ADMINISTRATION

The personnel responsible for management functions of the organization, including fiscal management, human resources, and service delivery. Such personnel determine organizational goals, acquire and allocate resources to carry out a program, coordinate activities toward goal achievement, and monitor, evaluate, and make needed changes in processes and procedures to improve the likelihood of goal achievement. The term is synonymously used with MANAGEMENT.		  
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  MANAGEMENT

See ADMINISTRATION		  
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  SERVICE

One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.		  
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  PLANNING

The process of specifying objectives, evaluating the means for their achievement, and exercising deliberate decision making about appropriate courses of action.		  
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  COMMUNITY

A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.		  
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  PERFORMANCE

A measure of how well an organizational system provides services to consumers. Performance is often based on key indicators, such as rates of service, cost per consumer, degree of satisfaction with services, and extent of consumer access to services.		  
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  CONSUMER

The individual, family, group, or community that seeks or receives services.		  
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  GOVERNING BODY

A person or persons with the legal authority and responsibility to set policy and oversee the operations of an organization. Generally, the governing body is a group, such as a board of directors or board of trustees. While the exact responsibilities of the governing body depend on the nature and character of the organization, the governing body has minimum fiduciary responsibilities to the organization set by statute, regulation, and case law, and typically assume responsibilities for long term planning, risk management, and evaluation and effectiveness of management.		  
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  POLICY

A written statement of principles, values, or intent that provides a basis for consistent decision making and guides the actions of staff, management, and board of trustees. A policy is intentionally broad in its language and application. The following is an example of an anti-discrimination policy:

"[Organization Name] shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and provision of services."

In contrast, a procedure is a detailed, step-by-step description of a process. It tells the reader how to do something. Generally, policies are implemented through procedures. For example, the above anti-discrimination policy would require a detailed grievance procedure in order to operationalize it within an organization.

The governing body has the fiduciary responsibility for setting organizational policy. Therefore, policies must be approved and periodically reviewed by the organization's governing body. However, the governing body typically delegates (via policy) the responsibility for policy development to management. In owner-operated for-profit companies, the owner can act as the company's governing body, depending on the company's corporate structure.

In a public agency the responsibility for setting and reviewing policies may belong to the agency's management team, elected officials, another governmental agency, or as is often the case, a combination of the above.

  
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  LEADERSHIP

A nonprofit organization's leadership consists of its governing body, chief executive officer, and may also include its senior management. In a public agency the term refers to the agency head and administration team. The term "leadership" is not generally applied to for-profit organizations. With respect to COA standards, in for-profit organizations the term leadership applies to the owner and board of directors if one exists.		  
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  STAKEHOLDER

Any person, group, or organization that has a vested interest in the services provided by the organization. Examples: clients, consumers, personnel, funding organizations, referral organizations, vendors, and governmental bodies.		  
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  ADVISORY GROUP

A group of individuals selected by an organization's governing body or management who possess unique skills and/or knowledge and whose role is to make recommendations, provide information, and/or share input from stakeholders. Advisory groups do not have formal governance authority or responsibilities. Advisory groups can be ongoing or ad hoc.		  
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  PARENTS

Parents can include: birth, foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Please see service standards for more specific information about use of this term. 		 
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Administration and Management
  
Private Org Public Agency  

PA-AM 5: Agency Oversight and Community Representation*

 
Entities with an oversight role for the agency are sufficiently diverse in resources, capabilities, and perspectives and are well enough informed about current service delivery trends and issues, to constructively guide and support the achievement of the agency's mission, goals and planning.
Interpretation: Entities with an oversight role can include monitors, legislative panels and committees, ombudsmen, Citizen Review Boards and panels, county commissioners, and similar bodies.

PA-AM 5.01

 

Oversight entities:

  1. reflect the demographics of the communities served;
  2. represent the interests of the communities served;
  3. link the agency and the public or community; and
  4. ensure that the agency’s policies and performance uphold the public trust.
Interpretation: To meet the intent of the standard, oversight and advisory boards must demonstrate effective representation of community and consumer needs and reflect a wide range of skill, abilities, and community knowledge and professions. Also, this entity should have members able to carry out its responsibility for financial oversight, if appropriate.
Note: Please enter demographic information on the organization's governing body and community advisory board on the Community Demographic Profile.

PA-AM 5.02

 

Members of agency oversight entities possess the following qualities, and the entity overall reflects all of the following:

  1. skills and experience in developing policy;
  2. leadership ability;
  3. public recognition and respect;
  4. ability to connect the agency with other resources; and
  5. financial management experience.
Interpretation: A diversified set of skills and experienceare necessary for achieving substantial or full compliance.

PA-AM 5.03

 
One or more agency oversight entities review agency performance and outcomes reports, within a mutually agreed to, useful timeframe or as mandates require to support continual improvement and timely correction.

PA-AM 5.04

 

The agency establishes and maintains a stakeholder advisory group that serves as a bridge between the agency and the community and it:

  1. includes representatives of relevant community groups, consumers, parents, service providers, advocates, and others with an interest in the success of the agency at achieving its mission or purpose;
  2. provides information and feedback to the agency about services, outcomes, the perception of the agency within the community, and other information that would help the agency better serve its covered population and the community; and
  3. serves in an advisory capacity only and does not assume governing body or management responsibilities.

Interpretation: The input and feedback provided by stakeholder advisory groups are vital to the functioning of a well-run agency. In order for advisory groups to function well the agency should:

  1. establish clear and transparent recruitment and selection guidelines;
  2. have reasonable expectations about what the group can accomplish within the parameters of its mission and available resources; and
  3. actively consider and respond to the group's input, feedback, or recommendations.
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PURPOSE: The agency achieves its vision, mission and strategic goals to assure appropriate use of public resources for the public good through sound administration and effective management.
 
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