1.3 BOARD ROLE DESCRIPTION

The Board, in its role as trustee, will have oversight responsibility and will set direction and respond to its members’ and community’s needs through its policies.  The Board will hold itself accountable to:

• its clients,
• its referral sources,
• the community,
• its funders, including government, and
• other agencies and professionals.

Consequently, the Board will:

• be accountable for the conscientious and effective governance of the Agency;
• provide the link between the organization, its consumers and the community-at-large;
• promote the Agency in the community and the media;
• provide written governing policies, which, are reviewed at least every four years one year prior to the accreditation site review.  The governing policies, which at the broadest level, address the following:

1. Mission, Values and Strategic Direction – focus on the outcomes or results of the Centre’s efforts;
2. Executive Director Limitations – constraints on the Executive Director’s authority that establish the ethical, fiscal and legal limitations of the Executive Director’s activity;
3. Board Governance Process – specify how the Board manages and evaluates it own tasks and functioning and,
4. Board – Executive Director Relationship – how authority is delegated and its proper use monitored.

• Monitor the Executive Director’s performance as measured against the Mission and Board Policies, including appointing, dismissing, evaluating and supporting the Executive Director and,
• strive to obtain sufficient resources for the Agency to achieve its Mission.

The Board of Directors will be responsible for:

• developing and approving the mission, values and strategic directions of the Agency every three to five years, in collaboration with staff, clients and community stakeholders.
• reviewing the Agency’s annual operating plan based upon the strategic directions that were established in the Strategic Plan;
• ensuring that management and the organization as a whole pursue the mission and the goals;
• approving operating budgets and extraordinary expenditures;
• ensuring that the assets of the Agency and any public funds are used with integrity;
• representing and promoting the interests of the Agency to the community;
• listening and responding to the community’s issues;
• ensuring that the process of Board recruitment results in Board members who are knowledgeable, skilled, committed and representative of the stakeholders;
• governing according to the Agency’s by-laws and relevant laws, rules and regulations to which the Agency is subject;
• maintaining a clear distinction between the Board and management roles by focusing on matters of policy and risk rather than day-to-day operations.

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