Module 9. Working Together: Effective Committee and PC/PB Meetings

Purpose

This module provides an overview of how structure and operations can help a PC/PB meet federal requirements and local needs, support all members, and prepare and assist PC/PB and committee officers. It describes how appropriate and consistently followed Bylaws and policies and procedures influence PC/PB success, and addresses the importance of committee structure and PC/PB Support staffing. In addition, it covers the implications of diverse membership, engaged leadership, and inclusive practices, and how attention to group process can help the PC/PB operate as an efficient and engaged “high-performing team.”

Content Overview

Planning Council/Planning Body Operations

Importance of Operations
Working Effectively in Committees
Successful PC/PB Meetings

Group Process Tools

Parliamentary Procedure: Robert’s Rules of Order
Alternatives to Robert’s Rules of Order
The PC/PB as a High-Performing Team: The Tuckman Model
Analyzing and Understanding a Group: BART Analysis

Preparing and Supporting PB/PC Officers

PC/PB Leadership Roles
Skills for Officers
Officer Training and Support

Inclusive Planning

Benefits of a Diverse PC/PB
Strategies for Inclusive HIV Community Planning
Quick Reference Handout 9.8: Effective Committees

Materials for this Module

Module 9: Notes for Trainers

Planning Council/Planning Body Operations

	PowerPoint Slides 9.1: Planning Council/Planning Body Operations
	Activity 9.1: Staff Support for Committees
	Quick Reference Handout 9.1: Preparing Minutes of PC/PB and Committee Meetings: Do’s and Don’ts
	Tool 9.1: Planning Council/Planning Body Meeting Minutes Template
	Quick Reference Handout 9.2: Effective Meetings: Tips for PC/PB and Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs
	Folleto de referencia rápida 9.2:Reuniones eficaces: Consejos para Presidentes/Copresidentes del PC/PB y del Comité
	Quick Reference Handout 9.7: Alternatives to Robert's Rules of Order
	Folleto de referencia rápida 9.7: Alternativas a las Reglas de Orden de Robert
	Quick Reference Handout 9.8: Effective Committees
	Folleto de referencia rápida 9.8: Comités eficaces

Group Process Tools

	PowerPoint Slides 9.2: Group Process Tools
	Activity 9.2: The Clearville Pigeon Problem Role Play
	Quick Reference Handout 9.3: The PC/PB as a High-Performing Team: Using the Tuckman Model of Group Development

Preparing and Supporting PC/PB Officers

	PowerPoint Slides 9.3: Preparing and Supporting PC/PB Officers
	Activity 9.3: Developing a Training Plan for PC/PB Officers
	Quick Reference Handout 9.4: Roles and Tasks for PC/PB Leaders and Staff
	Quick Reference Handout 9.5: Training and Supporting PC/PB Officers as Leaders
	Tool 9.2: Planning Council/Planning Body Officer Development Plan Template

Inclusive Planning

	PowerPoint Slides 9.4: Inclusive Planning
	Activity 9.4: Inclusive Planning
	Quick Reference Handout 9.6: Ten Strategies for Inclusive HIV Community Planning
	Folleto de referencia rápida 9.6: Diez estrategias para una planificación comunitaria inclusiva contra el VIH

For More Information

Additional Resources

Other Online Resources

Parliamentary Procedure

The A-B-C's of Parliamentary Procedure
A 16-page plain-language pocket guide to Robert's Rules of Order developed by the American Institute of Parliamentarians. Covers meeting agendas and the typical order of business; the five general types of motions; and procedures for proposing, discussing, and voting on motions.

Consensus Decision Making

Consumer Decision Making: A Short Guide. From Seeds of Change, a cooperative located in England. Guide on what consensus decision making is, benefits of using it, and how to implement it.
Consensus Decision-Making. A virtual learning center that includes an online training video and other basic information about this method of decision making.

Other Approaches for Running Meetings and Decision Making

How to Ignore Robert’s Rules and Do Your Own Thing. Blog post by Sarah E. Merkle, February 28, 2018. Describes ways to use “special rules” that supplement or modify Robert’s Rules.

Group Process and Team Building

Team Building, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2007. A very clear and easy-to-read tool for team building. Originally developed to support work in cancer control but relevant for all types of teams. Introduction that addresses topics such as selecting team members, Tuckman phases of team development, responsibilities of the team leader, team norms, and how to sustain team effectiveness.
Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. Net Solution for Business, October 2018. Helpful graphic and description of the stages of group development.
The BART System of Group and Organizational Analysis: Boundary, Authority, Role and Task. Zachary Gabriel Green and Rene J. Molenkamp, 2005. Describes the BART System, which comes out of the Tavistock Institute, established in the U.K. Describes the four identified elements of group dynamics and now they influence group relations.
Understanding Group Process. Student Activities & Leadership Center, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, undated. A clear, two-page description of what to look for in observing how a group is working together, including communication, participation, decision making, and organizational roles.
Benne and Sheats’ Group Roles: Identifying Both Positive and Negative Group Behavior, MindTools. Describes three categories of roles (Task, Personal and/or Social, and Dysfunctional) and 26 different roles that people can play within a group, as identified in “Functional Roles of Group Members,” an article written by Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats in the 1940s.

Skills for Officers

Chairing Meetings, DIY Committee Guide. Concise summary of actions to plan a meeting; to communicate, control, coax, compare, clarify, make decisions, and guide during a meeting; and to summarize and review next steps at the end of the meeting. It is part of the DIY Committee Guide, developed in the U.K. by Volunteer Now in partnership with 14 other organizations.
Email Tips: Top 10 Strategies for Writing Effective Email. Blog post by Jessica Bauer and expanded by Dennis G. Jerz. Practical advice on how to make emails concise and effective, from writing a meaningful subject line to showing respect and restraint. Useful for officers who frequently communicate with PC/PB or committee members, PC/PB support staff, or recipient staff via email.
Writing Effective Emails: Getting People to Read and Act on Your Messages, MindTools. Tips for effective emails

Developed by

Planning Community HIV/AIDS Technical Assistance and Training