Members’ Voice Task Force analyzes areas of concentration for AIA

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["strong"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A hot topic at the 2022 AIA Annual Meeting was a presentation on the AIA Members\u2019 Voice Task Force (MVTF). With background work begun in 2021, MVTF\u2019s action and implementation plan will begin in the coming months, with the goal of looking at how individual members and member groups have a voice in influencing the direction of AIA. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Specifically, the Task Force is charged with the following duties:"]]],[3,"ol",[[[0,[],0,"Analyze the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors and the Strategic Council, and their accountability to the members."]],[[0,[],0,"Examine the effectiveness of the Board of Directors and the Strategic Council, their relationshipto one another, and to members and member groups."]],[[0,[],0,"Make recommendations to increase governance transparency, accountability, and communication."]],[[0,[],0,"Study the resources and processes required to allow for greater member input to the Board of Directors and the Strategic Council."]],[[0,[],0,"Identify any cultural changes or process adjustments necessary to provide a meaningful and transparent connection between members and the organization."]],[[0,[],0,"Study the resolutions process and whether this is the best method for members and components to surface issues they feel are important to the profession to the attention of the Board of Directors."]],[[0,[],0,"Seek direction from the Board of Directors, when needed, to investigate additional areas of study."]]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Areas of Concentration"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,""],[0,[],0,"Chaired by Jessica Sheridan, AIA, the Task Force has conducted interviews with relevant stakeholders over the last year. They will now move to phase two\u2014continued outreach through social media, town halls, additional stakeholder interviews, and leadership exchange calls. Ultimately, the findings will be revealed at the 2023 Annual Meeting in San Francisco as part of A\u201923. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"There are five major areas of concentration that MVTF will focus on, some with laid out short-term (1-2 years), medium-term (3-4 years) and long-term (5+ years) goals. By focusing on membership and member input; how the board and council receive feedback from members to set priorities; collaboration and coordination among all tiers of the AIA; improving the culture of trust; and evaluating the resolutions process. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The first area, membership, focuses on how AIA collects information from individual members on trends and concerns that matter to them. This will be done by identifying ways for members to interact and intersect with other groups of AIA members to elevate issues. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"How the Board and Council receives input on the future vision of the organization and strategic planning priorities from members is the second area of concentration.. Clarifying the role of the Strategic Council, continuing to develop the leadership exchange calls, and evaluating AIA\u2019s Bylaws and Rules of the Board, are some of the tactics being planned to ultimately accomplish this goal. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The third area of concentration is coordination and collaboration among all tiers of the AIA, looks at how AIA ensures priorities and programs are complimentary and coordinated. A unified and coordinated association with similar goals can eliminate the competition for resources and duplication of efforts across AIA. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In the short term, goals outlined include developing a line of communication between Strategic Council and component presidents and focusing grassroots efforts on component governance. Mid-term goals include evaluating the role of component leadership to enhance the network of AIA at all levels; empowering delegates as an on-ramp for more diverse leadership; and developing, evaluating, and prioritize appropriate support and staff resources to best serve all communities, committees, Board, and the Strategic Council. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Long-term goals for the third area of concentration include revamping the AIA website and creating a clearinghouse of resources that are interactive and accessible. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Developing a culture of trust, the fourth area of concentration, ensures that leaders in AIA are paying attention to the happenings in the organization and examines how they react to critical incidents or crises. To shape a culture of trust, AIA must develop and widely communicate the vision of the organization and use that vision to handle difficult times. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In the short-term, trust can be developed by implementing more open forums for discussion, input, and feedback and making the work of the Strategic Council more accessible to members. Mid-term strategies for developing trust include developing a unified structure for Council members to engage with local components. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In the long term, it\u2019s important to develop a structure for ongoing reporting, input, and feedback from members and create an interactive platform for members to raise issues, receive responses, and hear how others are dealing with issues they may have."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The final area of concentration is resolutions and looking at whether they are the best method for members and components to surface issues to the Board. Are there alternate ways for issues to be raised? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"By establishing a year-round Resolutions Committee and providing components and members with resolution coaches or mentors, AIA may be able to address some of these needs in the short term. Mid-term goals include reviewing and modifying the AIA Bylaws to ensure consistency as well as further development of the resolutions guidelines. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Following this MVTF presentation, the delegates at the Annual Meeting were provided an open forum to raise matters of national interest for future consideration. Topics mentioned included the AIA statement on school safety; work to improve the profession\u2019s diversity through additional training opportunities for components; and core member services for all components and all members. "]]]]}