Operating Principles of eamba
The main value of principles is that they are well understood and communally adopted and respected.
As the eamba Membership and Community is growing, putting operating principles into writing, can support our acting in optimum coherence with our values and our objectives: otherwise expressed as walking our talk.
Written principles are also a way of communicating transparently and explicitly, and of noticing when alignment of values and adaptation of norms is called for – because operating principles are not set in stone.
In alignment with the eamba Statutes and esp. with art 11.4, the following principles have so far been identified as helpful; new lessons learnt and feedback will be integrated into this ‘living document’.
- General Assembly – Board Team
The eamba Board represents the General Assembly, observing the agreed vision and mission, and implementing plans and projects. The eamba Board acts as a team with the orientation of a collective creating a healthy system, and surrendering individual preferences if relevant.
The General Assembly may appoint one external board member [i.e. not representing a full member association; art 9.2 of the eamba Statutes].
The eamba Board may invite persons with specific competences to participate in board meetings and tasks; a guest acts in deliberation with an elected board member.
- Confidentiality
All persons who have access to eamba databases, accounts and logins, bank accounts and the like, are to sign a confidentiality agreement, regardless of whether they are in a decision-making or an executing position implementing decisions. The confidentiality agreement includes their obligation to adhere to the eamba Privacy Policy, and to refrain from copying or transferring any data from eamba for their personal/ professional/ commercial use and benefit. Breaches will be communicated to the Member Association delegating them to eamba (or/ and the boards of eamba Members) to avoid repetition. Confidentiality Agreement form.
- eamba Statutes – guideline
The eamba Statutes are the ultimate guideline for all actions. In the event that parts of the Statutes are no longer aligned with the vision and mission of eamba – for example due to being updated to new needs of the Membership – the eamba Board takes initiative to suggest changes to the Statutes.
- Representing eamba
Supplementing art.11. and art.12 of the eamba Statutes, the Association is in principle represented by two eamba Board members together, and they anchor their representation in decisions of the eamba Board. An individual board member, including the president – if that position is assigned to a board member – cannot represent the Association or the eamba Board without an explicit assignment by the eamba Board for the defined specific action, let alone act idiosyncratically at any time.
- Rotation of board positions
eamba Board members rotate statuary positions each year to ensure that the Association benefits from the talents and competences of each team member while also ensuring consistency and innovation.
- Back-up statutory board positions
Each statutory position in the eamba Board is adopted by one Board member and by a back-up (substitute) from the Board team to ensure continuity and consistency. Preferably, the person acting as substitute (back-up) is envisioned by the board team as the next one to step into full responsibility for the specific statutory position.
- Access to eamba administrative systems
Each eamba Board member has access to the eamba e-mail accounts and the administrative system of eamba.
- Financial commitments
Financial commitments are signed by the treasurer and the president (or the secretary general).
- Reimbursements
Reimbursements of costs to individual board members are paid based on previous approval of the budget by the General Assembly. eamba Board members are eligible to participate in eamba Retreats, eamba Conferences/ Festivals and other eamba Events free of charge.
- Legacy
The teams contributing to the organisation of eamba and facilitation of activities (Board and Working groups) commit to creating and sharing concise reports to offer their lessons learnt as their legacy to their successors.
version of 31 August 2022.
