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Coordinating Circle of Partners

Purpose

  • The Coordinating Circle of Partners develops relationships that enable us to bring together resources and people, to identify and work to address shared challenges

  • The Coordinating Circle stewards the work of the Network by ensuring that we have the tools, data, and knowledge to deliver on the mandate.

Participation and Stewardship

  • The Coordinating Circle has 12 to 20 people who are all members of the Network

  • The Coordinating Circle will collaboratively identify what values, skills and perspectives are missing from the Coordinating Circle that would be useful to support the needs of an entire community and will add new members to fill vacancies or as the need arises from the Network or community.

  • People are brought onto the Coordinating Circle through a recruitment process which seeks to bring together a group of people with different identities, skills, and experiences, which reflect all people from the region.

  • Participants who are invited to join the Coordinating Circle will do so after attending a  relationship building meeting with other Circle members, and attendance at a Coordinating Circle meeting.

  • Participants may then choose to stay on the Coordinating Circle by making a one-year commitment.

  • Participants can stay on the Coordinating Circle for up to 6 years.

  • If a person needs a break, they can take a leave of absence. They will be asked if they would like to return or step down during the next recruitment process.

Responsibilities

  • The Coordinating Circle uses its  diversity of perspectives, life experiences, skills, and knowledge and takes a relational approach to identifying and addressing priorities

  • Coordinating Circle members work collaboratively and take a consensus-based approach to decision making.

  • Coordinating Circle meetings open with a Sharing Circle where all members have the option to share or pass.

  • Coordinating Circle members are open to learning about the needs of others and working together to have the biggest impact on the common good, focusing on creating a culturally safe space.

  • Act in a way that follows the values and guiding principles of the Network.

  • Working collaboratively on the activities in the Network Action Plan.

  • Bringing  together, supporting, and sometimes participating in Network Action Tables (Action Tables are community partnerships or Network-created teams of people working on Network projects).

  • Conducting the business of the Network including planning, reviewing evidence, and seeking resources as needed.

  • Stewarding Network in-kind contributions and resources to  support actions that address priorities of the Network.

  • The Coordinating Circle approves the Network annual budget.

  • Supporting and participation in temporary working groups and/or other established Network committees (i.e., Administration).

  • Working on projects/activities and making recommendations to the Coordinating Circle on how to achieve results.

Commitment

  • A one-year commitment is required.

  • A minimum commitment of 5 hours per month is required.

  • This includes attendance at regular monthly meetings, in-person and/or online.

  • Meetings are usually 1.5 hours in length.

  • Let the Coordinator know in advance if you are unable to attend a meeting.

  • A lot of decisions and work is done through email, phone calls or text. Coordinating Circle participants are expected  to respond to any correspondence ideally within 24 hours.

  • Complete Doodle polls used to coordinate meetings and make decisions.

Decision Making

  • Decisions are made through consensus decision making based on our core values.

  • Working together and talking things through are important to this type of decision making.

  • Decisions on behalf of the Network are made by the whole Coordinating Circle.

  • Decisions are supported through shared knowledge from the Coordinator, Committees, Working Groups and Action Teams.

Conflict of Interest

  • There may be situations where a person on the Coordinating Circle would materially benefit (for example financially or being awarded with work) from a decision. In these situations, the person must declare that there is a potential conflict of interest.

  • People are required to use good judgement and be honest and open about any potential conflicts, or anything that could be perceived as a conflict between themselves and a Network decision.

  • When a conflict of interest exists, the person will leave meetings when the matter is discussed and will not participate in any discussions or decisions made about the matter, including decisions through email.

Coordinating Circle of Partner Organizations 2022/2023

Coordinating Circle Organizational Affiliations 2022/2023

o    At Large Members

o    British Columbia Community Response Network
o    City of Nanaimo
o    First Nations Health Authority
o    Gabriola Health & Wellness Collaborative
o    Island Health
o    Nanaimo Division of Family Practice

o    Town of Qualicum Beach
o    School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith

o    Society of Organized Services
o    United Way British Columbia
o    Vancouver Island Literacy Central
o    Vancouver Island University

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