Board/Minutes/2022-02-S2S/Identify more effective ways of getting foundation work done - Executive director
Notes by participants. Might be enriched.
This session took place in parallel with "Parallel session: Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team". A summary was provided to the other group.
Attendees
- Amanda McCann (facilitating session)
- Guillaume Rischard
- Tobias Knerr
- Allen Gunn (Gunner) (facilitator of screen-to-screen meeting)
Not Present
- Mikel Maron
Officers and board
Biographies
Post-meeting addition of background, links and formatting by Dorothea Kazazi.
Background
- 2020-10 Board capacity and sustainability (Board Screen-to-Screen meeting)
Collaborative notes
Current status:
- Reduced board capacity
- G.Rischard: Less actions being done compared when G & A & Allan et al started
Suggestions:
- Prioritise and do less?
- Doing things less well (communicating more curtly)
- Amanda feels that to do something
- Paying people?
- Executive director, such as in case of OSM-US
- Concerns about power grabs, bloating, revolving door for ex-board members etc.
- OSM-US as an example (different opinions on how successful it is for them)
- Could displace volunteer motivations
- Executive director, such as in case of OSM-US
- Getting more volunteers?
- Mentoring future board members
- We can legally appoint an 8th board member (but some see that as subverting the democratic process)
Executive Director
G.Rischard: OSMUS has had a lot of success with Maggie (Cawley) as Executive Director
A.McCann: Doesn't want a board member hired
T.Knerr: Doesn't want a complete outsider to be hired as Executive Director
question: Would unpaid board members be happy doing things if there's a paid Executive Director?
T.Knerr: there still is boring work
G.Rischard asked Dorothea her opinion
D: can provide more details later. Has thought about this, concerned about effect on osmf volunteers
G.Rischard: Are we all agreed on causes and deciions
T.Knerr: also thinks more decision is needed
asked Gunner to stay 5 minutes until the end.
G.Rischard: Big things not getting done, like budget or moving out of UK.
A.Gunn: maybe hire someone who's only job is volunteer engagement & help
A.Gunn: title (Executive Director) sounds big, maybe “managing director”, agrees that osmf should do something
A.Gunn: Maggie (Cawley) is active in the community and that has been very beneficial
D: Suggested some board action items be shared by a team of board members
Decisions
- Board has a lot of things to do, and not as much time to do them, and this has been a recurring issue.
- Big issues like hiring a “Executive Director” (or similar) would need more board discussion