PWSRCAC Organizational Survey Overview and Recommendations Board of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

PWSRCAC Organizational Survey Overview and Recommendations

Board of Directors Meeting

January 20, 2017

McDowell Group

– Multidisciplinary research and consulting since 1972 – 17 professional staff; offices in Juneau, Anchorage, Bellingham – 100 projects each year for government, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations – Program planning and evaluation; survey and executive interview research; economic and policy analysis, service needs assessment, and financial feasibility

Topics for Today

– Study Purpose and Method – Findings and Recommendations

Purpose and Method

Purpose of the Survey

– Wide-ranging self-reflection – Broad participation (56 responses)

– 15 board – 25 committee volunteers – 16 staff

– Organizational improvement

– Structure – Processes

Questions to Address

– Quality of the day-to-day work environment – Committee structure, focus and inter-relationships – Organization, participation level, and effectiveness of board meetings – Appropriateness and effectiveness of decision-making processes – Organizational structure, processes and strategic direction – Interaction between paid staff and volunteers and implications for staff support and volunteer commitment, involvement, and effectiveness – Self-monitoring and ongoing organizational improvement – Communications at all levels

Survey Method

– Interviews with staff, board, volunteers to help identify issues and design and refine questions – Online programming and fielding – Preliminary analysis –Volunteers Workshop – Written report – Board of Directors Meeting – findings and recommendations

Findings and Recommendations

Major Themes

– Positive responses overall – Technical committees viewed as highly effective but potential to be more efficient and strategically driven – Not a board-driven organization

– Staff most interested in change – Technical committees influential

Challenges

What are the two biggest challenges you face in the work you do at PWSRCAC?

Comments & Suggestions

What other comments or suggestions do you have to make PWSRCAC as effective as possible?

Areas of Potential Improvement

– Effective meetings – Time management – Communications – Planning, prioritizing and evaluating – Recruiting, supporting, facilitating the board of directors

Suggestions for Action

– Upgrade teleconferencing technology and include video-conferencing – Consider additional technical committee work sessions – Look for small improvements in meeting process/facilitation – Develop or update board and committee charters: duties, goals, expectations – Establish a board self-assessment process

Suggestions for Further Discussion

– Re-assess information flow to and from communities – who, what, when, how – Explore ways to be more strategic about planning, prioritizing, and evaluating

– Re-visit strategic planning process with the goal of clearer ties between mission/OPA 90/Alyeska contract and annual project/program priorities – Identify measurable intermediate variables – Emphasize data-driven evaluation

– Form an ad hoc committee to review technical committee structure

The Mission

“Citizens promoting the environmentally safe operation of the Alyeska terminal and associated tankers.” How does PWSRCAC determine the extent to which projects and programs advance this mission?

Committee Structure

–General, but not overwhelming sense committee structure could be improved

– Strongest for staff (6.1) – Weakest for board (3.8)

–Two-thirds think PWSRCAC has the right number of committees

Committee Structure

–One-third suggested new combinations, especially:

– Combine POVTS and TOEM – Combine Environmental Monitoring and SAC – Combine POVTS and OSPR

–Lack of clear consensus warrants discussion

Biggest Complex Need?

A more strategic long-term plan with specific intermediary goals

– Link projects clearly to mission-driven priorities – Help focus and expedite project selection process – Clarify what expertise and committee structures are needed – Support evaluation of impacts

THANK YOU!

– Scott Miller – scott.miller@mcdowellgroup.net – Lauren Rocco – lauren.rocco@mcdowellgroup.net