Re: Fwd: PNB Personnel Committee Monday, December 6, 2010, 8:30 PM ET

[Bill Crosier]

For tonight's Personnel Committee meeting, remember we'll be discussing the ED and CFO surveys we used earlier this year, as that's still on the agenda and getting pretty urgent.  The surveys also include the job descriptions.  Those files and more are at:

http://groups.google.com/group/pnb-personnel/files?hl=en&&sort=date.

Also we need to approve the July 9 and Aug. 2 meeting minutes, which we deferred approving previously.  For your convenience, the draft minutes for those meetings (thanks to Nia) are provided below.  Note that the July 9 draft minutes include the Draft CFO Evaluation Invitation Letter, Survey Intro, Survey and Job Description.

Also, remember our discussions about org charts and the GM hiring process.  In case you can't find it, I'll forward to the committee separately the note that Marcel sent us on Nov. 19, with attachments, about the GM hiring process and org charts for WPFW.

thanks -

Bill

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Draft Minutes: Regular Teleconference Meeting

Pacifica National Board Personnel Committee

July 9, 2010

Draft Agenda (prepared by Bill Crosier)

1.       Call to order and roll call (1 min)
2.   Approval of agenda (5 min)
3.    Approval of Minutes 6/7/10 (5 min)
4.    Review CFO evaluation and timeline for next steps (20min)
5.     Develop timeline for future reviews of ED and CFO (10 min)
6.    New business (15 min)
a. Consider cleanup/rewriting of CFO job description (after survey)
b.      Other work committee work needed in next few months
7.   Next meeting dates (10 min)
8.   Review Action items (5 min)
9.   Adjourn by 9:30 p.m. EST or sooner


Proceedings

1.  Call to order and roll call
Co-chair, Bill Crosier called the meeting to order at approximately 8:37 pm EST.
Members Present:  Nia Bediako (I), Bill Crosier (T), Marcel Reid (W), Joe Wanzala (A)
Late:  Efia Nwangaza (Affil) at 8:49 pm, Ricco Ross (K) at 9:04 pm.

2.  Approval of Agenda
Motion by Bediako:  Amend to indicate 2 months of minutes to be approved.
Passed as amended.

3.  Approval of Minutes of 5/3/10
Motion by Wanzala to approve.
Passed without objection.

Re. minutes of 6/7/10
(Audio) archive of June 7th meeting still not posted (to kpftx.org).
Crosier shared his notes of 6/7 meeting this afternoon (7/9) which includes:
Lessons / feedback from ED (evaluation) process:
Mail ED hard copy of results rather than provide link to web results; brevity appreciated by PNB members; one individual had trouble doing survey online; one individual found survey insensitive (and) questions too broad with insufficient subcategories; someone suggested alternative to online completion is hard copy filled-in and sent to 3rd party for input into online system; comment that hard copy rather than web-based presentation less likely to scare evaluation subject.

Timeline, schedule and next steps for CFO survey:
CFO survey shorter than ED as job description shorter; participant using hard copy might need extra week for (snail) mail and/or 3rd party input; hard copy of survey to CFO for review (sent this afternoon); workgroup meets 6/13, 1 week for committee to review and revise, then launch; email addresses for all Business Managers (Bediako requested from ED); respondents could request hard copy and provide postal address; set dates for aspects of timeline; and set next committee meeting date.

4.  Review Process for CFO Evaluation Survey and Timeline for Next Steps

Materials distributed to committee includes
?  Invitation and introductory letters and draft survey (which are duplicated at end of these minutes and, except as noted regarding return address below and in "Action Items", accepted by committee.)
?  CFO job description - less organized than ED's and somewhat duplicative
?        List of recipients (with corrections to Crosier from ED) - all national staff, GMs & IGMs, PRA Director, business managers for stations and archive, list/database managers who work with CFO on MEMSYS issues - suggested by ED, PNB and all other LSB members who are members of PNB Audit & Finance committees.

?       Survey questions and job description on public Google group:
groups.google.com/group/pnb-personnel or go to googlegroups and search for "PNB Personnel"
? Survey will be sent with Crosier's address in "From" line so questions from participants will go to him and he will forward to committee (See 1st action item at end.)

Timeline:
?        Distribute 7/12; due back by Monday after in-person PNB meeting (7/19)
? If hard copies are requested, will be provided by local area's committee member (mailed ASAP), and results mailed back to committee member for input into Zoomerang. Hard copy option is now in invitation (cover) letter.
?     Crosier will compile results 7/20; Wanzala will summarize and work with group (Bediako, Crosier and Reid) as with ED evaluation on/after 7/20
?  Executive session of committee on 7/25@8pm; send hard copy survey to CFO 7/26 or 7/27; executive session of committee with ED and CFO on 7/30 (7pm) before likely PNB meeting.
 

5.  Develop timeline for reviews of ED (later this year) and CFO (early next year)
       See Item 6 below

6.  New business
a. Consider cleanup/rewriting of CFO job description (after survey)
Compare descriptions from period when Jack vanAken was committee chair, other generally available non-profit descriptions. Consideration:  Possible need for adjustment to CFO contract references which references job description.

b. Other work committee work needed in next few months
Revise CFO survey (for future use) to match revised job description

7.  Next meeting dates
See item 5 above
  Next regular meeting: Monday 8/2.

8.  Action Items
?      Crosier - Determine whether Zoomerang can accommodate responses being sent directly to all committee members rather than to Crosier for forwarding.
?    Station committee members (Bediako, Crosier, Reid, Ross and Wanzala) to provide hard copies of surveys to their area respondents, if requested, and input data when returned.
?  Crosier - Launch survey by 7/12, due 7/19.
?     Wanzala will do 1st draft of report beginning 7/20, and will work with Bediako, Crosier and Reid as before. Report to be sent to full committee.
?       Crosier to request PNB meeting for 7/30 and give notice of executive session committee meeting for 7/25, and with ED and CFO before PNB meeting on 7/30.

9.  Meeting adjourned at 9:31 pm.




Draft CFO Evaluation Invitation Letter, Survey Intro, Survey and Job Description


[e-mail invitation]

Subject: Please respond -Pacifica CFO evaluation survey
To: xxx
From: Pacifica Foundation
Date: xxx
 
The message below is from the co-chairs of the Personnel Committee of the Pacifica National Board:
 

It's time for the first evaluation of the Pacifica Chief Financial Officer, LaVarn Williams, as she approaches the end of her first 6 months working full time on this job.

We need your input for this, so please help us evaluate the CFO's job performance by completing this survey.  [It should only take a few minutes.]  The Personnel Committee of the Pacifica National Board has prepared this survey to help assess the CFO's performance to date and to collect feedback useful to her, to the Executive Director, and to the PNB. Please give us your thoughts.

We'd prefer that you click on the link below and fill out the survey online, as it's faster and easier for both you and the PNB Personnel Committee, and it's easier for you to remain anonymous.  However, if you'd rather that we mail you a hard copy of the survey so you can fill it out and mail it back to us via US Postal mail, please reply to this message, keeping the subject the same, and let me know as soon as possible so there will be time to do this.

The survey process has been designed to protect the anonymity of respondents and the confidentiality of information regarding personnel matters. The responses (including comments) will be shared with members of the Pacifica Board and with the Pacifica ED and CFO, but no information that identifies you (name, e-mail address, etc.) will be given to them.

If you want to send any messages to the PNB Personnel Committee, send them to:  pnb-pe...@googlegroups.com

Please click on the link below to go to the survey.  The deadline for submitting your survey responses is midnight PDT, Monday, July 19, 2010.

Thank you for participating in the survey. Your feedback is important!

Bill Crosier and Efia Nwangaza, Co-Chairs
PNB Personnel Committee


[individualized survey link, generated automatically by Zoomerang]


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[page 1 - survey intro]

DRAFT SURVEY - Pacifica CFO Job Evaluation

The message below is from the co-chairs of the PNB Personnel Committee:

The Personnel Committee of the Pacifica National Board has prepared this survey to help assess the CFO's job performance of the Pacifica Chief Financial Officer, LaVarn Williams, and to collect feedback useful to her, to the Executive Director, and to the PNB.

The survey process has been designed to protect the anonymity of respondents and the confidentiality of information regarding personnel matters. The responses (including comments) will be shared with members of the Pacifica Board and with the Pacifica ED and CFO, but no information that identifies you (name, e-mail address, etc.) will be given to them.

Please click on the link below to go to the survey.

Bill Crosier and Efia Nwangaza, Co-Chairs
PNB Personnel Committee

[Start Survey link]

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[page 2 - survey & job description]

DRAFT SURVEY - Pacifica CFO Job Evaluation

Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

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This survey covers the duties, responsibilities, and expectations of the Pacifica Chief Financial Officer as provided in the job description. Please refer to relevant sections of it (below the survey questions) when considering the questions on this survey.

Please complete this questionnaire on the basis of your personal experience rather than reports of others.  If you only have second-hand knowledge for a particular question, please check the N/A button for that question.


IMPORTANT: When you are finished, please click on the Submit button at the bottom, so your responses will be counted.

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1. * Please check which of the following applies to you.

(Your responses will still be anonymous, and the CFO will not know who has responded to this survey and who has not.)

__ A member of the Pacifica National Board (PNB)

__ Other LSB member of the PNB Audit or Finance committee

__ A General Manager (or Interim) or Business Manager of one of the Pacifica stations, or PRA manager

__ Other paid staff at Pacifica national office

__ Other, please specify: ___________________


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For the following questions dealing with the performance of Pacifica's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), please indicate your degree of agreement or disagreement with each, using the following key:


Key for the following questions:

1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Neutral
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly Agree

N/A = Not Applicable - I do not have direct experience, or have no opinion regarding this matter.


Click on the numbered button for each question to register your choice.

You may share additional thoughts in the comments boxes, if you wish, although this is not required. These comments will be shared with both the Pacifica ED and CFO, as well as with the PNB, so please do not add comments that would identify who you are, unless you do not wish to be anonymous.

- - - - - -

2.  The Pacifica Chief Financial Officer (CFO) does a good job with financial planning (financial goals, budgets, forecasts, etc.).

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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3.  The Pacifica Chief Financial Officer (CFO) does a good job with financial reporting, analysis, and transparency.

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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4.  The Pacifica Chief Financial Officer (CFO) does a good job managing financial risks and protecting financial assets.

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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5.  The Pacifica Chief Financial Officer (CFO) works effectively on financial controls, procedures, and other measures for successful audits.

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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6.  The Pacifica Chief Financial Officer (CFO) does a good job training business personnel (in each station and the national office).

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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7.  Regarding your first-hand knowledge of and experiences with the Pacifica Chief Financial Officer, the overall performance of the CFO is good.

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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8.  The Pacifica Chief Financial Officer should be retained after she finishes her 6-month probationary period.

__ 1 = Strongly Disagree
__ 2 = Disagree
__ 3 = Neutral
__ 4 = Agree
__ 5 = Strongly Agree

__ N/A = Not Applicable

Comment: _____________ [allowing for several lines of text]

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9.  Please list the ONE area or activity where you believe the Chief Financial Officer is doing best.

[allowing for several lines of text]
- - - - - -

10.  Please list the ONE area or activity where you believe the Chief Financial Officer needs the greatest improvement.

[allowing for several lines of text]

- - - - - -

Thank you for your time and thoughts in completing this survey, and for your commitment to Pacifica!

IMPORTANT: Please click on the Submit button below so your responses will be counted.

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For your reference, below is the job description for the Pacifica Chief Financial Officer.  (paragraphs referenced in the questions above, except that the first instances of paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 were renumbered using Roman numerals to remove duplicate numbers).


Pacifica Foundation's Job Description for

Chief Financial Officer

approved 20 MARCH 2009 by PNB


TITLE: Chief Financial Officer
STATUS: Regular Full time
SITE: National Office - Pacifica Radio

BENEFITS: Medical, Dental, Life, Disability (Upon Completion of Introductory Status)

I.  Position Reports to: The Chief Financial Officer reports directly to both the Pacifica National Board of Directors and the foundation's Executive Director. Per Pacifica Bylaws, The National Board will evaluate, appoint re-appoint, and discharge the Chief Financial Officer with the advice of the Executive Director. She shall cause the funds of the Foundation to be disbursed as she may be properly directed from time to time. The CFO shall render to the Executive Director and the Board an account of all of his/her transactions as Chief Financial Officer and of the financial condition of the Foundation whenever requested.   

II.  The Chief Financial Officer oversees the organization's financial goals, objectives, and budgets. The investment of funds and manage associated risks, supervise cash management activities. Direct financial operations including payroll, internal controls and auditing, and establish and maintain the objectives and strategy for the finance department. She shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Foundation, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, and retained earnings.

III.  The Chief Financial Officer shall cause to be deposited all moneys and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Foundation with such depositaries as may be designated by the Board. She shall protect the assets of the organization and meet all standards of transparency and accounting principles as befits a non-profit organization.
        
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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


1.  Direct the financial and accounting function and maintain responsibility for monthly and annual financial reporting, financial analysis, audit, banking, cash management, budgeting, and risk management.

2.  Prepare financial reports and analyses at least quarterly and make presentations for/to the Executive Director, the National Board, and the National Board Finance committee.

3.  Prepare the annual budget, financial projections for year-end forecasting and audit coordination, including preparation and collection of audit information, as well as function as the primary liaison to auditors.

4.  Collaborate with other members of the senior management team on financial and fund raising priorities.

5.  Manage the organization's banking relationships and cash position.

6.  Administer the organization's investment portfolio; direct and supervise the organization's investment managers and advisers.

7.  Manage and ensure training and development of national finance and accounting personnel and coordinate the activities of finance personnel in the station offices in accordance with legal & U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Practice requirements. Assist with the hiring of local station Business Managers.

8.  Maintain official financial records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations and reporting requirements (such as annual information returns; payroll withholding and reporting, 990s, etc.)

9.  Ensure proper management of all Pacifica assets including real estate, investment funds, and SCAs in collaboration with the Executive Director and under the direction of the Pacifica National Board.

10.  Assure adequate control and accounting of all funds, including developing and maintaining sound financial practices.

11.  Provide financial leadership, advice, and financial transparency, and establish financial goals for the network working with the Executive Director and National Board of Directors.

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Draft Minutes:  Regular Teleconference Meeting 

Pacifica National Board Personnel Committee

August 2, 2010

1. Call to order
Co-Chair Bill Crosier called the meeting to order at approximately 8:48pm.

2. Roll Call
Present:  Nia Bediako (I), Bill Crosier (T), Efia Nwangaza (Affil), Marcel Reid (W).
Absent:   Ricco Ross (K), Joe Wanzala (A).

3. Agenda Creation
Chair's notes to committee:
Minutes-approval
CFO Evaluation Survey Review - what went well and what can be done better next time
Timetable for annual reviews of ED & CFO - few months away
Revise CFO Job Description - make better organized and similar to ED job description
Amendments:
Bediako - Review of GM Hiring processes in Foundation (15 min)
Bediako - Defer minutes approval as distributed earlier that day
Nwangaza / Crosier - Preparation of flow chart of staffŠorganizational chart of relationships between management, staff and board

Agenda
1.    Minutes
2.       Confirm Next Meeting Date
3.     CFO Evaluation Survey Review (15 min)
4. New Business
a.  Organizational Chart
b.  Review of Foundation's GM Hiring processes (15 min)
c.   Revise CFO Job Description
5.    Review Action Items
    
Agenda approved without objection.

4. Approval of Minutes of July 9, 2010
Deferred until next meeting, without objection.

5. Next Meeting
Not Labor Day Monday 9/6, but Wednesday 9/1. (Regular committee meeting is first Mondays.) Short executive session to approve minutes.

6. Evaluate CFO Survey
Continue:
?    Comments in addition to "grade"

Possible Changes:
?      Redo job description and revise survey
? Motivate more directors/people to participate
?  Lowest participation from unit directors and station staff - Business Managers and Member List Managers - only 27%, 50% PNB, 53% -56% Audit & Finance Committees, 60% National Office staff. (CFO had suggested that separate survey that employees know are for employees only might get greater response. Significance of such a thing is unclear.)
?  Scheduling proved problematic because of PNB meeting
?   Make reminder calls to respondents (email reminders were sent)
? Some people are intimidated by online surveys or untrusting of confidentiality; written surveys require more time to compile results
?   Ask respondents 2-3 questions to evaluate survey process when either outcome/results of survey or acknowledgement of participation is sent

?       Some Directors did not provide mailing address for hard copy of survey results

Work group: Marcel will provide a couple questions next week to be discussed by committee via email and sent to respondents by Zoomerang

Bill Crosier will post survey description, method and respondent categories on committee's public Google group.

7. Organizational Chart
Per ED, asked each LSB to provide chart to Personnel for compilation last year
Ask ED to have GMs provide within 10 days? Ask ED to provide within 14 days (due to funddrive, vacations, etc.)

Motion by Bediako: To ask ED to provide to committee by its September 1st meeting.
Passed without objection. (Motion to be sent to ED and cc'd to PNB.)

8. Review of GM Hiring processes
?        Currently 4 interim managers - unprecedented
?   Different processes at different stations
?      Consistent employment contracts? LSB input into hiring process?
?        Job descriptions: not clearly written, outline too task intensive vs. results-oriented, redundant, difficult to create evaluation tool; should be reviewed before release
?      Bad P.R. to have simultaneous search for 4/5 of the network
?    Proposal: Workgroup of committee members from stations currently in search to gather information and create workable and fair process to bring to committee as basis for discussion; integrate existing (local) committees' self-critiques 
?    Purpose: Looking forward and reviewing current processes
?       Proposal: Committee members speak with chair of their local Management Search Committee regarding how to change process/speed up and thoughts on process so far
?        Both inform Program Director hire and monitor current process
?  Committees receiving some help from Ahmad (Anderson) who is serving as KPFA IGM, James (last name ?) and Christine

Workgroup: Marcel and Nia; check with Joe and Ricco to work on questionnaire for search committees

 (Nwangaza leaves call about 10:03pm)

9. Revise CFO job description
Redundancies revealed during preparation of CFO survey:
Need to clarify and group tasks into various categories
Compare old job descriptions and industry standards (especially non-profits)
Revise with an eye to desired results not just tasks
Make suggestions on committee's Google group

10. Action Items
Bill:  Notify ED about deadline for presenting Organizational Charts to Personnel Cmte
Marcel:  Contact Joe and Ricco re. joining workgroup on GM hiring processes
Bill:  Start discussion of CFO job description revision on Google group
        Bill:  Post next meeting date

11. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned by concensus at 10:15pm.

Passed without objection.

KPFTX.org is missing audio of our meetings on 5/20/10, 6/7/10, and 9/1/10.

At 10:22 PM -0600 12/5/10, Bill Crosier wrote:

I hope everyone can make it to this meeting Monday evening -- we tried 4 times unsuccessfully to reach quorum last month.

Below is the draft agenda (basically the same as it's been for the last several weeks.

Efia, do you want to chair the meeting tomorrow?

Bill


DRAFT Agenda - PNB Personnel Committee
Monday, Dec. 6, 2010

1.  Call to order and roll call (1 min.)

2.  Approval of agenda (5 min.)

3.  Approval of minutes from July 9 and August 2 2010 meetings (5 min.)

4.  Plan & begin work for annual reviews of ED and CFO. (20 minutes)

5.  Update on organization chart(s) (15 min.)

6.  Work group reports and discussion:
6a. GM hiring process (30 min.)
6b. Cleanup/re-writing of CFO job description (30 min.)

7.  New Business (10 min.)

8.  Review Action Items (5 min.)

9.  Adjourn meeting (approx. 10:30 PM EST)

-- 

Bill Crosier
kp...@crosierbiomed.com      713-641-4941
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