Governance is defined as the processes and structures whereby an organization makes decisions regarding its future in an effective, accountable and transparent manner. / La gouvernance est définie comme les processus et les structures permettant à une organisation de prendre des décisions concernant son avenir de manière efficace, responsable et transparente.
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Will governance address the membership voting structure? Will Ontario and Quebec dominate the voting power?
ReplyDeleteThe proposed governance framework does not address the membership voting structure. When it began its work on governance, the Constitution Committee recognized that the current voting structure was an issue that was much debated within the CSA. However, the Committee decided that the issue was of such importance that it should be dealt with on its own at some future date. The Committee also believed that the work involved in designing a completely new governance framework for the Association, and preparing the necessary amendments to the bylaws, would be very substantial and likely consume all of its energies.
ReplyDeleteThe Committee does not wish to speculate on the politics surrounding the process of governance renewal and thus will decline comment on the question regarding the voting power of Ontario and Quebec. The membership of the CSA as a whole has directed that the governance framework of the CSA be renewed, as proposed by the Constitution Committee at the CSA’s 2010 Annual General Meeting. The membership will next decide if it wishes to approve the bylaw amendments that are proposed to implement its directive.
Will the new governance model be addressed by the membership at a special general meeting before the next AGM? If so, can you tell us when?
ReplyDeleteThe membership of the CSA approved the governance framework at the 2010 Annual General Meeting. That decision has already been made. The membership next will decide whether to approve those bylaw amendments that are required to implement that decision.
ReplyDeleteThe motion that was approved at the 2010 Annual General Meeting directed that such by-law amendments be “presented for adoption at a General meeting to be held no later than the 2011 AGM.” No decision has been made as to whether a Special General Meeting shall be called for this purpose before the May 2011 Annual General Meeting.
First timer here, I am wondering why this change is being proposed? is it to improve our national program? how will this do that? Will this improve our coaches? our scouts or programs? as well i am from BC and i would like my representative from here to voice our concerns and our issue that is what a representative democracy is about. this new governance seems to take some of that away. when people have stated that it takes away from the politics..... i have to ask who appoints these committee members? does everyone really believe that the politics will stop? i foresee that it will only get worse as it will be in the hands of the very few.
ReplyDeleteplease clarify.
thank you,
The change to the CSA’s governance framework is being proposed to improve the structures and processes by which the organization conducts its business and by which it works towards the achievement of CSA’s vision of “leading Canada to victory and Canadians to a life-long passion for soccer” (Canadian Soccer Association, Strategic Plan 2009-2013). As the framework documents posted here from the 2010 CSA AGM show, the new framework seeks to:
ReplyDelete1. ensure that the board and the management/staff of the organization have the capacity to act for the betterment of the sport of soccer in Canada;
2. engage the CSA membership and improve its capacity to be heard by the board and management/staff; and
3. ensure that there is a clear and effective separation between the governing responsibilities of the board and the operational responsibilities of management/staff.
These goals are explained more fully and concretely in the posted documents under three headings: The Betterment of Soccer, Engagement of the Membership, and Separation of Governance and Operations.
One of the outcomes envisaged by governance renewal is improvement of the CSA’s national programs, including its national team programs. Studies of sport organizations have demonstrated clearly that there is a correlation between organizational effectiveness (and especially board effectiveness) and the delivery of superior programs. Part of the solution lies in securing greater funding for our national programs, seeing as the funds that come from membership revenues are no longer adequate to meet program needs. But funds will be secured from the outside world only if the organization’s program structures and decision-making processes are viewed by potential investors and partners to be sound and modernized. The Constitution Committee believes that its proposals for governance renewal will create an effective, efficient and forward-looking organization, which will be attractive to those who want to work with the CSA to grow the sport.
But there is another important outcome envisaged by this renewal process, and that is enhanced representation of the CSA membership (i.e., Provincial Associations) in the program structures and decision-making processes. Far from taking away “representative democracy”, the proposed governance framework seeks to strengthen it. To explain this, we need to move to a follow-up blog posting; see below.
To begin with, the Provincial Associations need to know that the proposed governance framework will make no changes whatever to the two representation processes that are normally of greatest concern to the CSA membership. First of all, decisions on fee increases will continue to be approved at the CSA Annual General Meeting, where each Provincial Association is represented and casts a vote. Secondly, the Competitions Committee, on which each Provincial Association currently has a voting representative, will continue.
ReplyDeleteWhat will change with the new governance framework is there will be new opportunities for the development of enhanced processes and structures for Provincial Associations to raise issues where they feel their specific concerns are not adequately heard or perhaps addressed. Program issues will be dealt with by a new set of “Operational Committees”, which will have a representative make-up, and which will make recommendations to, and have direct interactions with, management. And issues relating to the broader strategic direction of the CSA may be brought directly to the board by provincial representatives at the new bi-annual Members’ Forum.
Governance experts have made the important observation that there are a number of different representation systems in any organization. There is ‘substantive’ representation, which occurs when an organization acts in a way that is responsive to its constituents. There is ‘symbolic’ representation, which occurs when an organization is trusted and is accorded legitimacy by its constituents. There is ‘formal’ representation, which occurs when the organization creates processes by which its leaders are chosen by its constituents. There is ‘descriptive’ representation, which occurs when leaders of an organization mirror or accurately profile the characteristics of the constituents. And there is ‘participatory representation’, which occurs when an organization involves its constituents in its decision-making processes and maintains a high level of communication with them. The framework for governance renewal seeks to ensure that, in the CSA, all of these systems are working to capacity.
Wow can you please explain for us who have not so good english about these different representatives
ReplyDeleteWe are not sure what you would like us to explain. If you are referring to the last paragraph, we are not describing "different representatives" but rather different ways of understanding what is meant by the word "representation". It is sometimes used as if it has only one meaning but governance experts have usefully told us that there are different meanings. It can mean a system that is responsive but it also can mean a system that involves people in decision-making. We are saying that the new governance framework attempts to achieve effective representation in all respects.
ReplyDelete