Jean Roberts

Non-profit and community sector

Since 1985, Jean has worked with a wide range of organisations in organisational reviews, committee/board development and assessment, management reviews, strategic and business planning, marketing, amalgamation, strategic alliances, measurable consumer outcomes, needs-based planning, evaluation of service design and delivery, submission preparation and tendering, and in-house training and development.

Non-profit sector assignments

Since 1985, Jean has worked with a wide range of organisations in organisational reviews, committee/board development and assessment, succession planning, management reviews, strategic and business planning, marketing, amalgamation, strategic alliances, measurable consumer outcomes, needs-based planning, evaluation of service design and delivery, submission preparation and tendering, and in-house training and development.

 Present and past nonprofit client organisations are involved in services, including:

Action-research projects in the nonprofit sector:

Governance Project, 1989-1996 – identifying the training and support needs of voluntary committees and boards in government-funded agencies providing services for people with an intellectual disability, and writing a 300-page training manual, The Craft of Managing, in collaboration with CIDA (Council of Intellectual Disability Agencies Victoria Inc).  This Project was funded by (then) Community Services Victoria and a number of Philanthropic Trusts.    This Project led to ongoing consulting and support with CIDA and CIDA member-agencies through to 2004.  It included requirements of relevant legislation, standards and accreditation – together with establishment and review of employment services and commercial ventures, extending to other states and territories, including New South Wales.

Leadership Project, 1992-1993 – researching and writing a manual for directors of boards of the 150+ sheltered workshops in Australia to encourage extension of employment services for people with intellectual disabilities from sheltered to supported and competitive employment in integrated commercial settings.  This Project was undertaken in collaboration with the National Technical Assistance Unit, a Commonwealth Government initiative hosted by the (then) Mt Eliza College of Management.

Reference Manual Project, 1994-1995 – researching and writing a manual setting out the roles and responsibilities of voluntary committees and boards of organisations providing disability employment services ranging from open employment to enclaves.   This Project was undertaken in collaboration with the Commonwealth Department of (then) Health and Family Services, Disability Services Program.  I then designed and undertook an extensive national seminar program to introduce the manual to disability services, to emphasise the appropriate legislative framework in each state and territory.  Working with individual disability services around Australia followed.

With permission from the Commonwealth Government, the Tasmanian Government engaged me to adapt the Manual for Tasmanian Disability Services – leading to many consultancies and workshops with a wide range of nonprofit service providers, including disability service providers, throughout Tasmania through the next 7 years.

5-Levels of Quality Maturity in Board Performance – 2002-2004 – development of a 5-level quality structure to guide nonprofit Boards and Committees of Management to a level where they are competent, confident and comfortable to lead their organisation into entrepreneurial activity

Managing Governance in Nonprofit Organisations in Australia – 2006-2008 – publication of book/CD ROM featuring 29 Building Blocks and 44 Units to ensure an effective, efficient and humane nonprofit organisation

Making Ethics Work in a Nonprofit and SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) Workplace – 2011 – development of a Toolkit specially designed to empower Staff in designing, implementing and evaluating an ethical workplace, and ethical work practices.

Consultancy Services include:

• Collaboratively designing and implementing an ethical workplace
• Effective communication
• Governance policies, procedures and work practices
• Improving Board/Committee performance
• Strategic and business planning – an integrated planning framework
• Policies, procedures and improved work practices
• Constitution review
• Corporate social responsibility
• Social procurement
• Managing workplace relationships

These services can include in-house workshops covering:

• Project development – outcome-based planning and reporting
• Writing submissions as a core business activity
• Left-brain and right-brain orientation
• Financial management and monitoring
• Risk and Quality are two sides of the one coin
• Difference and relationship between Governance and Management
• Board/Committee meetings, minutes, agenda and reports
• Annual General Meeting and Annual Report

The following categories on my website provide advice to the non-profit sector:

• Contents
  • Books (13)
  • Core Business Strategies (11)
  • Definitions (15)
  • Non-profit (85)
  • Research (28)
  • Small and medium enterprise (72)
  • Tendering, outsourcing and submissions (15)
  • Tools of War and Peace in the World of Management (5)