The informed policy maker

These cards are for chief executives and directors, and for trustees and councillors. Everybody concerned with a learning organisation will need to address the responsibilities outlined in the ’knowledge about learning organisations’ (dark blue) cards and the 'informed frontline worker’ (pink) cards. However there are specific responsibilities for chief executives and directors, and for trustees and councillors, which are covered here.

Chief executives and directors

How much does your organisation encourage and support you to:

model organisational values, including continuous professional learning?

listen to all stakeholders (service users and carers, staff, relevant external agencies) as key contributors, and learn from the messages you receive?

Trustees and board members

Is there a transparent recruitment and selection procedure for new trustees?

Do trustees understand the need to challenge the status quo, and to promote learning, even in sensitive and risky areas?

Can trustees provide a reflective and suitably critical analysis of briefings and reports?

Are trustees presented regularly with a menu of different options for policy development?

Have the trustees the skills, the maturity and capacity to challenge the organisation to provide learning for all stakeholders in all settings and at all levels?

Is there an appropriate scheme to appraise trustees’ continued suitability for the task?

Has the organisation got an appropriate mechanism for seeking advice from other than the paid staff?

Councillors

Casework from constituents can be a very powerful way of staying in touch with organisational performance. Does the organisation learn suitably from this casework?

Do councillors understand the need to challenge the status quo and to promote learning, even in sensitive and risky areas?

Can councillors provide a reflective and suitably critical analysis of briefings and reports?

Have the councillors the skills, the maturity and capacity to challenge the organisation to provide learning for all stakeholders in all settings and at all levels?

Has the organisation got an appropriate mechanism for seeking advice from people other than the paid staff?