1. EFFECTIVE
COMMITTEES
Shamama Arbab

2. SITUATION BEFORE CIPE WORKSHOP
Totally
Directionless
committees

3. REASONS
 Lack of knowledge about the purpose of Chamber
 No focus on vision and mission
 No defined objectives
 Group of friends sticking together
 Headstrong heading it

4. CHAIR DOES NOT…
 Talk the most in meetings
 Make all the decisions
 Allow one or more people to dominate the meeting
 Cut people out of discussions
 Make people feel foolish or useless

5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHAIR
 Prepare and present committee reports with the
support of staff
 A trendsetter to help produce an effective
successor
 Set agendas
 Call meetings
 Allow all members opportunity to contribute
 Assign responsibilities and follow up
 Be familiar with goals of organization and its by
laws

6. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHAIR
 Select members
 Orient new members
 Report to board to executive committee
 Praise member contributions
 Conflict resolution

7. COMMITTEE MEMBERS
 They should be appointed with the following focus:
Do they have skills, experience and commitment to
contribute effectively?
 Volunteers- match needs of committee to skills and
interest of members
 Number depends on amount and nature of
committee’s work

8. BASIC COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE
COMMITTEE
 Clear written purpose
 Effective committee chair
 Thoughtfully appointed members
 Accountability to the board
 Well-run meetings

10. WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?
 Every committee will have a defined objective and
bench marks for measuring success
 Self written tasks, closed by dates to be reminded
by office staff.

11. RESULT
 More engaged committee members
 Expectations for
improved organizational
efficiency
 Content members
 Improved
membership