How to use technology to boost trustee compliance training

Newly elected board and council members need to absorb a great deal of information even before their first meeting. Expectations and responsibilities for their new role, what the norms are for meetings, how to have impact with new strategies and potential initiatives – these are top of mind for incoming elected or appointed officials.

They may not be expecting to learn about compliance, but this topic should head the list for onboarding and training. School districts, cities, counties and municipalities are under myriad laws, contracts and other legal mandates. Board members must thoroughly understand all legal requirements and mandates to effectively make decisions and govern their organizations.

The repercussions of noncompliance are high, including loss of funding and grants, as well as potential fines. Beyond the financial repercussions and waste of taxpayer money, noncompliance could result in losing voter and community confidence, as well as negative consequences on student and/or community populations.

Compliance training has serious implications for school boards, city councils and other elected governing bodies. Fortunately, technology can make compliance training easier and more efficient for clerks and board secretaries as well as for both newly elected and veteran board or council members.

What is the role of the board in ensuring compliance?

As the governance leaders of their council, school district or organization, board members are the ultimate authority. As such, they are responsible for the actions of their organization and its employees.

To make the stakes even higher, state and federal mandates and legal requirements are updated and change frequently, making it even more crucial that board members stay on top of the latest information and legal interpretations.

District and municipal leaders and staff play an essential a role in mitigating the risks of noncompliance by making sure that board members receive comprehensive and ongoing training on mandates and regulations. As superintendents or city managers guide trustees, they should ensure that compliance information is part of onboarding and orientation for those newly elected or appointed members.

Why conduct compliance training?

Board members who are knowledgeable about compliance issues create stronger policies and make better decisions. Strategic planning with compliance in mind saves time and resources. Upskilling your trustees helps protects the reputation of the organization, district or council. This, in turn, increases public support.

Compliance training also helps board members, especially new ones, feel confident about making decisions and weighing in on issues that come before them. Through training, they gain an understanding of overall governance issues, such as of ethical standards, procedural rules and the scope of their authority and responsibilities.

Expectations that all board members will receive compliance training also helps to foster a culture of ethics and accountability on the board.

If an issue does crop up, having a strong track record and culture of ongoing compliance training will demonstrate that the board and the organization have been making good faith efforts to learn about and adhere to current legal requirements and mandates.

“The conduct of government employees and elected officials is a reflection of the government body as a whole. As such, it is vital that the decisions and behaviors of government employees and elected officials result in transparency, accountability and impartiality. Not only is the letter of the law of great importance, but the appearance of ethical behavior and decision-making will make or break whether or not public trust is secured and maintained. Elected officials have a social responsibility to ensure they remain trusted public servants.” Lisa Frederick, City Clerk and Deputy City Administrator, City of Clinton, Iowa

Check your what your state school board association offers

School board members often have additional training resources available to them via their state school board association, where they can attend classes that provide them with information and tools and even certification.

For example, Missouri law requires that all school board members receive 18.5 hours of training within their first 12 months of service. MOSBA offers free training materials for all board members to become a certified board member, and by taking additional classes, board members can also achieve extra certifications such as "master board member".

Board management software can support compliance training

A board management system like Diligent Community can support compliance training, making training more efficient for the board clerk and effective for both new and veteran board members. Regulations and other information can be categorized for more effective searching.

Information can be organized in various ways so board members can understand the context of the mandates and regulations. They will also be able to see how regulations affect the different aspects of their organization, from employee compensation and benefits and financial documentation requirements to social media use and data security precautions.

Through a central platform, board members can securely access the training information they need, including documents, records, meeting minutes and legal briefs. Committees can also access documents, review and understand implications and impact of mandates and regulations on board governance and decision-making.

A tip: when storing key information add a document with review questions to help guide learning and make information easier to remember and understand.

Tips for effective compliance training for board members

• Use a centralized repository or online platform for easy access to information and resources.
• Emphasize the need for board members to avoid email and instead use your board management solution to access key documents, as that helps them to stay compliant and safe against cyberattacks.
• Allow board members to complete the pacing at their own pace, within an assigned deadline. Record dates of completion, and also if an annual refresher training or review is required.
• As part of the training, demonstrate to board members how they can bookmark and annotate notes, and they can retrieve the information when they need it.
• Develop a smart naming convention that conveys different types of documents, regulations, mandates, etc. to help them quickly find and identify what they are searching for.
• Include recent internal or external audit results for board members to analyze as part of the training sessions.
• Include the board’s legal counsel in appropriate training sessions, allowing for questions, whether verbal or written.
• Include scenarios for board members to consider and practice on. These scenarios can include potential ethical issues that the board may confront. These scenarios will help board members see the practical implications of regulation and mandate compliance.

Diligent Community is here to help

Diligent Community is a cloud-based software solution that is specifically designed for publicly elected boards. It is a powerful tool that can help board members be compliant, efficient and effective. Its document library can host board member training resources to help set them up for success and make the best use of the software.

The solution provides a central location for all board documents, including easy search to find and then access key information through the document library, so there’s no need to search through many emails to find latest documents. It’s a secure environment that protects against cyberthreats, so board members can feel confident their training information and compliance documentation is secure.

Find out how Diligent Community can make your compliance training easier and more efficient. Request a demo today.