Board-GM Flow of Authority
Approved 8/16/00
The Board of Directors is a policy-making body. The link between the Board and the operation of the Co-op is limited to its communication with, and direction of, the GM.
B-GM 1 – Unity of Control
Approved 8/16/00
Only decisions of the Board acting as a body are binding on the GM. Accordingly,
B-GM 1.1: Decisions or instructions of individual board members, officers, or committees are not binding on the GM except in rare instances when the Board has specifically authorized such exercises of authority.
B-GM 1.2: In the case of board members or committees requesting information or assistance without Board authorization, the GM can refuse such requests that require, in the GM’s opinion, a material amount of staff time or funds, or are disruptive.
B-GM 2 -Accountability of the GM
Approved 8/16/00
Amended 06/16/04
The GM is the Board’s only link to operational achievement and conduct, so that all authority and accountability of staff, as far as the board is concerned, are considered the authority and accountability of the GM. Accordingly,
B-GM 2.1: The only employees who will receive instructions from the Board are the Board Administrator and the GM.
B-GM 2.2: The board will refrain from evaluating, either formally or informally, any staff other than the GM.
B-GM 2.3: The Board will view GM performance as identical to organizational performance. Organizational accomplishment of board-stated Ends and avoidance of board-proscribed means will be viewed as successful GM performance.
B-GM 3 – Delegation to the GM
Approved 8/16/00
The board will instruct the GM through written policies that prescribe the organizational Ends to be achieved and describe organizational situations and actions to be avoided, allowing the GM to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies. Accordingly,
B-GM 3.1: The Board will develop policies instructing the GM to achieve certain results, for certain recipients, at a specified cost. These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest. most general level to more defined levels, and will be called Ends policies.
B-GM 3.2: The Board will develop policies that limit the latitude the GM may exercise in choosing organizational means. These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest. most general level to more defined levels, and will be called Executive Limitations policies.
B-GM 3.3: As long as the GM uses any reasonable interpretation of the Board’s Ends and Executive Limitations policies, the GM is authorized to establish all further policies, make all decisions, establish all practices, and develop all activities.
B-GM 3.4: The Board may change its Ends and Executive Limitations policies, thereby shifting the boundary between Board and GM domains. By doing so, the Board changes the latitude of choice given to the GM. But as long as any particular delegation is in place, the Board will respect and support the GM’s choices.
B-GM 4 – Monitoring GM Performance
Approved 8/16/00
Amended 7/16/03
Systematic and rigorous monitoring of GM performance will be solely against the only expected GM job outputs: organizational accomplishment of Board policies on Ends and organizational operation within the boundaries established in Board policies on Executive Limitations. Accordingly,
B-GM 4.1: Monitoring is simply to determine the degree to which the Board policies are being met. Therefore, the GM shall define metrics to measure results, set standards, and provide data that show performance relative to those standards.
B-GM 4.2: The Board will acquire monitoring data by one or more of three methods: (a) by internal report, in which the GM discloses compliance information to the Board; (b) by external report, in which an external, disinterested third party selected by the Board assesses compliance with board policies, and© by direct Board inspection, in which a designated member or members of the Board assess compliance with the appropriate policy criteria.
B-GM 4.3: In every case, the standard for compliance shall be any reasonable GM interpretation of the Board policy being monitored.
B-GM 4.4: All policies that instruct the GM will be monitored at a frequency and by a method chosen by the Board. The Board can monitor any policy at any time by any method, but will ordinarily depend upon a routine schedule.
- The Board Administrator is responsible for keeping the Policy Governance monitoring schedule and giving people advance notice of upcoming monitoring report dates.
The monitoring calendar can be found at the beginning of the Appendix section:
[Ends policy monitoring will be included as the policies are developed.] Refer to the Appendix section, Appendix 1: Procedure for GM Monitoring Reports for guidelines.
Andra's Breads
From her home in north central New Hampshire, Andra House celebrates her Latvian heritage through the breads she bakes. “I learned to bake from my grandmothers, who were both Latvian,” says Andra. “Feeding people is how we show that we care.” She furthered her skills working in a Connecticut-based Latvian bakery before settling in northern New Hampshire.
Meet Mary Choate
Co-op Dietitian Mary Saucier Choate, M.S., R.D., L.D., helps Co-op customers find easy ways to meet their health and nutrition goals. For shoppers wanting to start eating more healthfully, Mary has created the popular Better Eating for Life program, a friendly step-by-step guide to improving your food choices.
