NZOUG COMMITTEE MEMBER INCENTIVES

Background

The NZOUG has an ongoing challenge with attracting and retaining committee members to provide volunteer time. Committee members both past and present have provided huge amounts of their time on a voluntary basis and utilized substantial amounts of personal and business resources for little reward beyond personal satisfaction.

Purpose

This committee has recognized the need to provide incentives and recognition for any member to commit to their roles and volunteer their time and resources. In addition, it is felt that documented incentives will make it easier to attract new committee members to the team and provide a greater incentive to deliver to timeframes which often conflict with work schedules.

This is seen as critical to the succession and longevity of the NZOUG to avoid the situation over 3 years ago when the organisation lost all committee members. The NZOUG must have committee members to be in a position to deliver benefits and services to its members. This strategy is also supported by the recent web survey in which 84% of respondents stated that they supported incentives for committee members serving > 2 years. 79% of respondents also stated that they were not willing to sponsor their time

Criteria

• The NZOUG must be financially solvent and able to deliver a programme of activities and benefits to its members firstly.
• The committee recognizes the contribution made by past members. However, due to budget considerations this is effective except where detailed otherwise for current committee members at 17 March 2005 and no retrospective claims can be considered.

Outsourcing

• Onerous administration tasks will be considered for outsourcing and sub-tasks may also be considered for outsourcing subject to approval of the Committee.

Incentives and Expense Reimbursement Entitlements

All Committee Members

• Reimbursement of reasonable travel, accommodation and incidentals related to NZOUG business. Mileage for use of a personal vehicle to travel to NZOUG business is at the prevailing IRD rate (currently 73 cents per kilometer up to 3,000km per annum). Subject to committee approval.
• Complimentary attendance at the NZOUG Conference. Travel, accommodation and incidentals will usually also be covered as long as the committee member has had reasonable involvement in conference planning and organization.
• Access to NZOUG beneficial travel and events such as international user group conferences, exhibitions and meetings. Factors to be considered will include:
  • • Value to NZOUG
    • Budget available
    • Committee member experience and suitability

Committee members will usually have the opportunity to attend one Australian based conference within a 2 year period. This is subject to committee approval. The NZOUG expects that the committee member will:

• Network with potential sponsors, speakers and obtain contact details.
• Identify popular and interesting topics which may be of value to NZOUG conferences and events
• Identify conference ideas which may be transferable to NZOUG events.
• Debrief the NZOUG committee on their findings in the next meeting following attendance at the event.

International travel costs should be best price for reputable airlines on an economy class unless specific committee approval is obtained and there are exceptional circumstances.

Committee Members Serving Two Years or More

Eligibility

• Committee members must have attended a minimum of 75% of committee meetings over this period, and
• Volunteered time by way of either:
  • a committee role requiring reasonable time, effort and resources beyond meeting attendance (such as Membership, Treasurer, Webmaster, Secretary, President (assuming proactive liaison with AUSOUG, APOUG, Oracle etc).
  • roles and project work outside formal committee roles eg: conference committee, regional co-ordinator who has proactively arranged speakers events etc.
• Subject to approval by the Committee on an annual basis and documentation in the minutes.

Benefit

Following 2 years continuous service, Committee members will be eligible for $1,000 (excl GST) toward the cost of any of the following items:

• Training, Education, Courses
• Computer Equipment, Software
• Office Equipment

Alternatively, the amount may be used to upgrade the overseas conference from an Australian based conference to another international conference eg Oracle Openworld in the US.

The incentive must be used to purchase actual items or services for the committee member (not vouchers). The items do not have to be purchased all at the same time or from the same supplier, but should be spent within the following year, unless the Committee agrees to accrue the benefit. The annual benefit can be accrued up to a maximum of 2 years’ worth.

Documentary Evidence

• Receipts must be provided to the Treasurer prior to reimbursement. Receipts must be for the actual item or services and must be a GST invoice where applicable.

Departing Committee Members.

• Committee members who leave part way through a year will not be eligible for this benefit.

Committee Members Serving Three Years or More

• The above benefit is available annually subject to the above criteria.
• Lifetime individual membership after 3 years continuous service. This should be retrospective on proof of eligibility by former committee members.

Update History

• 18-Mar-2011: Change Continuous Service Benefit from GST incl to GST excl.
• 09-Sep-2013: Change Benefit/Documentary Evidence to not allow vouchers. Change mileage rate to 77c/km
• 14-Dec-2017: Change mileage rate to 73c/km