ONE Community Partnership Mission and Vision Statement

Orleans Northern Essex Community Partnership, Approved on October 5, 1998
Amended & Approved on April 3, 2000

Mission:
The Orleans Northern Essex Governance Board supports the continued growth and development of our community through communication, collaboration, and cooperation, in order to improve the well being of its people

Strategies:
We pledge to seek regional agreement on community needs & assets and to
create effective methods for achieving desired outcomes for families, children, and individuals. We will accomplish this through improved and more comprehensive strategies of doing business. We provide leadership and interagency communication for the delivery of services to communities.

Vision:
We recognize that, as part of doing business, community involvement is pivotal in the development of service plans. We support a unified system of services and the creation of a safe and nurturing environment for families and children which provides for the health, educational, mental health, and transitional needs of all.

Member Responsibilities:
Membership is open to all members of the community and all interested citizen representatives interested in supporting and actively working on the mission.

Members should plan on attending the meetings of the Governance Board or notify the coordinator if they are unable to attend. The continued development, evaluation, and refinement of the Orleans Northern Essex Governance Board procedure is possible only through practicing open communication and involvement.

Members of the Governance Board shall include representatives of community service organizations, the business and economic development community, youth, faith community, parents, public safety, participants of services provided, non profit advocacy groups, and individuals. This board will benefit from all points of view. A potential member can be added to the mailing list by requesting so of the coordinator.

In addition, members are expected to become knowledgeable about Orleans Northern Essex Governance Board philosophy and process, develop and refine the policy, participate in planning and decision making process, evaluate effectiveness of initiatives, and be a resource for individuals, organizations, and the community.

Decision-making & Voting:
We value everyone’s input. Meetings are warned through an agenda. A vote is passed when a majority of members present, provided at least 9 are present, vote in favor. Topics may come up that must be taken up on unexpected or immediate bases. Those topics may be voted on without warning and follow the same criteria as warned items.

All members may exercise one vote.

Members have the opportunity for a minority dissent opinion to be noted in the minutes, or in writing by a member of the minority vote.

Coordinator’s Responsibilities:
The Coordinator’s role is fundamental to the success of the Orleans Northern Essex Board because the coordinator serves as a resource for data/information collection and dissemination.

The Coordinator will make sure that a facilitator is available for all monthly meetings, will keep apprised of various initiatives, and be accessible to all members of the Board, for the purpose of communication, collaboration, coordination and cooperation.

The coordinator must attend and keep all minutes of the Governance Board meetings. Additionally, she/he will insure that the Orleans Northern Essex Governance Board will be represented at all Agency of Human Service quarterly meetings and other state-wide meetings.

The coordinator serves as liaison with other agencies, and provides clerical support (file maintenance, etc.) as needed. The coordinator will implement actions as approved by the board, as well as provide support for collaborative activities. The coordinator will promote community involvement as well as community awareness of various projects.

Steering Committee Responsibilities:
The basic purpose of the Steering Committee is to ensure a planning process necessary to the development of the mission and vision of the Governance Board. The members of the Steering Committee are responsible for staying informed of the various programs and activities of the Governance Board. The Steering Committee is comprised of O.N.E. Governance Board sub-committee ‘chairs’ that work on ways to carry out the functions of the Board. Exact titles and membership of these sub-committees will fluctuate from time to time, depending on need.

Among the examples of Steering Committee responsibilities are:

• Prepare the Governance Board monthly agenda.
• Budget monitoring and approval of modification requests,
• Oversight and technical advice to members of the Governance Board as well as new program initiatives and general contractors,
• Liaison with local, state, regional and national groups,
• Negotiation for contracts and proposal pre-screening when appropriate,
• Recommendations concerning approval of procedures when appropriate,
• Discussion of issues which the Governance Board is unable to come to a consensus,
• Sustainability issues,
• Budget decisions that involve time constraints. The steering committee will then report out at the next available opportunity.

The Steering Committee meetings are held monthly in preparation of the Governance Board meetings, and are announced at each Governance Board meeting. Members of the Governance Board are welcome at steering committee meetings.