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VicRoads and the Victorian Community Road Safety Alliance (the Alliance) recognises andvalues the contribution and important role that community road safety groups play inaddressing road safety in Victoria. Members of community road safety groups dedicate manyhours of personal and professional time to developing and delivering effective and coordinatedlocal road safety programs.

Many community road safety groups have well established good governance arrangements inplace. VicRoads and the Alliance have developed this guide to assist office bearers of communityroad safety groups to achieve good governance in their operations and undertake their valuablework in an effective and efficient manner. This guide provides useful reference material for officebearers and committee members to enable them to address any issues that may arise.

Community road safety groups are also able to seek advice from VicRoads RegionalCommunity Road Safety Advisors wherever required.

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The Guide provides office bearers and elected members of the committee with essentialinformation on how to effectively govern their group so they can deliver more successful roadsafety programs and enable them to address any issues which may arise.

The Guide contains extracts from various sources to help build understanding about goodgovernance.

Topics covered include:

Good governance – what is it, why is it important and good governance principles

Roles and responsibilities of committees of management, individual committeemembers and executive officers including legal responsibilities

The right people – how to recruit people who will add value to the group

Governing effectively – tasks that committees need to carry out such as planning,finance and risk management, meetings and decisions, managing conflict of interest,delivering programs, communicating with stakeholders and fundraising and marketing

Monitoring and reviewing the work of the committee.

At the end of each section of the document you will find:

A list of organisations whose websites provide additional information and furtherguidance about the areas discussed

A list of sample documents, tip sheets and checklists that committees can use or adaptfor their own groups.

Community Road Safety Group – a registered Local or Statewide Community Road SafetyGroup within the Victorian Community Road Safety Partnership Program

Group – generic reference to any incorporated organisation, is inclusive of community roadsafety groups; includes all members of the organisation

Committee - a group of people elected for a specific function, typically consisting of membersof a larger group

Office Bearers – elected committee members who have additional responsibility ieChairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer

Sub Committee/Working Group – members of a sub-group of the executive committeetasked with being the lead group for a particular program or activity.

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Governance is the process, activities and relationships that make sure organisations, includingcommunity road safety groups are effectively and properly run. In terms of community roadsafety groups, good governance is when practices and procedures are in place that helps todeliver their work effectively and transparently and when the roles and responsibilities ofpeople in the group are clearly understood. Good governance also involves strong relationshipsbetween all members of the group and stakeholders working together as a collective ratherthan as individuals.

Achieve the purpose1

Good governance helps make sure that the activities of community road safety groups alignwith their purpose. People who volunteer or become involved with community road safetygroups as part of their profession share a common purpose to make the roads safer foreveryone in the community. Effectively governed groups will be more likely to achieve thispurpose and ‘stay on track’ when they are meeting all their governance responsibilities.

Promotes community confidenceThe community and stakeholders are more likely to have confidence in and take the roadsafety messages more seriously when they know the group is governed effectively and thedecisions made are transparent and accountable.

Encourages committee members to be confidentMembers of committees that are meeting good governance requirements will have moreconfidence that the activities they are undertaking are in the best interests of the community.They will also have more confidence to continue their work and their involvement on thecommittee. Good practice encourages others to want to ‘come on board’, to work with the roadsafety group and tackle local issues.

Leads to better and ethical decision makingDecisions that are informed by good information and open and honest debate will generallyreflect the broad interests of the community. Good decision-making will also add to theintegrity of the committee’s work and increase trust and acceptance by the community. Goodgovernance encourages committee members to remember that they are acting on behalf ofthe whole community and not representing the interests of one or two groups - the loud voice.

Helps to meet financial and legislative responsibilitiesGood governance means organisations are meeting the required legislative obligations andmanaging their finances appropriately. This increases committee members’ confidence thatgroup or personal liability will be minimised and promote sustainability of the group.

1 Adapted from Good Governance Guide Benefits of good governancehttp://www.goodgovernance.org.au/about-good-governance/why-is-good-governance-important/

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The following good governance principles2 provide guidance to community road safety groupsto ensure the work they are doing is effective and sustainable:

1. The roles and responsibilities of the committee and its individual members are veryclear and documented.

2. The group and elected committee has the right mix of people, having particular regardto each individual’s background, skills and experience, and how the addition of anindividual adds to the collective capability and effective functioning.

3. The group’s purpose or mission is very clear and there is a plan in place to make sureeveryone is working towards it.

4. Every committee member understands the group’s financial position, understands thefinancial statements and shares a responsibility to make sure the group’s finances arewell-managed.

5. Every committee member understands their legal responsibilities and obligations togovernment agencies. Members have a copy of the Model Rules; they read andunderstand them, follow them and seek advice if they are uncertain.

6. Appropriate systems and performance measures are put in place to manage any risksfor the group thereby enabling it to deliver on its mission.

7. The committee works as a team and conducts meetings effectively and efficiently.Committee members understand their responsibility to represent the interests of allmembers. Decisions are made in the best interests of the group and not for the benefitof any individual.

8. Processes are in place where: the committee receives and acts on importantinformation that assists their decision-making; decisions made are transparent, ethicaland accountable to external stakeholders; and the integrity of financial statements andother key information is safeguarded.

9. The group engages effectively with its stakeholders to deliver on its mission.

10. The committee has systems in place to effectively manage any employees orcontractors who carry out work or activities for the committee.

These principles and how community road safety committees can put them into practice arediscussed in more detail in the following sections.

Websites

Australian Charities and Not for profit Commission (ACNC)

The Victorian Office for the Community Sector

Federation of Ethnic Communities Council

Australian Institute of Company Directors

2 Adapted from the Australian Charities and Not for profit Commission (ACNC) Governance for Goodhttp://www.acnc.gov.au/ACNC/manage/tools/ACNC/edu/tools/GFG/GFG_Intro.aspx and the Australian Institute ofCompany Directors Good Governance Principles and Guidance for NFP Organisationshttp://www.companydirectors.com.au/Director-Resource-Centre/Not-for-profit/Good-Governance-Principles-and-Guidance-for-NFP-Organisations

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Most community road safety groups are not for profit (NFP) organisations comprised ofvolunteers and officers of local organisations/businesses whose primary purpose is to workwithin their local community to improve road user safety. Committees generally provide thepurpose, leadership, direction and strategy to a group to make sure it can survive and grow.

Most community road safety groups in Victoria are incorporated under the AssociationsIncorporation Reform Act 2012 (the Act). It is important for members of community roadsafety groups to be familiar with the Act. Groups that incorporate under the Act are required toestablish a committee of management (committee) to govern the organisation. People whovolunteer their time and skills for the good of the community are more likely to do so if theyknow their personal liability is minimised. When a community group incorporates, it becomes a‘legal person’ – that is, a legal entity that stays the same even if its members change. It canenter into contracts in its own name; for example, to have work undertaken or buy resources.This protects the individual members of the association from legal liabilities3. Incorporatedassociations have the word ‘Incorporated’ or the abbreviation ‘Inc.’ after its name.

Being a member of a committee brings with it responsibilities which are not onerous butimportant for members to understand and ensure they are carried out properly. Keyresponsibilities of community road safety committees are:

Maintaining the mission or purpose of the group

Developing a strategic plan to direct activities of the group now and into the future

Monitoring progress to make sure the group’s purpose is achieved

Managing the finances responsibly

Managing conflict of interest

Ensuring compliance with all legal requirements

Making sure any risks to the group are effectively managed

Making good, sound and ethical decisions

Understanding obligations and having the right processes in place in relation tomembers delivering programs either in a paid or voluntary capacity and theemployment of external staff or contractors

Making sure it engages with all relevant stakeholders.

It is important for community road safety groups to document the committee’s role. This will:

Help the group to work towards its purpose even when members change

Ensure every member understands and knows what is expected of them

Help the committee to meet its legal obligations.

3 Consumer Affairs Victoria, What is an Incorporated Association? http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/clubs-and-not-for-profits/incorporated-associations/what-is-an-incorporated-association

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When a group or organisation incorporates under the Act it is required to formally adopt a setof rules, often called the Model Rules, which set out how the group must operate in order tocomply with the Act. Consumer Affairs Victoria provides a standard set of Model Rules whichcan be used by community organisations, including community road safety groups. Groups canmake changes to these rules but they must be approved by the Registrar of IncorporatedAssociations to make sure the changes comply with the Act. It is the committee’s responsibilityto make sure the rules are up to date, stored in a secure location and made available to everymember.

The Model Rules:

Describe the purpose and objectives of the group

Describe membership requirements, including how to manage disputes between members

Specify how committee meetings and annual general meetings are to be conducted andwhen they must occur

Describe the function of the group and its members including Chair, Deputy Chair,Secretary and Treasurer,

Specify how finances are to be properly managed.

All people who join the group or organisation including office bearers, committee members and thewider membership are bound by these rules. Every committee member and member of the groupshould obtain a copy and read and understand the Model Rules of the organisation or group.

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People volunteer their time for a range of reasons but the most common is wanting tocontribute to the community. Community road safety groups are a great example ofindividuals wanting to work together to improve the safety of road users.

Committee members have specific functions identified under the Act, including:

Ensuring an annual general meeting is held within five months of the end of theassociation’s financial year

Submitting a financial statement that covers the full financial year, which gives a ‘true andfair’ view of the association’s financial affairs, to members at the annual general meeting

Overseeing the association’s financial affairs. This includes making sure the associationdoes not continue to operate if it is insolvent

Appointing a new secretary within 14 days, if the position becomes vacant

Returning all documents that belong to the association within 28 days of ceasing to bea committee member4.

Committee members also have other duties and responsibilities to ensure they are working inthe best interests of the road safety group. Individuals who serve on a committee have fourlegal duties5. All members of the committee of a community road safety group must complywith these duties. The four main legal duties are to:

Each of these duties is explained further over the page.

4 Consumer Affairs Victoria http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/clubs-and-not-for-profits/incorporated-associations/running-an-incorporated-association/secretary-committee-and-office-holders/committee-and-committee-members

5 This section has been adapted from PILCHConnect, Governance Guidehttp://www.pilch.org.au/Assets/Files/Guide%20to%20Legal%20Duties%20of%20Committee%20members.pdf

Act in goodfaith

Act withreasonable

care and skill

Not to useposition orinformationimproperly

Disclose andmanage

conflicts ofinterest

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Duty to act in good faith

This legal duty has two parts:

The duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the organisation; and

The duty to act for a proper purpose and within the powers given to the Committee.

These duties mean a committee member must act honestly and fairly and make decisionsthat are in the best interests of the group and within the rules of the organisation. To dothis, committee members must review all relevant information (such as finances,member’s views) and determine how the organisation as a whole will benefit. Decisionsshould not be made to benefit a single group or individual over another.

Duty to act with reasonable care and skill

This duty requires a committee member to:

Take their role as a committee member seriously

Make use of any skills and experience they have for the benefit of the organisation

Give sufficient time, thought and energy to any tasks undertaken and todecisions required to be made

Monitor the activities, strategic direction and financial position of the organisation.

In relation to the financial affairs of the organisation a committee member is required to:

Understand the financial position at all times

Prevent the organisation from incurring debts if it is known or suspected that theorganisation cannot pay its debts when due (known as duty to avoid insolvent trading).

These duties further stress the individual’s responsibility to act in the best interests ofthe organisation, to make good and fair decisions and to make sure the financialposition of the group is known and understood (can pay the bills as they become due).It is not possible to ‘hand over’ these responsibilities to another person and assumethey have these functions under control. It is especially important in regards to thefinances of the group – every member is responsible for understanding the financialposition of the group.

Duty not to improperly use information or position

Current and former Committee members must not make improper use of their positionas a committee member or any information obtained through their position as aCommittee member, in order to

Gain a personal advantage or advantage any other person or organisation

Cause detriment to the organisation.

Committee members must be loyal to the organisation and serve in its best interestwhile they are a current member and when they leave the committee. The informationa committee member receives while serving must only be used to benefit the group ororganisation. It is inappropriate for others outside of the organisation to benefit fromthis information.

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Duty to disclose and manage conflicts of interest

A conflict of interest arises when a person who has a duty to act in the best interests ofanother, is presented with the opportunity or potential opportunity to use that positionin some way to benefit them, a relative/friend or another organisation.

Conflicts of interest can and do arise on voluntary committees. However, committeemembers have a legal duty to disclose (make it known) that they have a conflict ofinterest or a potential conflict of interest and the committee must have a process that isfollowed for dealing with it.

A key function of local road safety committees is to deliver local programs drawing on theexpertise of members. Committee members are volunteers which means they cannot acceptpayment for time spent serving on the committee. They can however be reimbursed forlegitimate out of pocket expenses, e.g. postage or printing of committee documents.

A conflict of interest may occur where a committee member is engaged to deliver a programthat may involve payment for their time. To avoid a conflict of interest the committee should:

Ensure the committee member was not part of any discussion or decision as totheir appointment. The minutes should indicate the committee member was notpresent during the discussion or decision process

Ensure any quoted fees to undertake the work provided by a party other thanthe committee member was not made known to the committee member – thisavoids the committee member having the potential to underquote a third party

Document why the decision was made to engage the committee member andnot a third party

Have a clear agreement in place with the committee member that sets out: thepurpose of the engagement; the specific time commitment; full disclosure of allfees and payments; deliverables; review process; dispute resolution process;and role on the committee while engaged on a fee for service basis.

Having a conflict of interest policy is good practice for the committee.

Other Duties

Committee members have other ‘good practice’ responsibilities in addition to their legalduties. These include:

To attend committee meetings and provide an apology if unable to attend

To listen to other members and treat their contributions with respect, even ifthey disagree with opinions

To actively engage in the committee's activities

To report to the meeting on any task that they have been assigned

To ask questions and seek outside information or help if required to makeinformed decisions.

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Committee officer bearers have additional responsibilities to general committee members. TheAct sets out specific responsibilities for the Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and Treasurer6 andshould be consulted for details. These functions are summarised as follows7:

Chairperson

Leads the committee: through collaborative processes that inspire the trust andconfidence of committee members and the other stakeholders

Tasks include; key contact person for the group; signs documents; maintainsfinancial accountability; manages risk; addresses any conflict of interest; oversightof program delivery; conduct of business outside of the meetings; disputeresolution; and ensures the committee reviews its performance on a regular basis

Chairs regular and focused meetings: adheres to the agenda and timeframes fordiscussion; supports all members to have their say and manages difference ofopinion; and calls for additional or special meetings where required.

Deputy Chairperson

Fulfils the role and undertakes the duties of the Chair when that person is absent.

Secretary

Overseas the timely and accurate preparation and lodgement of the annualstatement to Consumer Affairs Victoria; and any other compliance reports

Develops the agenda in consultation with the Chair; circulates the agenda and anyother relevant reports prior to the meeting; and creates minutes that are timely,true and accurate

Handles all correspondence; maintains membership records and access to the records;and ensures all necessary records are accessible for reports, elections and other votes.

Treasurer

Ensures solvency and financial sustainability by processing financial transactions,monitoring and reporting on the financial position, including cash flow and estimatesof future financial performance; oversees financial systems and takes appropriateaction to ensure the required resources are available to meet obligations

Manages financial risk by monitoring financial systems; and ensures finances areprotected against theft and criminal activities; arranges for regular monitoring, andreview (and if required audits) of finances

Ensures the budget and expenditure reflect the groups strategic plan and priorities;assists in the preparation of budgets; and ensures financial transactions are carriedout in accordance with the Act.

6 See http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/clubs-and-not-for-profits/incorporated-associations/running-an-incorporated-association/rules

7 Adapted from The Victorian Office for the Community Sector: Good GovernanceGuide,http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/communitydevelopment/community-sector/resources-for-nfps

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It is important to write down committee member roles and responsibilities because it:

Clearly defines and distributes tasks

Shows explicitly how a committee member fits within the organisation

Ensures that expectations such as time commitment and integrity are unambiguous

Makes committee recruitment easier (a prospective committee member is more likelyto join if they know exactly what is expected of them)

Makes the thorny issue of committee member performance assessment easier.

Committee member position descriptions can go a long way to minimise risks, conflicts anduncertainty for the committee as a whole and for each member.

If a committee member has a position description that they have signed, they have a clearerunderstanding of their role and responsibilities, more accountability to the position andgenerally are more comfortable knowing their expected contribution to the committee.

The position description could form part of an induction pack for members.

Websites

Consumer Affairs Victoria

PilchConnect

Our Community

The Victorian Office for the Community Sector

Volunteering Victoria

Australian Taxation Office

Tool Kit

Sample Statement on Role of the Committee

Sample Committee Code of Conduct

Sample Committee Member Position Description

Sample Position Description for the Chairperson

Checklist: Committee Member Responsibilities

Checklist: Executive Committee Responsibilities

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Getting the right people on a community road safety group is a key to its success. A goodcommittee has a blend of people with complementary skills, knowledge and expertise. Localroad safety groups often have the following members who they are able to seek interest forthe committee member positions:

Concerned local residents

Local business people

Members of Victoria Police

Members of other emergency services e.g. Ambulance Victoria, CFA, MFB

Representatives from Local government

Members of local road user groups e.g. bicycle rider groups, motorcyclists

Community groups.

People who join a community road safety group usually share a common goal of wanting tocontribute to the community through improving road safety for all road users. However, peoplewill often have different perspectives and different priorities, derived from either work orpersonal experiences. For example, Victoria Police may want to address the high incidence ofspeeding drivers, business owners may be concerned about pedestrian road safety near theirpremises while a resident may be more concerned about cycling safety due to the loss of afamily member. Each of these reasons are valid and some may become a higher priority thanothers for the group. The key success of a group with members is their ability to:

Set aside their personal interests and work together as a team

Look at the data that supports the areas of highest need

Agree on priorities to be acted on – the group’s strategic plan (see Governing Effectively)

Identify and implement actions that are likely to deliver road safety outcomes.

When a committee vacancy arises there is a tendency for groups to appoint people who areknown to existing members without really reviewing whether that person is the best person forthe committee. When trying to identify the right person for the road safety committee it is agood idea to review the current composition of the committee and identify the skills andattributes that will add value to the group’s work. Consider these questions:

What skills, knowledge and experience does the committee already have (e.g.volunteers who can support program delivery, a member with administrative skills orbookkeeping experience, someone with experience writing grant applications,enforcement, education and/or health services etc)?

What are the gaps the committee needs to fill (e.g. publicity, connection with culturallydiverse communities, engagement of young people etc)?

What other attributes does the committee want in a committee member (e.g. ability tocommit time, good connections with local stakeholders)?

Once the group has determined the skills and attributes required of a committee member itwill make the search for the right person easier.

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The following sources may assist community road safety groups to identify suitable people whomatch the skills required by the group.

From within the group:

Existing members Approach members personally who are known to have the skillsrequired

Volunteers Approach people who have participated in a project/activity andhave demonstrated a commitment to the group

Current and pastcommittee members

Utilise the business and personal networks of current committeemembers

Donors Approach people who have donated to your organisation as theyhave demonstrated an interest in its future and may have access tobroader networks

Reference group andstakeholder members

These members are often closely associated with the communitythe organisation serves

AGM Hold a social event at the same time as the AGM to showcase theorganisation and call for nominations (according to the rules orconstitution)

Website/email/newsletter Inform the membership via regular communication strategies ofcommittee vacancies and skills sought

From outside the group:

Local business people Identify local business people who have shown an interest in yourorganisation through support or services provided

Partnership/Allianceorganisation

Identify an organisation that has a complementary role and swapcommittee members (for a period)

Service clubs Community minded people are often prepared to contribute more timeto community organisations. Service clubs such as Rotary and Lionsare a good place to start

Local papers Place an article about your organisation and ask for expressions ofinterest for committee members. Scan newspapers and other mediafor stories about people who might suit your group

Social media Use social media such as Facebook, Linked In and Twitter to widelypromote committee vacancies

People serving onother committees

People who are serving on other committees often have an interest ingovernance and volunteering.

Committee matchingservices

Organisations and websites where committees can post vacancies andare matched with interested/appropriate applicants

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Welcoming new committee members, informing them of their roles and responsibilities andproviding them with information to enable them to effectively carry out their role is essential.

Committee members who feel supported and valued are more likely to commit to their role forthe duration of their term. As a minimum, new group members should be provided with thefollowing information when they join:

Group’s Model Rules

Roles and responsibilities of the committee

Position description of committee members

Any documented policies and procedures

Victorian Community Road Safety Partnership Program Insurance Certificates of Currency

Names and contact details of other members of the group (in compliance with thePrivacy Act)

Meeting schedule and potential time commitments

Reimbursement of expenses

Strategic plan

Overview of the Victorian Community Road Safety Partnership Program

Annual program of activities

Decision making process.

Websites

Free committee matching services:

Volunteering Victoria

Good Company

Pro Bono Australia

Australian Institute of Company Directors

Our Community

Women on Boards

Tool Kit

Checklist: Who does your committee need?

Checklist: Inducting new committee members

Checklist: Questions intending committee members should ask themselves

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Determining the mission or purpose of the group is very important. It serves to remind all onthe group as to why it exists, and what it wants to achieve, and relates this information to thecommunity. A mission statement tells:

Who you are

What you do

What you stand for

Why you do it.

Developing a mission statement can take time but is worth the effort. Set aside a separatemeeting to work out the group’s mission. The mission should:

Reflect the objects of the group’s rules

Engage as many people as possible in the process. People are more likely to supportthe group’s work if they have been involved in the development

Be specific to your group. It is a good idea to look at other mission statements to get ideasbut your mission statement should reflect the purpose of your group, not someone else’s

Be utilised in all activities, promotions and publications to clearly identify your individualgroup and help to ‘get the message across’

Be reviewed regularly to determine if the need for the programs provided remains.

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One of the key functions of a committee is to develop a plan to direct future activities - oftencalled a strategic plan.

Strategic planning is the group’s process of defining its strategy or direction, and makingdecisions on allocating its resources to pursue its mission.

A strategic plan is also an accountability tool. It helps to show members and otherstakeholders (such as funding bodies) that the committee has a future planned, resourcesallocated and performance measures in place to demonstrate progress.

Key questions for an organisation undertaking strategic planning8 are:

Where are we now?

A useful tool for helping an organisation or group determine ‘where are we now’ is aSWOT analysis - SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. ASWOT is usually represented as:

HELPFUL HARMFUL

INTERNALStrengthsCharacteristics of the group or program thatgive you an advantage over others

WeaknessesCharacteristics that place your group at adisadvantage relative to others

EXTERNALOpportunitiesElements that your group could exploit to itsadvantage

ThreatsElements in the environment that couldcause trouble for the group

Where do we need to be?

Once the group has decided where and how it is operating now, it needs to decide itsdirection for the future, usually the next three to five years – ‘Where it needs to be’.This is usually done by:

Establishing the mission (if it has not already done) and reviewing to make sureit is still relevant

Setting goals (sometimes called ‘objectives’ or ‘outcome statements’) - thisactivity assists the group to choose specific priorities in seeking to achieve itsmission. Goals or objectives should be designed and worded as much as possibleto be specific and measurable, acceptable and rewarding to those working toachieve the goals, realistic within the resources available and timely.

8 Adapted from Our Community http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/Boards/Boards_helpsheet.jsp?articleId=1368

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How will we get there?

Devise strategies - these are what you’ll do to achieve the goals documented in thegroup’s action plan developed as part of the Victorian Community Road SafetyPartnership Program funding application

Set tasks – in more detail, how the strategies will be implemented, specifyingresponsibilities (who) and timelines (when due). Make sure the people who areresponsible for tasks are included in the process to make sure they agree andaccept ownership

Establish budgets - budgets specify the money needed to implement the plan andthe main items of expenditure; resources can include amount of staff or volunteertime and equipment, materials or facilities required

Evaluate performance - planning should also include methods to honestly monitorand evaluate the plan and its results. Performance measures should be capable ofbeing assessed and measured (what changed, by how much?)

Endorse the plan – the committee should document when the plan was endorsedand when it is due for review.

How will we know we have arrived?

Review progress of the strategic plan at the planned regular intervals to make sure thecommittee is carrying out the work it said it would. Strategic plans need not be static, ifthere are significant changes internally or externally that impact on the group’s abilityto implement the plan or carry out its activities, then the plan should be reviewed andamended accordingly. The plan should only reflect what the group can realisticallyachieve within the timeframe and within the resources it has at its disposal.

Strategic planning need not be onerous: after all, the community road safety group knowswhat it wants to achieve - to improve road safety in the local area. However, each communityroad safety group will have a different focus on activities as the priorities will vary across thestate and it is important to document this to demonstrate how the activities will be carried out.

The Victorian Community Road Safety Partnership Program has an outline for planning forsuccess which identifies key milestones for the program. It has been developed to assistcommunity road safety groups plan for effective development and delivery of community roadsafety programs. A summary of key dates and actions for registered local and statewidecommunity road safety groups includes:

Key Dates Actions (please refer to numbered references over the page)

September Planning meeting (1)

October - December Preparation and submission of program funding applications (2)

April - June Preparation and finalisation of program and funding serviceagreements (3)

July - June Delivery of approved/agreed program (4)

January - February Submission of six month progress report/s (5)

May - June Preparation and submission of final program report/s (5)

July Preparation and submission of completion report and wherenecessary variation form (5, 6)

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1. Hold a planning meeting to assist the group to:

Review previous delivery

Identify road safety priorities (based on five year data)

Identify best practice programs and actions to address the identified road safetyproblems

Identify potential stakeholders to assist the group: Identify all potential stakeholders Review existing membership and partnerships Maintain existing partnerships Develop and maintain new partnerships – think broadly

Identify the role that each member of your organisation can play in assisting withdeveloping and delivering local road safety programs Identify the capability of your members in relation to what they are able to do to

support the operation of the group Build a program based on your group’s capacity to deliver

Review the current meeting arrangements for the group and how business isundertaken: is there a more effective way of doing business?

Identify ways of engaging local stakeholders and community members

2. Preparation of program funding applications

VicRoads VCRSPP (1 October – 17 December)

TAC CRSGP (April and September)

Local government community grants

Other – Australian Government, Department of Planning and Community Development.

3. VCRSPP Program and Funding Agreement

VicRoads (April, May, June)

Liaise closely with VicRoads regional staff to minimise any delays

Review and update action plan (within the group’s program and funding application)based on approval advice and the agreed program within the VCRSPP and FundingAgreement, to support program delivery; update timeline to include monthly dates. Theupdate is for use by the group to help them to deliver the approved program on timeand within budget. The updated action plan doesn’t need to be provided to VicRoads.

4. Delivery of approved/agreed programRevisit the action plan that your group prepared as part of the program and fundingapplication and make any necessary changes based on the approval outcome. The actionplan will enable you to schedule delivery of the approved/agreed program and allocateresources and actions to people who are going to assist the group.

It is important for the group to keep VicRoads regional staff informed of the delivery of theprogram and to advise of any difficulties, so that corrective action can be taken and anyvariations completed.

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5. Reporting

VicRoads VCRSPP six month progress report, final report, completion report, variation

Build in other reporting requirements as per other organisation’s requirements

Try to document delivery and undertake the evaluation of programs as you deliverthem - don’t wait until the end of the financial year to try and record what you did

Build on your six month progress report.

6. Celebrate success

Take time to reflect on the group’s achievements: what worked, what didn’t go so well

Celebrate achievements and recognise the contribution of all stakeholders, importantlythe unpaid community members, sponsors and partners.

Websites

Our Community Victorian Community Road Safety Partnership Program

Tool Kit

Checklist: Developing a mission statement

Checklist: Strategic planning

Checklist: Evaluating the effectiveness of the strategic planning process

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Financial managementThe committee has a legal duty to ensure the group’s finances are managed and it remainsfinancially viable. In the short term this means being able to pay debts when they fall due andin the long term creating a viable and sustainable organisation that can realise its mission.

It has already been stated that every group member has a responsibility to understand thefinancial operations of the group. At a minimum these are:

Ensure the group is solvent – that it can pay its bills when they are due

Ensure the group is protected from fraud (systems are in place to protect group funds/assets)

Financial reports presented to each meeting are read, understood and results monitored.

Risk managementThe Australian/New Zealand Standard on Risk Management (AS/NZS 4360) provides a generalframework and definitions:

Risk: The chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives. It ismeasured in terms of consequences and likelihood

Risk management: The systematic application of management policies, procedures andpractices to the tasks of identifying, analysing assessing, treating and monitoring risk.

Risk management is the process of managing your group’s exposure to potential liabilities. Itdoes this by identifying risks and taking appropriate actions to prevent or reduce them. Keysteps in risk management include:

An important aspect of risk management for any organisation is ensuring compliance with anycontracts the group may have. This includes the Victorian Community Road Safety PartnershipProgram which details the approved program, funding schedule and evaluation.

Websites

Victorian Managed Insurance Authority

Our Community

Tool Kit

Checklist: Basic financial management

Template: Risk management

Riskmanagement

Identifythe risk

Assessthe risk

Treat therisk

Monitorand

review

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The Act contains specific requirements about when committee meetings, annual generalmeetings and extraordinary meetings must be conducted, the process to be followed and theamount of notice given. It is important that the group complies with these legislativerequirements. It is also important for good governance that meetings are well run, informedand have sound decision-making.

Using time well in a committee meeting is crucial to the successful realisation of your mission.Effective committees enable all members to contribute, respect different views, stay focusedon the discussion and make decisions that are in the best interests of the group.

The Chair has overall responsibility for conducting meetings in a manner that addresses thepriorities of the organisation in achieving its mission. The Secretary prepares for the meetingin conjunction with the Chair to ensure committee members have all the necessary information(distributed prior to and available at the meeting). Minutes of meetings are important legaldocuments usually kept by the secretary. If the minutes are taken by someone else, it is stilltheir duty to review and sign the approved minutes.

There is no one correct way to prepare or structure committee minutes. In most circumstancessufficient information should be included to describe how committee members came to make adecision and to enable a judgement of whether that decision was reasonable given theinformation presented.

However, a critical part of meeting minutes is an action list to record:

Actions arising from the previous meeting and any outstanding items from priormeetings which have not yet been completed

The person identified as responsible for actioning each item and the time-frame forcompleting it or reporting on progress to the committee.

Websites

Our Community

Tool Kit

Checklist: Planning and conducting effective meetings

Template: Sample agenda

Template: Minutes of meetings

Minutes

Record proceedings forfuture reference and

those not present

Evidence of decisionsand actions

Monitoring andreviewing progress

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Communicating with stakeholders is a critical element in the success of road safety campaigns.Stakeholders play a fundamental role in enabling change so it is important to identify the rightgroup and the best way of communicating with them.

Different groups within the community have different communication needs, for example youngpeople respond well to digital communication; older people often prefer face to face discussions;and communicating with people of culturally diverse backgrounds is more likely to be successful ifrespected members of the community are involved.

Regularly communicating with stakeholders is important in helping the community road safety group:

Ensure messages and activities are reaching the target group

Find out if the target group are responding positively to the message

Receive feedback on how the message or activities could be improved

Obtain information on other groups or campaigns that the community road safety groupcould piggy-back on or partner with to expand its reach

Identify potential sources of funding to expand the activities

Identify notable people to champion the group’s work.

Consider these options when determining the best way to communicate with stakeholders:

How Why

Online Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) emails, blogs andnewsletters enable the sender to get a more comprehensive messageacross to engage in discussion

Websites Provide comprehensive information and can include options to directreaders to social media or feedback pages

Brochures andposters

Useful for groups who don’t use electronic communication; and display inpublic spaces. Can be expensive and date quickly

Champions Utilising people who are respected in the community to help sell themessage or reach a target group. Important when trying to target youngpeople, indigenous people and people of culturally diverse backgrounds

Communitymeetings

Useful for local initiatives and to identify local issues and strategies. Mayonly attract those who are already aware – ‘preaching to the converted’

Local newspapers,radio & television

People often respond and relate well to local news and issues. Localpapers are usually delivered free of charge and can ‘capture’ people whomay not have been targeted in existing campaigns. Local newspapers andradio stations are often seeking new stories and will often supportcommunity roads safety groups as part of their community service or onan issue based approach

Publicevents/speakers

Good opportunity to capitalise on existing campaigns or convene a groupto address an immediate issue in the community

Surveys – paper Useful for groups who are not familiar with online options but can beexpensive and time consuming to mail out and analyse

Focus groups Good for getting a group of people with common interest (but oftendifferent perspective) together to provide input or feedback

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Community road safety groups will usually be looking for ways to obtain additional funds tofurther their work. There are a number of state and commonwealth laws regarding fundraisingso it important for committees to familiarise themselves with these.

Sponsorship can be sought through marketing and direct engagement with stakeholders aswell as obtaining additional funding through applying for grants. These activities can take time,so it is important to do this work strategically - applying for the right sort of grants; knowinghow to build a good case for funding; knowing what to offer sponsors etc. Having someone onyour committee who is skilled in this work is a bonus but not all groups are this fortunate.

There are however a number of things a group can do to improve its marketing and fundraising:

Be specific about the reason for seeking support, e.g. to assist disadvantaged youngpeople to obtain their learners permit to enable them to participate in the L2P Program

Set a sponsorship goal – let others know how much you want to raise and how thefunds will be used

Consider all potential sponsors: community groups (e.g. the Country Women’s Association,Rotary), corporate donors, and local organisations who have an interest in road safety

Develop and target activities that align with the group’s mission, e.g. a bike ride orcommunity walk. Use facilities provided by local businesses where the group’s purposeor message can be displayed, e.g. BBQs at hardware stores or car dealerships

Advertise for grant writers on community websites

Always thank contributors personally (provided they have not sought anonymity) and publicly.

Websites

Our Community

Australian Government Grants Link

Crowd Funding websites

Grant Guru

Local Government Community Grants

Our Community Australian Institute of Grants Management (AIGM)

Philanthropy Australia

Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development

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A community road safety group will most likely work with volunteers and may engage contractors oremploy personnel to carry out some of its work. It is important for committee members tounderstand their obligations in relation to contractors and as an employer. Committee membersneed to understand:

The role of a volunteer and how it differs from an employee or contractor

The difference between a contractor and employee – the Australian Taxation Office can help

Obligations in relation to Workcover and superannuation, and in relation to creating asafe work environment (occupational health and safety)

Laws on discrimination in employment

How to motivate, support and enthuse volunteers

How to effectively manage and supervise an employee (requiring writing a positiondescription and having a formal process for induction, recruitment, Police Checks andWorking with Children Checks if relevant, training/induction and ongoing review)

How to performance manage a contract where the person engaged is a contractor e.g.Executive Officer, Secretary/Treasurer, Presenters.

Websites

Australian Taxation Office

Worksafe Victoria

Fairwork Australia

Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS)

VicRoads Volunteering Guide

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Good community road safety committees regularly review their governance role to make surethey are staying ‘on track’ to address road safety initiatives that are specific to their local area.

They achieve this by:

Identifying areas where the committee is performing well

Confirming that the strategies in place to address road safety are working well andshould be continued

Identifying areas where the committee needs to improve (this can include gaps inknowledge, skills or behaviours that limit the effective functioning of the committee)

Determining the best way of addressing the improvements (for example, arrange for acommittee member to receive training; participate in a professional developmentprogram provided by another organisation)

Identifying the best people when recruiting new members to the committee.

There are several ways a committee can do this:

Hold an annual planning day where governance is listed as a key area for discussion

Use the preparation time for the Annual General Meeting to review the work of the committeeand determine the skills required by the committee in seeking nominations for positions

Engage an external facilitator (consider partnering with a university or other body thatcan add value to your group) to help the committee evaluate its performance

Use a committee self-assessment checklist to examine its own performance. The way inwhich the checklists are used is up to your committee, but consider these options:

Wholecommitteechecklists

Individual members complete the checklist and bring to the meeting whereresults are compared and priorities agreed

Individual members complete the checklist and a designated personaggregates and presents results to the meeting (where priorities are agreed)

The committee works through the checklist as a group at a designatedmeeting with or without an outside facilitator

Individualcommitteememberchecklists

Completed by the member and presented to the Executive for discussion

Completed by all members at the time of re-nomination to determinecommitment and ongoing need for skills development

Provided to prospective committee members to determine match with theskills required by the committee

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The key to developing sustainable local initiatives to tackle road safety is to ensure thecommittee continues to grow and flourish. Monitoring and reviewing the committee’s work atregular intervals helps to identify the skills needed to enable the good work to continue.

At times of significant committee turnover, the group may be vulnerable; however, turnovercan also present new opportunities to bring about innovative change. Taking early steps toestablish a succession plan increases the group’s readiness for change, the likelihood of apositive transition and enables the group to continue to operate effectively and with minimaldisruption. To improve the sustainability of the road safety group try the following:

Develop a succession plan – be aware of whose position is up for nomination at theAGM and start early on trying to identify suitable nominations

Provide mentoring opportunities to existing committee members to groom them forexecutive positions

Make a commitment to encouraging people to nominate who have never served on acommittee but support the group’s work, and provide opportunities to skill them up oneffective governance

Keep a list of people who have shown interest in the group’s activities or who serve onother committees and approach them to nominate

Rotate note taking tasks within subcommittees to skill up members as potential secretaries

Have systems in place to ensure important committee documents are accessible shoulda committee member leave quickly, e.g. develop a cloud/document sharing account;know the location of storage of the Member Register; passwords to bank accounts etc

Be aware of ‘founder’s syndrome’ where an initiator of the group serves for anextended period and has difficulty stepping back from the role. Over-reliance on asingle individual works against the sustainability of the group. Founders need tounderstand that the conflicts they are experiencing are a natural and inevitable part ofthe growth cycle. A founder needs to be able to let go, and adapt their leadership styleby being open to examining new opportunities for the organisation.

Contractual complianceIn order to grow and flourish, any organisation must carefully monitor its activities andobligations under contracts or agreements it may have established with external parties. Often,an organisation will be unable to meet its goals without coordinating the contributions frompartners or suppliers, including ensuring its own obligations under these agreements are met.

Critical amongst these obligations will be deliverables stipulated within the VicRoads VictorianCommunity Road Safety Partnership Program and Funding Agreement. It is important thatcommunity road safety groups have a clear understanding of the requirements of theagreement, including ongoing liaison and collaboration with VicRoads to ensure programoutcomes are maximised.

Tool Kit

Checklist: Governance Effectiveness Review

Checklist: Committee Sustainability

Checklist: Recognising Founder’s Syndrome