Association Management Company (AMC) to assess the quality and effectiveness of association programs and activities, in terms of their design (e.g., efficiency, relevance, reach); implementation (e.g., usage); and short-term outcomes. Monitoring responsibilities are delegated to the AMC for use in ongoing administrative management and decision making regarding association programs and activities. Monitoring data will be collected according to the discretion of the Executive Director or by request of the Board, and in order to fulfill the following reporting responsibilities of the AMC:

i. The Executive Director will gather monitoring data on all startup programs while in their trial phase and all major association programs within the full annual cycle, as well as on other programs and association activities as deemed relevant by the Executive Director or as requested by the Board. A definition of a major program is one that meets any of the following three criteria: (a) involves more than $20,000 in annual expenditures; (b) has likely political ramifications and has come under publicly voiced criticism with founded concern, or has been recommended by the Board for additional monitoring; and (c) the Executive Director intends to cut the program based on existing monitoring/evaluation data regardless of its cost.

ii. Monitoring data on association programs will regularly include member input and the input of appropriate association leadership groups (e.g., Priority Area Teams (PATs), Task Forces, Topical Interest Groups (TIGs)), as deemed relevant by the Executive Director or as requested by the Board.

iii. Monitoring data will be shared with members, PATs, the Board, and other association groups, as deemed relevant and appropriate by the Executive Director or as requested by the Board.

iv. As appropriate, monitoring data will include information on the connections between the program being evaluated and the association’s mission, vision, values, and goals.

5. MONITORING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PERFORMANCE: Systematic and rigorous monitoring of Executive Director job performance will be solely against the only expected ED job outputs: progress towards the general Goals Policies and execution of the major activities noted in the Goals Policies within the boundaries established in Executive Limitation policies on Executive Limitations.

A. Monitoring is to determine the degree to which Board policies are being met. Data that does not do this will not be considered to be monitoring data.

B. The Board will acquire monitoring data by any of a number of methods, including: (a) by internal report of the ED, (b) the independent report of the volunteers serving under the ED, (c) by external report, in which an external, disinterested third party selected by the Board assesses compliance with Board policies, (d) by direct Board inspection, in which a designated member or members of the Board assess compliance with the appropriate policy criteria.

C. In every case, the standard for performance shall be any reasonable ED interpretation of the Board policy being monitored. The Board is final arbiter of reasonableness, but will always judge with a “reasonable person” test.

D. All Executive Limitations policy violations will be noted and, if there are no mitigating circumstances, will contribute to a negative appraisal of the ED’s performance. The Board will however view violations of financial policies as especially serious.

6. ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY (AMC) CONTRACT: The Board will hold a contract with the AMC and the ED and Board will be bound by that contract and the contract will stipulate adherence to these policies.

A. AMC contract shall be reviewed by the following:

i. The Executive Committee (EC) shall have the responsibility to review and discuss the existing contract, including any future amendments or additions to the existing contract as presented in the renewal contract process, for presentation to the Finance Advisors to the Board;

ii. The Finance Advisors to the Board shall review all fiscal matters pertaining to the AMC contract and raise questions to the EC and AMC as deemed appropriate in preparation for presentation to the Board;

iii. The Association’s lawyer shall review all legal matters prior to presentation to the Board;

iv. The Board will review and discuss for vote to renew (or not).

B. The timeline for the review of the AMC contract shall be as follows:

i. The review will begin 18 months in advance of the contract expiry date;

ii. The EC’s review will be completed for presentation to the Board within six months from the start date of the review.

iii. The Board will make a final decision regarding the contract within three months of receiving the report from the EC.

IV. GOVERNANCE POLICIES – As amended April 2012:

1. BOARD of DIRECTORS: AEA will be governed by a Board of Directors, elected to represent the organization as a whole, that sets and refines policy, evaluates progress towards policies, and engages members,

A. The Board of Directors will be selected through a careful and systematic nominations and elections process.

i. Nominees for President and Treasurer will undergo a credit check with the credit check requirement specified in the call for nominations.

a. An attorney retained by AEA will identify an independent third party to conduct the credit checks.

b. Based on the results from the independent third party, the attorney will give the names of those nominees who present a financial risk and a general statement of the nature of the concern to the body responsible for creating the slate of candidates.

• Financial risk may be indicated by illegal financial activities.

• Declared bankruptcy will not necessarily be considered evidence of financial risk.

ii. Nominees may challenge the attorney’s decision. In that event, a second independent party, identified by the association’s Board, will make the final determination.

B. The Board will consider and vote on the budget as forwarded from the Treasurer, no later than one month prior to the start of the fiscal year.

2. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE LIMITATIONS: The Board shall not cause or allow any practice, activity, decision, or organizational circumstance that is unlawful; in violation of commonly accepted business and professional ethics; endangers the association’s nonprofit status; or is in conflict with the association’s mission, vision, values, and goals.

3. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE-MEMBER CONNECTION: The Board serves the organization membership. It draws its authority from and is accountable to the members. As such, its role is that of servant-leader to and for that group.

A. MEMBER INPUT: The Board will gather input from members, with adherence to the Member Engagement Principles (see Glossary) and employing a variety of mechanisms, as needed to understand the membership’s needs and priorities.
B. ACCOUNTABILITY TO MEMBERS: The Board will ensure that members are informed about Board decisions and actions.

4. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE-MANAGEMENT CONNECTION: The Board’s official connection to the operational organization, its achievements and conduct will be through the Executive Director (ED).

5. AGENDA PLANNING: The Board will follow an annual agenda which (a) annually completes a review of all Board policies for relevance to current issues in the discipline and in society, responsiveness to membership interests, and other criteria as appropriate, (b) monitors ED performance on reasonable progress towards Goals, and (c) continually improves Board performance through Board education and enriched input and deliberation.

A. Time will be set aside at each Board meeting for consideration of policy changes, introduction of new policies, and review of outstanding policy issues.

B. The Board will utilize evaluation data in its responsibility to regularly review policy.

6. EVALUATION: The Board and the Association Management Company (AMC) will use high-quality evaluation processes to ensure that AEA operations and governance are well designed, well implemented, effective and efficient. Evaluation in AEA has three functions. First, evaluation for monitoring purposes involves ongoing, routine processes of gathering and analyzing data about the quality of the design, implementation / usage, and short-term outputs and outcomes of association programs and activities for use in administrative improvement and decision making about the designated evaluands. Responsibility for monitoring is delegated to the Executive Director (see Delegation G). Second, evaluation will assess progress toward fulfillment of AEA’s overall goals including programs and initiatives. Third, evaluation will determine the quality and effectiveness of association governance.

A. All association evaluation work will be conducted in accordance with the AEA Guiding Principles for Evaluators.

B. Evaluation of progress toward association goals:

i. Each year, the Board, with input from other association groups and from members, will determine which association programs and/or issues merit evaluation in service of assessing progress toward association goals based on: (1) the strategic importance of the program or issue in terms of progress toward goals; (2) the adequacy of existing data that bear on the program or issue, (3) the cost of evaluation needed, (4) the need for information to inform a decision about continuation or sustainability of the program or issue; (5) the interest in or demand by members for data on a particular program or issue; and (6) the recommendations of the Executive Director.

ii. Once the Board has identified issues and/or programs as evaluation targets, the Board will establish the purpose and key evaluation questions and refer these to a Board Task Force comprised of Board members for each evaluation. The Board Task Force will employ a Board-approved evaluation brief template to prepare a scope of work for the Board. The Board will review and approve the scope of work.

iii. The Board Task Force will convene an Evaluation Oversight Task Force to oversee the evaluation process. One member of the Board Task Force will serve as the liaison between the Evaluation Oversight Task Force and the Board. The Evaluation Oversight Task Force will oversee any associated selection process and, if needed, recommend a contractor to the Board for approval.

iv. As possible and without conflict of interest, all association evaluations will be conducted by association members through a volunteer or an open and transparent contracting process.

v. Evaluation of new initiatives: All major Schedule 2 programs and initiatives will include an evaluation plan and budget with a timeline that will provide findings in time to inform a decision about whether or not to move the initiative to Schedule 1. The scale of the evaluation plan should be commensurate with the size of the investment, the risks involved, and the relevance of learnings from this initiative for future policy and operational decisions.

C. Evaluation of association governance: Based on member and board input, the Board will determine annually if evaluation is needed of any aspect of governance.

i. Once the need for evaluation is identified, the criteria for judging the quality and effectiveness of association governance include: the extent and depth of member involvement in association business; the extent to which members involved well represent the full diversity of the association’s membership; the extent and character of member satisfaction with their opportunities to provide input and be consulted; the extent and character of the Board’s ability to focus on policy; the workability of existing policies; efficient and effective use of resources; and the extent to which the association is accomplishing its goals and is advancing evaluation’s contributions to society.

D. The results of evaluation that is undertaken to inform the Board will be disseminated widely to the membership, within parameters of confidentiality and propriety. Major evaluation results will also be disseminated to a broad range of AEA stakeholders on an annual basis, at minimum, as determined by the Board with member input.

i. The Board will use the findings from evaluation to learn what is going well, what is not, and how the Board and the Executive Director can make improvements in governance and operations, as well as policy making and strategic planning.

ii. The Board will also use the findings from evaluation activities to demonstrate accountability to members.

7. BOARD PLANNING AND PRIORITY SETTING CYCLE: The Board will plan and budget on a cycle that takes account of the fiscal year and the rotation of Board members.

A. The Board will establish annual priorities among goals policies during the first quarter of each calendar year in order to prepare for a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. The process will include:

i. Reviewing existing priorities and timeframes to identify adjustments that may be needed to achieve the desired progress towards goal, time horizon, or budget allocation

ii. Identifying new priorities when warranted and resources allow, including explicating for each:

• Desired progress towards goal(s)

• Anticipated time horizon (1 to 5 years)

• Budget allocation

B. Guided by the Treasurer, and informed by discussion with the Executive Director, during the first quarter of each calendar year, the Board will establish a Board budget for its own activities (e.g. Board meetings, auditing, Board training, evaluation) to be included within the overall Schedule I budget for the coming fiscal year.

C. The Board will review the timeframe (1 to 5 years) of existing Schedule II programs during the first quarter of each calendar year, and adjust as needed based on existing information to date.

8. BOARD BUDGET: Guided by the Treasurer, and informed by discussion with the ED, the Board will establish a budget within Schedule I each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) for its own activities (e.g. Board meetings, auditing, Board training, evaluation of the Board and Association).

9. PRESIDENT’S ROLE: The President, a specially empowered member of the Board, assures the integrity of the Board's process and sets the agenda at each meeting consistent with the Board’s annual agenda, with input from the Board members, and chairs the meeting.

A. CHIEF EXECUTIVE: The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the association with the following roles and responsibilities:

i. The President is the public face of AEA.

ii. The President sets the Presidential Theme for the annual meeting.

iii. The President Chairs the Executive Committee.

iv. The President addresses emergency issues working along with the Executive Director.

v. The President is the primary association official with direct responsibility for managing the Association's relationship with the Executive Director.

a. The President is the association official who signs the AMC contract on behalf of the Board.

b. The President is responsible for assuring that the Board reviews the performance of the Executive Director and the association’s operations.

vi. The President Chairs the Board of Directors’ meetings with the following roles and responsibilities:

a. The President is responsible for setting the agenda for Board meetings with consultation and input from the Board.

b. The President presides over Board meetings and enforces procedures and processes that assure the meetings proceed in a collegial and business-like fashion (using a form of Robert’s Rules of Order as a guideline).

c. The President is responsible for assuring that any Board Task Forces, Committees, or Groupings, or other volunteers who work on behalf of the Board, have adequate direction from the Board.

d. The President is responsible for assuring that the Board provides adequate training and orientation of new and returning Board members.

vii. The President Chairs the AEA Annual Business meeting with the following roles and responsibilities:

a. Ensuring that a report is made regarding the status of the association;

b. Ensuring that a report is made regarding the current Board volunteer leadership support structure;

c. Ensuring that a report is made regarding the financial state of the association by the Treasurer or duly-authorized Board-appointed agent.

viii. The President serves as the second signatory on all AEA Bank Accounts.

a. The President shall periodically monitor balances of each Association account.

ix. The President makes appointments or nominations for individuals to serve on external groups.

a. An open call will be issued to the membership for recommendations for nominees/appointees.

b. The President will consult with the President-elect when making a nomination or appointment.

10. PAST-PRESIDENT: The Past-President is a specially empowered member of the Board with the following roles and responsibilities:

A. The Past-President is the Secretary to the Board with responsibility for assuring that all Board records are up-to-date and sufficiently archived.

B. The Past-President is an Ombudsperson to the Board, responsible for assuring that complaints or issues of Board Members or serious complaints or issues of members of the association receive a clear and proper hearing of the Board.

C. The Past-President is the Parliamentarian to the Board and is responsible for assisting the President in the management of discussions at Board meetings.

D. The Past-President has a special role as mentor to new Board members and is responsible for assuring that they are integrated well into the life of the Board.

E. The Past-President is a member of the Executive Committee.

F. The Past-President serves as the acting President in the event that the President and President-Elect are unable to fulfill the position.

G. The Past-President works with the President as needed to set the agenda for Board meetings.

11. PRESIDENT ELECT: The President-Elect is a specially empowered member of the Board with the following roles and responsibilities:

A. The President-Elect works with the President to set the agenda for Board meetings.

B. The President-Elect meets with the current President and ED at least once for a detailed briefing on the current state of the association and of the Board.

C. The President-Elect is a member of the Executive Committee

D. The President-Elect serves as the acting President if the President is unable to fulfill the position.

12. TREASURER’S ROLE: The Treasurer is a specially empowered member of the Board whose responsibilities in consultation with the Board and ED are, at minimum:

A. The Treasurer assures that draft budgets meet Board policies.

B. The Treasure preserves financial assets for core operations of the association.

i. AEA should protect its current assets with fully federally insured investments so that it could meet all regular financial obligations for 12 consecutive months without any income. No more than 20% of the general reserve may be invested in low-risk instruments and the remainder must be invested in fully federally insured investments.

ii. In consultation with the Finance Advisors to the Board and the Board, the Treasurer will make the investments described above on behalf of the Board.

C. The Treasurer ensures that adequate self-insurance is maintained for the association against potential disasters.

D. The Treasurer serves as educator to the Board on association financial issues.

E. The Treasurer provides signatures on financial matters on behalf of the association (except for those matters directly related to the Treasurer).

i. The Treasurer shall periodically monitor balances of each Association account.

F. The Treasurer ensures that ED monitoring includes attention to fiscal issues as delineated in the Executive Limitations Policies.

G. The Treasurer serves as a key liaison with the association’s accountant and auditor.

H. The Treasurer facilitates the Board in monitoring the fiscal health of the association.

i. The Treasurer oversees regular external review of AEA’s finances.

ii. The Treasurer will report regularly to the Finance Advisors to the Board, and at each Board meeting, on the status of investments and all other AEA financial assets.

I. The Treasurer meets monthly with the Finance Advisors to the Board and serves as the liaison to the Finance Advisors to the Board.

i. The Treasurer ensures that the Finance Advisors to the Board forwards to the Board its recommendations regarding the budget no later than two months prior to the start of the coming fiscal year.

J. The Treasurer maintains direct contact with the ED regarding the association’s budget and expenditures.

K. The Treasurer, or duly-authorized Board-appointed agent reports to the membership regarding the financial state of the association at the AEA Annual Business Meeting.

L. After receiving contact information for the Treasurer-elect the current Treasurer will initiate the following steps to acclimate and educate the incumbent regarding her or his responsibilities and operational capabilities, as necessary:

i. Complete paperwork to add the Treasurer-elect as a signatory on the Association's account(s), allowing the incumbent to begin viewing, investing, and signing instruments such as checks on behalf of the Association at the start of their term (currently January 1 following the election),

ii. Provide the Treasurer-elect with all paper and electronic files and correspondence relevant to the incumbent's role, no later than the start of their term.

iii. Include the Treasurer-elect in all communications and meetings with the Executive Director, and of the Finance Advisors to the Board.

iv. Meet monthly with the Treasurer-elect through December 31, to explain and discuss in detail the following:

• Association Bylaws relevant to financial operations,

• Association policy regarding financial operations,

• Generating regular financial reports of the Treasurer to the Finance Advisors to the Board and reports to the Board at each Board meeting,

• Creating the annual Treasurer's report to the Association, presented at the annual Business Meeting,

• Current budget and investments of the Association,

• Current plans regarding future budgets and investments of the Association, and

• Other matters brought up by either the incumbent or current Treasurer.

v. The former Treasurer also will participate in all Finance Advisors to the Board meetings for the first three months following initiation of the Treasurer-elect’s term, to answer questions and provide guidance.

vi. The former Treasurer will be available for at least the first three months following initiation of the Treasurer-elect’s term for consultant and advice.

13. BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: Board members are specially empowered members of the association who have the duty to ensure appropriate governance and performance. All members of the Board have the following roles and responsibilities:

A. Fulfill four primary roles:

i. Serve as the link between AEA as an organization and its membership.

a. Engage the membership both to understand their interests and needs and to communicate Board policies and practices.

b. Develop and review policies that are member- and organization-driven rather than constituency-driven.

ii. Actively engage in the ongoing development and priority-setting of written governing policies that address the broadest levels of all organizational decisions and situations, including:

a. Goals Policies that define desired organizational outcomes.

b. Executive Limitations Policies that define constraints on executive authority and establish the prudence and ethics boundaries within which all staff executive activity and decisions must take place.

c. Governance Policies that specify how the Board conceives, carries out and monitors its own work.

d. Delegation Policies that specify the ED’s role, authority and accountability, and how the ED performance is monitored.

iii. Fulfill the evaluation responsibilities as specified in written Governance Policies.

iv. Exercise fiduciary responsibility to safeguard the financial health of the association.

B. Serve as public ambassadors of the association.

14. BOARD MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT: The Board commits itself and its members to the highest ethical, businesslike, and lawful conduct, including proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when acting as Board members.

A. Dedication to Governance: The Board will invest in its governance capacity through appropriate and thorough individual preparation for meetings, individual and group training and capacity building, and provision for and insurance of avenues for member input. Board orientation for new members, especially with reference to policy governance, will be a routine activity.

i. Professional Role: The Board will be prepared, conscientious, and professional in its role.

a. Sign Letter of Agreement to abide by the principles so delineated by the Board member roles and responsibilities.

b. Declare any potential conflict of interest.

c. Learn the governance procedures of the Board.

ii. One voice: The Board’s authority is a group authority rather than a summation of individual authorities. While there may be disagreement among Board members, duly-reached Board decisions are supported by the Board as a whole.

iii. Confidentiality: Board discussions will be kept confidential and not shared with association members except through formal vehicles such as minutes or reports unless otherwise decided by the Board.

iv. Promote and uphold the Guiding Principles: The Board will conduct all association evaluation work in accordance with the AEA Guiding Principles for Evaluators.

v. Board evaluation and training: The Board will set its own agenda for training and evaluation of itself. This agenda will address board members’ knowledge and competence to fulfill the association’s mission, vision, and values; the current priorities; and issues and programs of contemporary importance to the evaluation community domestically and abroad.

B. With respect to comprising the slate for the Board of Directors, Board members will not nominate, write letters of support, or campaign on behalf of candidates, although they may encourage individuals to seek election.

15. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee is a specially empowered subgroup of the Board that consists of the President, Past-President, President-Elect and Treasurer with the following roles and responsibilities”

A. The Executive Committee may be Convened by any member of the Executive Committee.

B. Emergency Decision-Making: The Executive Committee is convened in situations where immediate action or decision-making is needed and it is not feasible to convene the whole Board. In these situations, the Executive Committee may be convened by any member of the Executive Committee or by the Executive Director. The Executive Committee or ED will notify Board members of the situation, and seek and consider any input provided in the timeframe needed for the decision. The Executive Committee will notify the Board upon making a decision.

C. Advisory Role: The Executive Committee may be called upon by the President to advise on Board work such as the determination of agendas, resolution of conflicts or strategic directions for the Board.

D. Representation: The Executive Committee may be called upon to represent the Board and AEA membership in matters pertaining to the association and its functioning.

16. BOARD ADVISORY AND REVIEW GROUPS: The Board may appoint ongoing or short-term Advisory or Review Groups to contribute to the Board’s responsibilities for policy, evaluation, and member engagement. All members of all Groups commit themselves to the highest ethical, businesslike, and lawful conduct on behalf of the association.

A. The Board will appoint a group of Finance Advisors to the Board Group (FAB), to consist of three members who have three-year terms, one appointed each year by the President-Elect. The Group can recruit additional members with Board approval. The second-year member is the FAB chair. The FAB advises the Board on financial matters.

B. The Board will approve the annual ED appointments of one member each, and additional member appointments as needed, to the Elections, Awards, Diversity, and Ethics Working Groups. [See Delegation Policies 2C.]

C. The Board will establish an Independent Values Review Group in 2013 to conduct a review of the work of the Board for adherence to and fulfillment of the Association’s core values. The Independent Values Review Group will be reconstituted and similarly tasked at a minimum of every five years, beginning in 2013.

17. BOARD TASK FORCES: The Board may appoint time-limited Board Task Forces for specific tasks. Board Task Forces can be comprised of Board members only, Association members only, or some combination. All members of all Task Forces commit themselves to the highest ethical, businesslike, and lawful conduct on behalf of the association.

A. The Board may establish a Board Task Force by a two-thirds vote. Alternatively, the President may establish a Board Task Force for a term corresponding to the President’s term in office.

B. A Board Task Force receives its charge, budget, and timeline from the establishing agent, Board or President, and reports its progress and accomplishments to the full Board on the timeline established.

C. The term of each Board Task Force is set by the Board and may not exceed three years.

D. The Board will identify the Chair for any Task Force that it convenes, or specify procedures by which the Chair will be identified. The President will identify the Chair for any Task Force that she or he convenes, or specify procedures by which the Chair will be identified. The Task Force Chair will serve a term corresponding to the term of the Board Task Force.

E. Should there be no Board member on a Board Task Force, the President will appoint a Board member as liaison to that Task Force. The liaison’s responsibilities include (i) active listening or participating in the Task Force’s meetings and deliberations, and (ii) facilitating communications between the Task Force and the Board. The liaison will not be a voting member of the Task Force.

18. SPECIAL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS: Special leadership positions may be specified by a two-thirds vote of the Board, and shall be noted in the policies.

V. PRIORITIES - Version as amended, February 2013

1. Priorites for Fiscal Year 2013: Priority areas for the Association Management Company for FY2013 (July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013) will be as follows:

A. Continuation of existing efforts begun in prior fiscal years:

i. Priority: A priority will be outreach to evaluation users and the public to increase the value of evaluation to society at a budgetary allocation of up to a total of $16,000.

ii. Priority: A priority will be 1a-f, engage diverse communities in evaluation practice and contribute to inclusiveness and diversity through evaluation, through engaging the board, committees, broader membership, and staff taking into consideration the report from the multicultural task force at a budgetary allocation of up to $29,000.

iii. Priority: A priority will be strengthening our organizational goal (4A) by actively building bridges across methodological divides and advancing methodological pluralism within AEA at a budgetary allocation of up to $2,500.

B. Engagement in new efforts:

i. Priority: A priority will be taking steps that help evaluators to conduct their evaluation work with greater environmental consciousness and responsibility at a budgetary allocation of up to $10,000 across FY2013 and FY2014.

ii. Priority: A priority will be improving evaluator’s presentation and reporting skills generally, and conference presentations skills specifically, at a budgetary allocation of up to $20,000 in FY2013 and $5,000 in each of FY2014 and FY2015.

2. Priorities for Fiscal Year 2014:

A. Continuation of existing efforts begun in prior fiscal years:

i. Priority: A priority will be taking steps that help evaluators to conduct their evaluation work with greater environmental consciousness and responsibility at a budgetary allocation of up to $10,000 across FY2013 and FY2014.

ii. Priority: A priority will be improving evaluator’s presentation and reporting skills generally, and conference presentations skills specifically, at a budgetary allocation of up to $20,000 in FY2013 and $5,000 in each of FY2014 and FY2015.

B. Engagement in new efforts:

i. Priority: A priority will be to contribute to society through collaborating with international evaluation organizations that align with our values towards furtherance of the evaluation profession at a cost of no more than $40,000 across FY2014 and F20Y15.

VI. GLOSSARY – As amended February 2012:

Association Activity: An association activity is a process or event intended to contribute to association operations.

Association Program: An association program is an intentional intervention designed to directly contribute to association goals.

Excellence Imperative (from the BDI phase I evaluation report): The excellence imperative is to raise the standard of excellence in evaluation practice by integrating multicultural commitments. The excellence imperative reflects individual and collective desires to build upon, broaden and strengthen—through responsiveness and connection—our theories, methods, approaches and practices with wisdom and excellence.

Justice Imperative (from the BDI phase I evaluation report): The justice imperative is to promote justice and equity in evaluation practice. It is motivated by individual and collective commitments to justice – equity, fairness, respect, inclusiveness, and acceptance – and to promoting unity among evaluators while redressing past harm.

Redressing past harm refers to recognizing and correcting oppressive policies and actions and balancing majority privilege.

Illustrative ways this may be accomplished in AEA include through:

• Relating or enhancing communication about multicultural issues and working respectfully to design, implement, and monitor policies, projects, and activities that strengthen multicultural representation, voice, and cultural competence within the association.

• Restoring or taking action to recognize past harm and making changes (e.g., policies) to ensure that multiculturalism remains a central value of the association and is reflected in AEA policies, structure, and activities; recognizing and correcting oppressive actions.

• Acknowledging or learning from the past and seeing diverse groups with new understandings and balancing majority privilege.

Member Engagement Principles: Member engagement contributes to the fulfillment of the AEA’s governance and operations while concurrently building member capacity and leadership. Such engagement contributes by:

• Generating responsive and strategic AEA policy and positioning as well as operations that are congruent with AEA’s mission, vision, and values.

• Keeping the board and the association relevant and vibrant to its members and outside communities.

• Offering opportunities for leadership development to all AEA members.

• Offering opportunities for leadership development through continuity of service and through engagement in knowledge acquisition, management, and sharing.

Member engagement democratically draws on—and contributes to—valuing diverse experiences, talents, and ways of knowing, as well as diverse racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural backgrounds by:

• Taking multiple and varied forms so that diverse AEA members have the access, opportunity and means to participate and build their leadership capacity.

• Ensuring that multiple perspectives and lenses are included in governance, policy- and decision-making, and operations.

Member engagement draws on both individual and collective voices by:

• Providing opportunities for a collective voice related to current and impending issues that are of concern to the organization and the profession.

Member engagement contributes to trust, respect, ownership, responsibility, and timeliness of interaction within AEA by:

• Affording member voice and access to individuals and information in a transparent, open, and timely manner.

• Enhancing members’ feelings of belongingness and connection to AEA and the broader evaluation community.

• Respecting, valuing, and giving feedback on members’ contributions.

Multiculturalism (adapted from the Building Diversity Initiative (BDI) phase I evaluation report): Multiculturalism concerns the process of recognizing, understanding and appreciating the cultural background of others as well as one's own. It stresses an appreciation of the impact of difference in social location based on the variety of demographic characteristics that describe our differences and our similarities, including race/ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, class/level, age, sexual orientation, religion, physical/mental ability, immigration status, language, military experience, and geographic location.

Net Assets: Net Assets are the difference between the association’s total financial assets and total financial liabilities (accounts payable and debts). AEA divides its net assets into two categories, the Operating Reserve and the General Reserve

• Operating Reserve: The operating reserve is an unrestricted fund balance set aside to stabilize our finances by providing a cushion against emergencies or large, unexpected fluctuations in income. AEA sets aside a minimum of 85% of the Schedule I budget for Fiscal Year 2012 and 100% of the Schedule I budget for Fiscal Year 2013 and beyond, as its operating reserve. The Operating Reserve is identified at the beginning of each fiscal year and is defined as the highest of either the current year’s estimated Schedule I budget or either of the immediate past two year’s actual Schedule I expenses. The Board sets policy that establishes parameters on accessing the funds within the Operating Reserve.

• General Reserve: The General Reserve is an unrestricted fund balance representing those funds available for programs and services. The General Reserve is identified at the beginning of each fiscal year and is defined as subtracting the Operating Reserve from the Net Assets of the Association at the close of the fiscal year. The Board establishes policy that sets parameters on accessing the funds within the General Reserve

People of color: People of color in the contemporary United States context refers to people from racial and ethnic groups that [continue to face] discrimination, prejudice, and injustice within the American context.

Public Engagement: Public Engagement is the coordinated set of activities that AEA conducts outside our own association in order to (a) present to, (b) learn from, and (c) collaborate with other relevant organizations and individuals, both within the United States and internationally.

 

American Evaluation Association│16 Sconticut Neck Rd #290 │Fairhaven MA 02719
1-888-232-2275 │1-508-748-3326 │info@eval.org