One of the biggest issues contributing to those negative experiences I encountered twenty years ago, was that we weren't reporting to a paid boss. We were doing our best to function as an effective, coordinated team, without outside administrative oversight or direction. While that gave us a certain degree of freedom, and a lot of scope for creative problem-solving, it also led to confusion and some amount of mission creep, because it was easy to forget who our constituents were: not each other, but rather the public we served.
We weren't administratively accountable to those constituents: they didn't elect us, supervise us, or have any input on how the organization was structured. We spent their money (indirectly, through the medical supplies, vehicle maintenance, and liability coverage provided by the campus), and I think we spent it responsibly and effectively, but it was without any reporting requirement to show them the benefits of their investment, resulting in ongoing public relations problems.
As events unfolded earlier this month, I found myself harking back to that earlier situation, as I tried to sort out who was now coordinating which activities, administering which fund, and providing direction to the overall mission. I went looking for the answers on the respective websites and forums, to try and sort it all out. I found lots of information — but very little of it specific enough to really address my confusion.
I have nothing but respect for those who have given 110% over the past year and a half, to spearhead and staff the campaign. So please take the following in the spirit intended: not as a challenge or any kind of aspersion, but merely a sincere request to eliminate any possible confusion about the current state of affairs. These open questions are addressed not to a single specific site, but to any site or group working on campaign activities:
In bullet or outline form, 200 words or less, what is the current general mission of your organization/association? To promote the Farscape television show, cast, or crew? To expand/unite the Farscape fan community? To promote charitable efforts in the show's name? If you have multiple missions, how are you avoiding a loss of focus in your activities?
In bullet or outline form, 200 words or less, what are the current specific goals of your organization/association? Season Five? A particular rating on the miniseries when it airs? A specialized product or service? How are you targeting your efforts to a reasonable spectrum of goals, to avoid splitting your resources too much to effectively achieve those goals?
Who are your constituents? Other scapers? The general public? Specific communities? Specific interest groups? How do you measure and demonstrate your accountability to those constituents, for activities conducted in their name?
What are the requirements for membership? Is your membership tiered (such as voting & non-voting, etc.), and if so, how and why?
What is your governance structure? Are issues decided by the full membership, or an executive committee? If the latter, what posts/offices have been established? How are they filled? Do you have formal terms, with set lengths of service? How are officers replaced or reappointed?
How formal is your organization? Are you a casual association, a formal organization, or legally incorporated?
If any part of your group's activities involves the collection/distribution of funds,
What processes are in place for the collection of monies? Are funds collected into a personal PayPal account designated for the project, a PayPal account established in the name of the group, or a formally incorporated organization bank account?
What processes are in place for the disbursement of funds? Are there controls to ensure that funds are only disbursed in accordance with the wishes, and under the authority, of the group's members/governing committee?
What reporting mechanisms are in place to provide timely, accurate, detailed, and auditable accounting of all flows of funds in and out of group accounts? How often are these reports updated? Are they posted in a regular, prominent location, so that constituents can easily locate them?
The more specifics, the more data that's put out there, the less confusion and conflict we'll have to deal with, going forward. And surely that's a good thing. ;-)
Posted at February 25, 2004 12:00 AM
in
Fandom
, Social Order