AFMRD STRATEGIC PLAN: PROGRESS IN GOVERNANCE

Karen Hall; Sandra Carr; Stoney Abercrombie; Joseph W. Gravel; Grant Hoekzema; Stanley Kozakowski; Michael F. Mazzone; Benjamin N. Schneider; Todd Shaffer; Martin Wieschhaus

doi:10.1370/afm.1206

It is said that governance is the act or process of governing as it relates to consistent management, cohesive policies, processes, and decision making for a given area of responsibility; the kinetic exercise of managing power and policy in an organization.

In August 2010 we celebrated 20 years as a fullfledged organization, 2 decades that included our first steps as a home for program directors, the impressive institution of NIPPD, and the success of the osteoporosis and diabetes workshops. We are now emerging from the founding phase of our existence with a solid foundation and the need to take deliberate steps toward an equally solid future.

In the fall of 2009, the AFMRD Board set out to delineate a strategic plan that would guide the Board over the coming 3 years by defining clear goals in crucial areas. Each area of the strategic plan includes a time frame for implementation as well as assignment to a specific committee. Governance became one of these areas, championed by the more experienced Board members and agreed by all. The following outlines the major points of the strategic plan related to governance. Included in the overall concept of governance is the underlying belief in fiscal prudence, integrity, and transparency. Of equal importance to the Board is service to membership, open communication, and collaboration.

Governance

The governance of the AFMRD will be defined by a culture of member engagement, mission focused collaboration, leadership accountability, organizational adaptability, and financial stewardship and transparency.

Strategies:

Develop a plan to enhance member participation in AFMRD Board appointed committees and liaison activities. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors, Membership Committee.
Deploy innovative, user-friendly, and cost effective technologies to enhance real-time communication and collaboration of AFMRD members, leaders, and staff. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors, Communications Committee.
Engage in a “futures study” every other year to identify and publish information about emerging trends impacting AFMRD members, family medicine residency programs, graduate medical education, and the needs of the public. Establish a systematic approach to design a blue print for moving AFMRD forward in a strategic way. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors.
Investigate and develop strategic alliances with public, private, and non-profit organizations that support the mission and strategic plan of the AFMRD. Alliances should be pursued in such a way that protects the organization from perceived bias and maintains the organization’s integrity. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors.
Provide professional, non-profit leadership by the AFMRD Board of Directors and its staff to assure that the operations and management of the AFMRD abides by its bylaws, financial policies, and the legal requirements of a non-profit, charitable organization. The executive committee and Board will stay abreast of regulatory requirements to determine compliance and maintain organizational stability. The financial position and finance policy of the AFMRD must be reported annually during its annual business meeting and available to all AFMRD members upon request. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors.
Develop an AFMRD e-newsletter to enhance member familiarity with AFMRD programming and initiatives, feature member best practices, and inform others of the issues important to program directors. Committee: Communications Committee.
Identify unmet AFMRD member needs. Query members with strategically focused tools and collaborate with key agencies to identify services that will be of benefit to AFMRD members. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors.
Enhance non-dues revenue with a goal of protecting the financial stability of AFMRD and to enhance programmatic support of the membership. Committee: AFMRD Board of Directors.

Additionally, to focus its efforts on future endeavors, the Board has now updated its formal fiscal policy and strategic plan. This is to ensure preservation of adequate financial reserves for the organization while also investing in ongoing and new initiatives that will enhance service to our members and our discipline. Initial focus toward these goals will be in the area of items 4 and 5. Currently the Board and staff of the Board expend high effort in the area of professional, non-profit leadership, and consider this a high importance item that is fundamental to the health of the organization. A second priority established for the coming year is the establishment of strategic alliances. In the past year, new alliances resulted in Immunization and COPD curricula development that are available to all members. Initial tactics to push this effort will be tasking Board members to identify potential alliances with follow up on progress as a standing agenda item at Board meetings.