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Effective WCS Committee Management. Brent Olson . Effective WCS Committee Management. Rotary Clubs vary significantly in how they organize to pursue international activities and international projects. Larger Clubs often have WCS or international projects committees.
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Effective WCS Committee Management Brent Olson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Rotary Clubs vary significantly in how they organize to pursue international activities and international projects. • Larger Clubs often have WCS or international projects committees. • Smaller Clubs may have only an international service committee • Smaller Clubs with little international activity may have no international committees GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Strongly recommend that: • all Clubs establish an active International Committee, and • in medium to larger club, create an WCS or International Projects Committee • Will be focus for international projects efforts. • Source of support for your “internationalist” • Contact point for other potential collaborators • International advocate and promoter GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Club Bylaws or the Board should establish a clear mission for the WCS (International Projects) committee. • Designated chair who is accountable to the board or a board member. • Expect regular periodic meetings • Expect recommendations on proposed projects to be reported to the board • Expect the committee to promote international activities and toeducate the club on projects. GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Recruit Rotarians to the Committee and engage them positively. • Involve each Rotarian in a Project or a Committee function - a “do-er” committee • Keep committee members fully informed • Recognize their efforts before the club’s membership • Educate them in the basics of Rotary and Rotary international service practices GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Promote International Service and Projects within the Club; Educate the Membership. • Work with Program Committee to bring int’l programs to the Membership; highlight club projects or proposed projects • Inform Members through Newsletters,Bulletins or Meeting announcements of int’l projects. • Publicize the projects in your newspaper • Consider specific project fund-raising. GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Prioritize projects and determine appropriate funding of projects. • Committee may choose to define guidelines for what types of international projects the Club will focus on. • Prioritization can be controversial, but the int’l committee is likely better suited, and more motivated than the board, to determine priorities among int’l projects. GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • Ensure that only well prepared project proposals are presented to the board and membership with • Clear project proposals – precise, limiting. • Clear and accountable project management • Clear written Project Plan - all bases covered. • Provision for follow-up monitoring of projects • Commitment to Project evaluation plan. • Interesting reports to membership on projects GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management International Project Guidelines • Should you club develop guidelines for the intl projects which your club intends to support? • How rigorous should you adhere to guidelines? • Guidelines can focus the club’s discussion and bring greater rigor to its allocation of funds. • However, poorly crafted guidelines can become a straight-jacket for otherwise worthy and broadly supported projects. GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management Sample of Some Guidelines • Beneficiaries must be among the world’s most needy • Beneficiaries are unable to achieve the desired results on their own. • Project must be cost effective with budget and records made available for audit • Project does not duplicate ongoing projects • Project must involve more than one Rotarian from our club if we have any management responsibilities • Rotarians from host country are directly involved, if there is a Rotary club nearby GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management Some Other Considerations To what extent do you wish to be pro-active, i.e. going out and finding suitable projects, versus reactive, i.e. responding to funding requests? What level of involvement in your projects do you expect of your Rotarians? How much emphasis on “teaming” with Rotarians from other countries? From other clubs? What sort of publicity is needed to make your club members and community proud of your international work? GBOlson
Effective WCS Committee Management • EXERCISE: Identify Best Practices for the Management of a WCS or International Committee. Consult with your table mates, exchange ideas, and list the most pertinent “best practices.” GBOlson