Getting democratic case study
A large national organisation for people with a disabling
medical condition has many self-help groups and some services
such as advice and holiday homes. It is governed by about
50 trustees, most of whom are medical practitioners and professionals
from health and social services. The general membership is
mainly people with the condition, and they benefit from information
about treatments, practical help and access to courses and
self-help groups.
About five years ago a group of younger people with the condition
set up their own group to discuss their particular experiences,
under the umbrella of the main organisation. As this group
grew, it began to question some of the policy decisions and
priorities of the national organisation. Attempts to influence
the trustees to consult more effectively with them and members
in general failed. So did suggestions that more trustees should
be people with direct experience of the condition.
Two years ago a new chief executive was appointed. He believed
that the purpose of this kind of organisation should be to
empower the people it sets out to help. He sympathised with
the concerns of the younger service users and members and
attempted to help them achieve changes in the way the organisation
was governed.
At first he was rebuffed by some members of the governing
body who felt that these changes were unnecessary and that
he was overstepping his responsibilities in trying to influence
who was elected to the governing body. After about two years
of behind-the-scenes work and a working party to look at the
constitution, proposals were accepted by the governing body.
These reduced the size of the governing body by more than
a half, adopted a policy stating that it would be desirable
for a majority of the governing body members to have personal
experience of the condition, and increased the number of nationally
elected members.
Discussion questions
- How important do you think it is that the majority of
the governing body should have personal experience of the
needs that the organisation aims to meet?
- How would you weigh that alongside other things an organisation
needs to do?
- Is it part of the chief executive's responsibilities
to influence the composition of the governing body?
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