Rotary International District 1020
Rotary GB&I Restructuring Event
Report
21st January 2012
Report Structure:
1. Introduction
2. Context, Background & Purpose
3. Audience Analysis
4. Method & Process
5. Key Findings – what we heard from delegates
6. Summary Conclusions – what the implications of that may be
7. Summary Recommendations – what should be done next?
1. Introduction
This report has been created to record the proceedings of the Seminar which was proposed by the District Governor at the District AGM on the 11th December 2011, following a DVD presentation of Rotary GB&I in the 21st century. At that meeting it was accepted that Rotary GB&I was a complex organisation and that there was little general understanding of its structure and functions.
Those present at the AGM welcomed an opportunity for further discussion at a single focus meeting when the outcomes of the Review could be further explored so that clubs would be empowered to make more informed responses to the CEO/Sec of Rotary GB&I request. This report therefore represents another phase of consultation.
“DG Keith asked for Rotarians to share their views on what the vision, key services and structure of Rotary GB&I should be. This was their opportunity to create change. He proposed running a seminar in January 2012 to discuss ideas and forward them to Rotary GB&I and invited initial comments” Draft minutes of the AGM 11th December 2011.
2. Context, Background & Purpose
The Structure of Rotary GB&I has been under intensive review over the last year. This has included the consideration of the outcomes of the Quinquennial Review which received 5,556 responses and the publication of the 2020 Vision Group Report.
A theme running through both reports is that Rotary in Britain and Ireland needs to change its image and raise its profile to be relevant in the 21st Century. The current structure of Rotary GB&I is believed to be failing to deliver such a new image and sense of strategic direction.
The outcomes of the review were presented to the General Council of Rotary GB&I on November 28th 2011.
The General Council agreed to draw up proposals for fundamental changes in the governance of Rotary GB&I. The objective is to transform Rotary GB&I from the top into an effective driver of change in Rotary in Britain and Ireland.
The need for change was a clear message that came through the review of Rotary GB&I.
Rotary has to change to realise its full potential to serve both our local communities and communities around the world. The General Council saw its task as reconstructing Rotary GB&I to focus on the services that best help districts and clubs to make Rotary an organisation that people aspire to join.
The General Council concluded that Rotary GB&I needs a streamlined management structure focused on delivering dynamic services to clubs that make a difference on the ground, and on supporting the President and DGs in their jobs of leading Rotary in Britain and Ireland. It needs clear delivery objectives. It should be accountable for its performance to clubs and Rotarians throughout Rotary GB&I. It must be able to show that everything it does adds value to clubs’ programmes.
The purpose of this additional District phase of consultation was:
· To support clubs to be more informed, simplify the issues, and provide summary of concerns.
· To agree or disagree to the proposals being made by General Council.
· To inform the DG of the concerns and issues of individual Rotarians and clubs
· To engage with the process in forming the recommendations
· To enable the DG to take cognisance of these views and represent them at the General Council on 4th February 2012.
· To enable Clubs to debate further and respond to Annemarie Hart CEO/Sec of Rotary GB&I by 27th January
· To prepare clubs to be aware that there is time for further debate following the next General Council when further resolutions will be published.
· To produce a report for those Rotarians who were unable to attend the meeting.
3. Audience Analysis
34 clubs were represented by 70 Rotarians. Apologies were received from a further 14 Rotarians, 4 of which were PDGs, 6 were current District Officers
16 of those in attendance held District Officer positions.
4. Method & Process
A 2 hour session was arranged, with invitations issued to all clubs and current and former District Officers. A planning group was convened by DG Keith Best, consisting of himself, Immediate Past DG Allan Mclaughlan and LDTC Chair Willie Maltman.
This group analysed the papers issued by Rotary GB&I and developed a number of options for framing and holding the discussion. It was decided to develop a seminar format with breakout sessions as well as full plenary discussion. A copy of the workshop outline is attached as an Appendix. However, the main sessions were as follows:
· Welcome, Introduction, Context & Purpose
· Breakout Session 1 – Risks & opportunities arising from the change & how to address these
· Plenary
· Breakout Session 2 – Proposed Timeline – scrutiny & consideration of activities
· Plenary
· Summary & Next Steps
In the first session, delegates were invited to form two sets of groups:
· One considering risks arising from the change and how these could be minimised
· The other considering opportunities arising from the change and how these could be exploited fully
District Officers were chosen and briefed to facilitate the workshop sessions and provide summaries for the plenaries. All attendees were encouraged to contribute, in either the breakout sessions, or the plenaries.
Feedback on the process was overwhelmingly positive and supportive, although there was some desire to spend longer on the process overall – say perhaps one further hour for continued discussion.
A final evaluation of the event was given to delegates to complete on their exit, which has been used to help compile this report.
A summary report was promised to attendees and also to other club members who were unable to attend.
5. Key Findings
6. Summary Conclusions
At this point, it may be helpful to reaffirm that the meeting for District 1020 were broadly supportive of the proposals, subject to certain caveats that were discussed on the day and are contained in these conclusions below. Most of the caveats have been raised because of a lack of clarity over the behind the scenes actions that are already under way.
These have been grouped for ease of reference into four areas of: Information & Communication, Transparency, Change Management, and Planning & Governance.
Information/Communication
All information received regarding the proposals was issued to clubs and members, including all main reports. This was also raised in several media (paper, website, email) and forums, such as the District AGM, although attendance could have been greater. Despite this, there was a widely expressed need for either more or less, or clearer and more concise information. Without setting up a separate communication channel and resource to address this one specific change, it should be possible, in future to make more effective use of existing channels of communication and existing media (paper and electronic).
Transparency
Concerns were expressed about the consistency, quality and impact of DG communication from their Districts to Rotary GB&I & General Council in this period of change and along with everything else that DGs were tasked with communicating. Starting with this report, it should be possible to create short, focussed and regular updates that would serve the dual purpose of informing clubs and Rotary GB&I whilst ensuring accountability for its content.
Change Management
Managing any change is a complex and challenging undertaking. Rotary GB&I’s recent experience of such change has been limited and therefore clubs were concerned at the processes to be used as well as how these would be resourced. Greater assurance and regular status reports would reduce the overall and specific concerns raised within District, as would providing more specific details of resources being allocated and the individuals and groups tasked with managing the process and its component parts.
Planning & Governance
Allied to change management, the scrutiny of the proposed transition programme raised concerns about the ambition and scale of the proposed changes as well how these would be sequenced in a coherent and credible way that enabled the changes to be made with minimum disruption to regular business. The need for planning and reporting to look forward explicitly to future milestones as well as report on past progress would also be welcome. This would have the dual benefit of providing sufficient rigour internally within Rotary GB&I and externally, for the comfort of individual members.
7. Summary Recommendations
At this point, it may be helpful to reaffirm that the meeting for District 1020 were broadly supportive of the proposals, subject to certain caveats that were discussed on the day and are contained in these conclusions below. Most of the caveats have been raised because of a lack of clarity over the behind the scenes actions that are already under way.
These have again been grouped for ease of reference into four areas of: Information & Communication, Transparency, Change Management, and Planning & Governance.
Information & Communication
4. Try to maintain lines of communication through existing channels and people e.g. via District Secretary to club secretaries and District Officers.
Transparency
Change Management
Planning & Governance
Appendix – Programme of Event
TIME |
SESSION |
CONTENT |
11.00 |
1 |
What we’re doing - Welcome and Introductions - Keith
How we’ll do it - Format, Outline, process for the event – Willie
(set up discussions, facilitated round table sessions followed by plenary, opportunities for further discussion, follow up summary report to be provided, offer of continued consultation & dialogue with District & Rotary GB&I) |
11.15 |
2 |
Why we’re doing it - Purpose of Today - Allan
· Context & Background:
o Need to consider and approve the current proposal
o Recognise and support the changes that are integral to the proposal
o Recognise and support the future changes that will arise from the proposal |
11.20 |
3 |
Discussion Session 1 – Risks & Opportunities
· In groups, with a District Facilitator
· half of the audience discuss potential risks arising from the change and how we should minimise those risks
· the other half consider potential opportunities arising from the change and how we should exploit those opportunities
· Feedback in plenary – following first group to feedback, exceptions or omissions ONLY to be reported in the hall but notes to be kept of all discussion |
12.00 |
4 |
Discussion Session 2 – Timeline & Change Process
· Keith to set out the Transition Plan, then
· In groups, with a District Facilitator
· Distribute the proposed Transition Plan and get groups to break it down into four quarters. ¼ of the groups take ONLY ONE ¼ and consider it against a set of criteria e.g. timing, content, priority given, order & sequence, linkages between items and across quarters etc
· Feedback in plenary – following first group to feedback on their 1/4, exceptions or omissions ONLY to be reported but notes to be kept of all discussion |
12.45 |
5 |
Next Stages – Keith
· Take discussion back to clubs
· Consider summary report of this meeting
· Write back to District/Rotary GB&I
· Outline the wider “Downstream” possibilities |
12.55 |
6 |
Evaluation & Close |