Governors and the new financial management standard
This School Financial Management article is from February 2007. To receive the latest issue, subscribe here.
Nina Siddle explains how her school is working to improve the effectiveness of the governing body with respect to the new financial management standard for schools.
As a strategically focused school, Withernsea Junior School is constantly seeking new ways of thinking and working, and proactively seeks to build its own solutions from a wide range of resources. The school is outward looking and believes in its strengths, but conversely believes that it can always improve further. With this philosophy in mind, the school is currently helping its governing body to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes that the new Financial Management in Schools Standard (FMSiS) dictates. The requirements the standard expects should already be elements of good practice, but are due for audit in primary schools by 2008. This will become a time-consuming exercise, potentially placing added pressure upon the headteacher. As school business manager, I have been delegated the task of helping the governors to acquire this broad set of indicators, thus enhancing their existing knowledge capital and relieving the headteacher’s workload.
Key areas for development
While the governors have a basic knowledge of three-year planning and financial reporting, they are in need of further development to enable them to be more effective. Governor recruitment too, as reflected in many schools, can be difficult. These are fundamental requirements in order to meet FMSiS. Indeed, on completion of the school’s Ofsted Self Evaluation Form (SEF), governor Inset was identified as requiring improvement and in need of attention. In addressing all these issues using a development plan, the school hopes to enhance the overall effectiveness of the governing body, thereby strengthening school management and ensuring the expectations of FMSiS are met.
We hope to have a governing body who all understand and are aware of the expectations of FMSiS and how it impacts on the school and LEA. More specifically, we want:
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to have governors who are knowledgeable and able to question, providing a service which consolidates with the school already achieves
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the management of the school and Ofstead to be confident in the role the governors play and the expertise they bring to the school
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Inset to be regularly undertaken
Resistance to the change in expectations of knowledge and awareness of our governors is likely, as they already undertake a demanding role in a voluntary capacity. It will be important to address this development so as not to impinge on their enthusiasm and commitment.
Cooperation of governors and effective communication
In undertaking the change process, the school management is translating this external influence into an internal agenda. In managing this development, the cooperation of the governors is essential in order to achieve the change through them. Some might have their own view on the development and how to implement it and make it happen. Some may take on board the information. Conversely there may be others who will regard it as overloading and manipulative, being less cooperative and more obstructive. As we know, change is technically simple, but socially complex. It is a very human process open to a wide variety of judgements and depends on the quality of its implementation. In order to minimise communication difficulties and encourage listening rather than talking, we will need to be clear in our expression.
To help ensure clarity of delivery we will:
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have a clear understanding of what we want to say
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give reasons explaining the change in practice
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provide information in manageable stages
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relate our aims to the purpose
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choose an appropriate vehicle for the communication
To help ensure accuracy of listening we will:
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use verbal and non-verbal communication, ie short, simple presentations accompanied by a file of information distributed to each governor and added to at each session
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demonstrate we are listening to them too
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ask questions to clarify points
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allow comment without interruption
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evaluate as conversations proceed
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minimise interruptions
In fact, the advantages of FMSiS reflect these considerations. By its nature, it encourages information sharing and increases confidence. It facilitates access to better quality information and makes this information transparent, thus improving management, collaborative working and communication responsiveness.
Team culture and forming a working party
We recognise that we will require a collegial structure in order to share ideas and opinions and to move forward with our plans. Since the governors themselves are a collegial group, the work will benefit from a working party of the same structure. It will consist of two governors, the headteacher and myself (school business manager).
This membership has been decided based upon roles in school, roles on the governing body and expertise and knowledge. All these are pivotal to the understanding and dissemination of FMSiS. The working party interacts by sharing information, best practice and perspectives, enabling each person to perform within their areas of responsibility.
Provided the teamwork is not forced upon people, or worse, that people pay lip service to teamwork by merely appearing at meetings, there are real and wider benefits. Most individuals have an affiliation need – they like to feel part of something. Success or adversity can help the bonding of individuals onto a team. As individuals begin to realise both their own and others’ potential in small working groups, so a better level of understanding and appreciation of others’ strengths can influence relationships within the larger organisation. Once a working relationship has been established, the results are worthwhile and can provide the impetus for further developments and future alliances. I would anticipate, that for the purpose of this work, this would mean continuing liaison in respect of governor development and the formulation of a calendar of governor Inset to include, on a rolling basis, the revision of FMSiS.
Analysis and monitoring
It is useful to analyse the difference between where we are now and where we want to be. I have done this with the help of a gap analysis, as shown below.
In looking at our focus of change, conflict might begin in relation to governor overload and the recognition that they undertake their role in a voluntary capacity with ever increasing responsibility. It will be vital to impress upon the governors that, in fact, the impact they have on FMSiS and certainly the school management is nothing new. The change is the reportable element of the standard and the fact that we will be audited as such; the involvement of governors requires enhancement not additional work. The working party will ensure that monitoring and evaluation is completed, providing clarity and validity to the development.
As mentioned above, the working party will monitor the effectiveness of disseminating the FMSiS requirements. This should ensure that governors understand their development as it progresses and the importance of each stage. The working party will meet regularly to discuss this. Evaluation will be analysed by the same team to ensure we have met the desired outcomes discussed at the start of the project. The full board will be kept abreast of these evaluations so as to maintain their involvement and understanding of the process. In this way, the working party can identify any gaps developing and address them immediately.
Conclusion
We can learn from this experience and should not lose sight of the fact that educational change involves people. Systems seldom fight back, but human beings can and will! All the above strategies refer to the empowerment of individuals, ensuring they have involvement in the process of change, that they are able to work in collaboration with others and they have the necessary skills to implement any change. This form of power sharing is crucial to successful implementation and eventual internalisation of change, but does require a school leader, and for FMSiS a school business manager/bursar, who is secure enough to continue to see the whole picture.
Moving forward
I bring this article to a close by including our governor FMSiS development plan which has arisen from this work. This not only illustrates the practical implementation of our ideas, but also identifies how we can ensure its validity and continuity by re-evaluation and a rolling programme of governor INSET.
Once this process is complete, it might be useful to ensure the enhanced knowledge and experience is reflected at committee level. The re-evaluation by means of a skills audit will highlight those individuals best suited to which committees and/or responsibilities. Even if the governors of a school are ideally qualified and experienced, fully versed in the basics of education finance and keenly aware of the extent and boundaries of their responsibilities, they will only be truly effective if they are provided with the right information at the right time. As they are not employees, they will depend upon the school’s senior leaders for this.
Nina Siddle is business manager at Withernsea Junior School in East Yorkshire.
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