Annual General Meetings- a great opportunity 

Incorporating evaluation into day to day activities

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AGMs – How to gather stakeholder views

Purpose of AGMs
Annual General Meetings are a core requirement for all registered charities and a standardised approach is usually adopted. Essential business includes:
-Advertising the date and location
-Approving minutes from previous AGM
-Receiving Annual reports from the Chairman and Treasurer  (and often the lead project officer)
-Adopting the accounts
-Nomination and Election of Trustees and Officers
-Agreeing any amendments to the Constitution

However……..
Many different stakeholders will be attending AGMs, as users, funders, members, representatives from statutory agencies etc and this creates a valuable opportunity to hear their views about the services provided. Once the formal AGM business is completed there are lots of ways to get people talking…...

So what do people think ?
Firstly get people to want to come:
-Send out welcoming invitations emphasising involvement and discussion 
-Consider providing a speaker
-Clarify the structure, offer food in between the business side and any workshops / discussion
-Arrange sensitive timings and  consider running a creche

Then structure the discussion…here are some ideas……..
-Ask management committee members to run small discussion groups , using prompt questions if necessary.
-Ask questions to the whole meeting about their priorities for the coming year
-Start the discussion with a debate with a few key speakers and a motion such as ‘this house believes this organisation is part of the problem and not the solution’ - that should get people talking!
-Ask people to pair up with neighbour to identify key areas of work of the organisation. Summarise feedback into main headings. Ask each person to rate how well the organisation is doing in each of these areas by using sticky dots or writing a score on post it notes.
-Sit meeting in groups of 6 –8, ask each group to answer 6 key questions on different coloured sheets of card.

Don’t Forget….
-Ensure all discussion is pulled together at the end of the session and those attending are clear about  what will happen with the information.
-Send a written summary out with the minutes to those who sent apologies.
-Ensure follow up – discuss response at next Trustees meeting, agree action to be taken in response to issues raised.
-Report on planned action and subsequent progress at next AGM (or possibly at a special six monthly meeting)

EVALUATION TRUST
Sarah del Tufo
12 Bulmershe Road
Reading
RG1 5RJ  
evaluationtrust@maurice.u-net.com