Strong organisations are driven by strong boards - boards that are organised, efficient and knowledgeable. Good boards get your group moving on the right road. Bad boards can make your group lose its way.

One of the lessons of the recent financial collapse is that no organisation is too big (or too small) to fail. Another is that failure often comes from the top - it's not the people at the desks who bring organisations to their knees, it's the decisions taken in the boardroom. And that goes for community organisations too - your board needs to be on top of its job now.

Boards don't often get their proper care and maintenance. Australian community groups put an immense amount of effort into getting the administration right, but they tend to think that good decisions just happen. You may need to redress the balance. There are ways to make a board operate smoothly, efficiently, and above all, productively. They can be learned.

Our Community has been active in the community sector for years, identifying the people who actually know what works and how good boards can make things go right. Strengthen your board, management committee or council for the hard times. Get it ready to reap the rewards of the good times. Come along and hear what the experts have to say.

Keynote Presentations

• Good Governance: Why governance matters to community organisations
  Patricia Faulkner, Leader, Health & Social Policy, KPMG & Chair, Australian Social Inclusion Board
  • Making decisions is difficult. Making good decisions is very difficult, and it's even more difficult when your systems aren't working at their best. Your governance structure is supposed to give your group direction and stability - and wisdom. How many of us come away from a board meeting thinking those bases are all covered? How many think that the process slows us down and muffles our enthusiasm? In this keynote presentation PATRICIA FAULKNER will look at why governance matters to community organisations, and paints a picture of what good governance might look like in your organisation.

• Special Presentation: Westpac Community Treasurers' Awards
  The Honourable Wayne Swan, Treasurer of Australia
  Gail Kelly, CEO of Westpac
  • Treasurers are responsible for the financial wellbeing of their organisations, often going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure ends meet. Recognising this, a search took place throughout Australia in the latter part of 2008 to unearth some of the best honorary treasurers the country has to offer. In this session, the Treasurer of Australia, the Honourable WAYNE SWAN, and Westpac CEO GAIL KELLY will pay tribute to the work of our great community treasurers, and present the Community Treasurers' Awards to the winners.

• Treasurers' Tales
  Peter Hanlon, Group Executive, Retail & Business Banking, Westpac
  2009 Community Treasurers' Awards Finalists
  • Hear stories of financial trouble and triumph as finalists from the Westpac Community Treasurers' Awards join with Westpac's PETER HANLON to reveal what it's really like to be an honorary community treasurer. This is a session that's not just for treasurers - if you're on a board or work with a board, this is essential knowledge you can't afford to miss.

• Board-Staff Relations
  Kath Letch, Station Manager, RRR
  Bernadette O'Connor, CEO, Education Centre Gippsland
  Lyn Wannan, Director of the Office for the Community Sector, Department of Planning and Community Development
  Jan McGuiness, Chair, Melbourne Writers Festival
  Facilitated by Brett de Hoedt, Mayor, Hootville Communications
  • A little bit of friction can be good for a board, but when board-staff relations go completely sour, you can be assured that there are difficult times ahead. What's the key to maintaining harmony amid differing perspectives, competing expectations and the push and pull of shared power? How can you ensure that all parties are acting as they should be - in the best interests of the group as a whole? In this session you will hear war stories and strategies for creating a healthier, more productive board-staff dynamic.

Five concurrent sessions (you choose ONE)

1. Back to Basics
   Patrick Moriarty, Director of Training & Development, Our Community
   Andrew Wright, General Manager, BSI Learning
   • Are you thinking of joining a board for the first time? Been on a board for a while but not quite sure what your role is? Want some clarity on what a board should do and how it should run? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, this is the session for you, as board education specialists PATRICK MORIARTY & ANDREW WRIGHT bring it back to basics.

2. Good Chairing
   Denis Moriarty, Chair, McAuley Community Services for Women
   Russell Barnier, Principal, Flexpertise Consulting
   • With all the good will in the world, you just cannot make a community group really hum if you have a poor performer sitting in the chair. In this session, board experts DENIS MORIARTY & RUSSELL BARNIER will outline the key leadership qualities demanded of chairs working in a community setting, and the principles of good chairship.

3. Managing Obligations without Forgoing Innovation
   Sue Woodward, Manager, PilchConnect
   Kate Fischer: Senior Lawyer, PilchConnect
   • How do you mesh your legal obligations with running a dynamic and effective community organisation? In this session, a panel of experts led by SUE WOODWARD and KATE FISCHER will debate common problem scenarios and provide practical suggestions of how to balance the risks of innovation with issues such as: your obligations to volunteers; making sure your 'workplace' is safe; and the legal duties of committee members.

4. Burning Questions
   Murray Baird, Principal, Moores Legal
   • Does our organisation have the right legal structure for our purpose? How can we negotiate conflicts of interest in our group, given that we want to have our communities of interest represented on the board? How can we get that white-anter off the board without a nasty scene? Are we acting within the law when we make decisions via email? Can I attend a meeting by calling in over the phone? What are our powers of delegation? What do the recent developments in not-for-profit tax law mean for our group? The law never stands still. In this annual legal update, not-for-profit legal expert MURRAY BAIRD answers all your burning questions.

5. Beyond Survival
   Financial Training for Community Organisations
   • The most successful community groups are governed by people who make a point of always knowing the financial position of the group, rather than just leaving it to the treasurer or bookkeeper. How well do you understand your group's finances? Can you say with confidence that there are no storm clouds on the horizon? This session will introduce you to the tools you need to gain a deeper understanding of the core financial drivers that affect your group's financial health.

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain a sound understanding of the principles and practices associated with successful governance in the community sector
• Learn about your individual roles and responsibilities, and those of the governance group as a whole
• Improve the entire operations of your board or committee - the dynamic, the meetings, the outcomes
• Learn strategies for overseeing and managing boards and committees
• Improve board-staff relations
• Strengthen financial oversight
• Gain renewed energy for contributing to and building your organisation

Who Will Benefit:

• Prospective and current members of community group boards, committees and governing councils of all sizes and from all areas of the community sector
• Community sector staff with responsibility for managing a board/committee
• Local government staff and councillors with responsibility for overseeing or interacting with community organisations
• School principals and other staff with responsibility for overseeing, managing or interacting with governing councils

Date:
Friday 27 February, 2009

Time:
9.30am-4.30pm

Venue:
Victory Room, Telstra Dome, Melbourne

Parking:
Enter the Telstra Dome car park via the Bourke St Car Park A (left ramp). Follow the green line to Gate 9. Take the lift to Level 1 and follow the signs to the Victory Room. Car parking at the Telstra Dome costs $10 for early birds (enter before 9.30am and exit after 12.30pm); maximum fee $20 for four or more hours. These details are correct at time of printing but delegates should check with Telstra Dome for updates.

Public Transport:
By Foot/Taxi: Direct the taxi to stop on Bourke Street near the steps to Telstra Dome. Proceed up the steps towards Gate 2 and turn to your left and enter at Gate 9. Proceed through the glass doors and follow the signs to the Victory Room.
By Train: Cross the Bourke Street Pedestrian Bridge from Southern Cross Station. Walk to Gate 9 past Gate 1 - refer to map.
By Tram: Take the tram to Latrobe St or Spencer St. If exiting at Latrobe St follow the "By Taxi" instructions. If exiting at Spencer St, follow the "By Train" instructions.

More Public Transport Information:
Contact Metlink for extra information on timetables, ticket prices and maps; www.viclink.com.au, phone 131 638

Accommodation:
We recommend www.lastminute.com.au or www.wotif.com

Take Away Reference Material:
In line with our sustainability objectives, conference presentations will not be printed and distributed during the conference but will instead be available via the Our Community website - a direct weblink will be advised via email following the conference.

Price:
$265 (or $455 for a group of two)

Bookings, Cancellations & Refunds Policy:
All bookings must be paid for in full 5 working days before the event or by arrangement with Our Community. A cancellation fee of $65 per delegate will apply. Cancellations must be advised in writing at least 10 business days prior to the event in order to receive the refund (less the cancellation fee). If the registered delegate is unable to attend, we are able to accept a replacement delegate with 24 hours prior notice.

Commitment to Access and Equity:
We are committed to access and equity and everything will be done to meet the needs of all people. Mr Alan Matic of Our Community will be delighted to assist any individual or organisation requiring any assistance. Alan can be contacted on telephone (03) 9320 6805, or email to alanm@ourcommunity.com.au.

(NOTE: A cheque payment function is available using the online booking process)

Any questions, please email lisar@ourcommunity.com.au or telephone Our Community on (03) 9320 6800.