The Governance of OPUS

Modification of leadership regarding semi-autonomous groups within the OPUS structure.

OPUS is a Registered Charity and Company Limited by guarantee. The Board of OPUS are the Directors of the Company and Trustees of the Charity accountable to the Charity Commission and the law for the good governance and financial propriety of the organisation. The Board determine the aims, objectives and policy of the organisation.

The Executive Director (ED) is a member of the Board and this person is delegated authority to organise, direct and control the operational aspects of the organisation with a view to ensuring good governance and financial propriety throughout the organisation. This executive role is delegated to the Executive Director in that role and cannot be delegated further.

The role includes coordinating the various activities across the organisation, in the overall interest of OPUS achieving its aims and objectives, and in accordance with current policy: this activity being a two way communication, across and between the groups, and to and from the Board. Thus, the ED is the public face of the Board.

In order to carry out the work of OPUS, the decision was made in 2006 that semi-autonomous groups would be formed to develop expertise and use their talents and skills for specific purposes. Over the past year, the Board, through the ED has worked to make further modifications to this structure.

A significant change has been that team leaders have been appointed with delegated responsibility to organise the work of the groups. The ED is responsible for recruiting, forming and controlling these groups; and is accountable to the Board for their actions.

Being accountable requires the ED to be closely involved with each group; and on occasions to front prestigious activities.

Thus the ED is expected to be involved with the groups, enabling him/her to make executive decisions on a daily basis, with or without reference to the Board as appropriate. This also provides the opportunity to achieve the important role of supporting the groups, with advice, guidance, and active involvement when required; sharing inter-group information; and representing the Board.

It is important that no group is a silo, acting totally independently; this would be detrimental to the good governance of OPUS. No group is autonomous, the ultimate authority and accountability being that of the ED to the Board.

These groups have now progressed and the Board is greatly appreciative of the skills, knowledge, and not least considerable commitment that they all contribute in achieving the aims and objectives of OPUS.

The purpose of this announcement is twofold; (i) to publicly thank those involved; and (ii) to make all OPUS Associates aware of those involved. The groups are as under:

The Conference Committee:

John Wilkes (Chair)
Angela Foster
Xavier Eloquin
Katherine Harrington

The Programme of Public Events Committee:

Anna Reali (Director)
Corinna Arndt

The Listening Post Steering Group:

Lionel Stapley (Chair)
Sandy Henderson
Evangelia Laimou
Antonio Sama
Rebecca Scalzo

OPUS Consultancy Services:

Ben Neal (Director)
Helen Shaw (Principal Consultant)

The Group Processes Learning Programme:

Lionel Stapley & Evelyn Cleavely (Co-Chairs)

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End of announcement.

Steve Oram
Chairman, OPUS

16 November 2015