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General Board Redesign Steering Committee

Deployment

by Christopher Bowman
(General Board Chairperson during Redesign)

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Deployment Options

Three Options for Staff Deployment
(Central, Regional, and District) July 1996

*Centralized*
General Board program staff located in one central office.
Program staff coordinated by and accountable to administrator for program.
Location of the central office to be determine after Location Subcommittee
report.

Among the Strengths
1. Least disruptive in terms of corporate life and personal lives (if in
   the Elgin area)
2. Easier and better administrative oversight
3. Least expensive transition
4. Best retains corporate memory (if in Elgin area)
5. Allows for easier face-to-face contact among General Board
6. Provides geographic identity
7. Better potential for maintaining accountability

Among the Weaknesses
1. Central staff may over-control situation
2. Less likely to achieve change in operating style
3. May be perceived as business as usual
4. Less likely to communicate transformation toward serving interests of
   congregations.

*Regionalized*
General Board "core staff" in a central location with program staff located
in regional offices (3-5, minimum of east, midwest, and west.
Requires matrix management (being accountable in two different lines of
accountability).
Regional office coordinated by regional staff member.
General Board program staff accountable to the General Board administrator
for program.

Among the Strengths
1. Better networking of district and denominational staff
2. Physically locates staff closer to congregations
3. Better opportunity to change the way staff works and manages
4. More immediate feedback
5. Eases availability of volunteers
6. Proximity provides opportunity to build closer working relationships
7. Adapts, adjusts, and responds to regional variations

Among the Weaknesses
1. Regional staffs and districts may not coordinate their efforts
2. Reduced face-to-face interaction with staff outside region
3. Danger of less consistent message across regional variations
4. Risk of not maintaining accountability

*District-Based*
General Board "core staff" in central location with program staff located
in districts.
Requires matrix management (being accountable in two different lines of
accountability)
 - General Board program staff coordinated by District Executives and
accountable to General Board administrator for program.
 - DE's jointly accountable to district board and General Board.
Placement of General Board staff in districts is only with concurrence of
district board.

Among the Strengths
1. Districts and denomination work as one
2. Physically locates staff closer to congregations
3. Opportunity to change the way staff works and manages
4. Immediate feedback
5. Eases availability of volunteers
6. Proximity provides opportunity to build closer working relationships
7. Adapts, adjusts, and responds to district variations

Among the Weaknesses
1. District Executives may over-control situation
2. Reduced face-to-face interaction with all staff
3. Danger of less consistent message across district variations
4. High risk of not maintaining accountability
5. Depending on the number of districts and the exact size and type of
   staff reductions, it could be difficult to fully staff each district.

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