Chair of Warwick District – Role Description

Chair of Warwick District – Role Description

Summary of role

The Chair has the key role of providing leadership and chairing business meetings. The Chair may occasionally act as a spokesperson for the local party, and takes a lead on responding to serious or controversial enquires or complaints. They are also the PPERA second officer meaning it is their responsibility to find a treasurer urgently if the current one stops performing their duties.

Why is this role important?

The chair is a constitutional requirement for a local Green Party. The chair is not there to make key decisions by themselves, but to ensure that the Committee (which is the sovereign body of the party) makes necessary decisions in a timely and appropriate way. A committee without a chair might be OK for a while, but is likely to lose its effectiveness and direction.

Time Commitment

4 hours per quarterly meeting cycle plus about 5 hours for each urgent issue, which might be twice a year. However, there’s plenty of scope to be more involved!

Tasks included in role

Promote effective decision making within Warwick District Green Party by ensuring that:

  • items on the agenda for committee meetings represent the end not the beginning of the process and:
    • Make specific proposal
    • Are written and circulated well in advance;
    • Demonstrate that all key people have already had input prior to the meeting taking place.
  • Decisions are made at the appropriate level (e.g. at ward, group or committee level)
  • Agendas and associated documents are sent out well in advance to all members of the committee
  • With the secretary, ensuring accuracy and circulation of minutes
  • Action points are actioned.

In addition, the chair is involved with

  • Strategy and compliance: Identifies strategic and legal compliance gaps that need to be addressed by the committee.
  • Annual General Meeting: Running and advertising an AGM in a way that fulfils the constitutional requirements.
  • External complaints: Takes a lead on responding to serious or controversial enquiries or complaints, particularly those not resolved at an initial stage. The Chair does not need to be involved in most external complaints, but is available for advice if required.
  • Internal mediation: To help prevent and resolve conflict within the party through promoting understanding and communication, if necessary with support from the regional and national party.
  • Liaison with the regional party: To provide two-way communication with the regional party.
  • Support for committee members: Provides support for the other committee members to improve their effectiveness

Skills needed

  • An understanding of WDGP as a whole, including its structure and key relationships.
  • Supportive of the electoral goals of WDGP
  • A strong listener who is able to impartially understand different perspectives and prevent and resolve conflicts
  • Flexibility to respond quickly to deal with occasional urgent issues
  • Prepare for and chair meetings in a business like and timely manner.
  • Strategic insight to identify gaps in the organisation’s approach
  • Reliable and organised in the preparation and follow upof meetings

What help will I receive?

West Midlands Field Organiser and members of the West Midlands Committee are able and willing to offer support and help on an ongoing basis.

Responsible to

Warwick District Green Party members and Warwick District Green Party Committee

Succession

The role of chair could be taken on as a job share where person with less experience could be trained up to take on the role. This would need approval by the members at the AGM, or through co-option during the year.

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