Concern Worldwide
Business and Organisation Development Committee - Terms of Reference
Membership
The number of Board members elected to the Business and Organisation Development
Committee will not be less than 3. The elected members of the Committee will select a
Chairperson from amongst their number. They may also co-opt a maximum of 5 additional
individuals with expertise to join the Committee. Such co-optees need not be members of the
Board or of Concern.
If a Board member stands down from the Committee they may only be replaced by another
Board member. If a co-opted member stands down from the Business and Organisational
Development Committee they may be replaced either by a Board member or a co-opted
individual.
Meetings
Meetings are held on at least a quarterly basis and special meetings may be held to consider
particular issues. The quorum for meetings is 3 members of the Committee, at least 1 of the
members forming the quorum must be a Board member.
In order to ensure continuity the Director of Public Affairs is a fixed attendee from
management. Other members of Concern management and staff may attend as deemed
appropriate by the Chairperson.
Role
The broad role of the Committee is to ensure that the organisation has the capacity to deal
with the challenges it encounters in a number of key organizational areas; Human Resources,
Communications, ICT and New Business Development. Specifically the role of the
Committee is to assess and oversee the organisations capacity to:
 Strategically manage the ‘People’ agenda, in particular ensure that we develop our
response capacity and succession planning;
 Maximise/manage the organisation’s public profile
 Operate an efficient ICT infrastructure that supports business objectives.
 Operate an efficient Business Development Unit that is assessing new business
opportunities to develop income outside of traditional markets.
Tasks
In order to complete that core function, the Committee will carry out the following tasks;
1. Familiarise themselves with the HR strategic plans and determine whether:
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They address key organisational objectives
The plans are being implemented in a satisfactory way.
2. In the global context in which Concern operates review the main strategies and results of
the Business Development Directorate and ensure that:
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Strategies are appropriate and relevant to the context in which Concern operates
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Appropriate targets are being set for new income generation
Plans to achieve them are being progressed
Activities in new markets are monitored and strategically managed so as to
maximise returns.
3. Oversee the main activities of the Communications and Public Engagement/Active
Citizenship functions and assess whether:
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They are considering and delivering an appropriate innovative fundraising and
communications platform to improve the finances and relevance of the
organisation in today’s environment.
They are engaging appropriately with the public in terms of the message being
conveyed
They cover the right mix of communications channels
There is adequate engagement with new/social media as they develop and evolve
As part of examining Concern’s public engagement, examine how fundraising is
strategically organised
4. Obtain the main strategies and results of the ICT function and ensure that they adequately
support the objectives of the organisation.
5. On an annual basis –in conjunction with the Finance Committee – review the return that
is being earned on new fundraising activities, paying particular regard to the adequacy of
return on investment in each area of spend
6. At the end of each Board year i.e. in May/June, the Committee will undertake an exercise
to reflect on how well it has fulfilled its mandate and to consider whether different
approaches/information/practices may be required in order to meet its overall objective.
7. Consider any other appropriate or relevant matters referred to it by the Board.
External/Specialist Advice
The Committee may seek any legal or other independent advice, authorised by the
Chairperson, which it considers necessary to discharge its obligations. If it is felt that such
advice is required it will be sourced in conjunction with the Company Secretary function
within Concern.
Reporting
The Chairperson of the Committee reports to Officers and the Board on its work.
The Committee will provide each the Board meeting with a written report of any work which
they have carried out since the last meeting. This report must be submitted to the Chief
Executive’s office no later than 10 days (where possible) before a Board meeting in order to
facilitate the timely distribution of Board papers.
The Chairperson of the Committee is responsible for ensuring that accurate minutes are
maintained of each meeting and that a signed copy of the most recently adopted minutes are
held by the Chief Executive’s office.