Chair: Sarah Ziebell, ziebell@nyu.edu
Board Liaison: Janice Simpson, jsimpson@ascentmedia.com

Interim Report
January 6, 2006

Table of Contents
I. SPITForce Charge and Roster

II. Introduction and Background

III. General Recommendations

IV. Prioritized Action Steps and SPITForce Recommendations

1. Finances: Fundraising and development
2. Leadership: Succession planning
3. Leadership: Definition of Board and staff authority and responsibility
4. Staff: AMIA Office Leader
5. Membership: Definition and development

1. FRIPForce
2. Advocacy Task Force
3. Management Task Force
4. Membership Committee of the Board
5. Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee of the Membership Committee

VI. SPITForce Next Steps and Timeline

Appendix A: Consolidation of Strategic Planning Suggestions
Appendix B: Strategic Planning Day (May, 2005) Action Steps

I. SPITForce Charge
The Board charges a Task Force dedicated to implementation of the strategic plan. The SPITForce will:

1. create a prioritized summary of the action steps identified during the strategic planning day,
2. develop implementation plans for outreach and succession planning,
3. begin review of the 2003-2007 AMIA strategic plan in anticipation of the next revision, and
4. provide recommendations concerning how the strategic plan should be used and updated in the future.

II. Introduction and Background
On May 22, 2005, AMIA Board and staff members held a Strategic Planning Day facilitated by Lisa Carter. The Strategic Planning Day had two primary goals:

• Review strategic plan to identify issues and actions within it that should be priorities as the Board moves forward.
• Agree on a common vision that will assist in decision-making, prioritization, and action.

The following strategic planning priorities were identified by Board and staff members:

• Finances: Fundraising and development
• Leadership: Succession planning
• Leadership: Definition of Board and staff authority and responsibility
• Staff: AMIA Office Leader
• Membership: Definition and development

For each priority, a series of action steps were devised (see Appendix B). The Board created the Fundraising Plan Task Force to address financial action steps and the SPITForce to prioritize and further develop the other action steps.

This interim report from the SPITForce includes recommended timelines and committee structures and rosters as well as next steps for the SPITForce itself. We seek feedback from AMIA leadership and authorization to continue to move forward with our work. Please note: the work thus far represents only the beginning stage of what should be a regularized process of strategic plan evaluation within the Association.

III. General Recommendations
The implementation of AMIA’s Strategic Plan is primarily the responsibility of its Board, Committees of the Board, and Office, with the active support of its general membership. In accordance with AMIA’s organizational structure, the SPITForce recommends the creation of three new Committees/Task Forces to develop and implement high-priority strategies.

Summary of Proposed Committees

Membership Committee of the Board (MC)
Permanent

Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee of the Membership Committee (VES)
Permanent/Temporary as needed

Office Review Committee reconstituted as Management Task Force (MTF)
Temporary

Recommendations for membership on these committees are outlined below in this report. As additional volunteers are needed, we recommend distributing each charge with a call for volunteers via an AMIA member email blast.

The existing Development Committee and the proposed Membership Committee (including the Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee) both deal with the development of Association resources. It is important to note that the Development Committee’s charge is focused on the sustenance of the Association financially and the cultivation of relationships, sponsorships, endowments, investment strategies and other resources that ensure growth and sustainability of the Association over time.

In contrast, the Membership Committee’s charge is focused on the development of the Association’s human resources by identifying and recommending strategies for meeting the needs of its members, effective use of active volunteer efforts, retention of members and leaders, and facilitating the membership-driven tradition that has set AMIA apart from other associations. The Membership Committee conducts outreach to current members to identify needs and advises the Board, Office and other Committees on the development of services to keep AMIA relevant to its target audience.

Further, the purpose of the Membership Committee's Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee is to cultivate current members into active volunteers, streamline volunteer management, and develop an effective volunteer infrastructure. The Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee is designed to address current pressing issues of succession planning, leadership development and training. Once it has built a solid infrastructure, the work of the VES may dissolve into maintenance activities of the Membership Committee.

IV. Prioritized Action Steps and SPITForce Recommendations

A. Finances: Fundraising and development

Prioritized Action Steps:

• Create an overall fundraising and development plan.
• Determine where responsibilities for fundraising and development should specifically lie.
• Develop a fundraising and development timeline.

SPITForce Recommendations:

• Continue the work of the FRIPForce.

B. Leadership: Succession Planning

Prioritized Action Steps:

• Define leadership roles and responsibilities, benefits, and empowerment.
• Create plans for 1) outreach to base 2) enlargement of leadership base 3) stimulating volunteer "career paths."

SPITForce Recommendations:

• Reconstitute Office Review Committee as a Management Task Force to address, among other things, the documentation of leadership roles and responsibilities.
• Create Membership Committee to address, among other things, leadership benefits and empowerment.
• Create Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee to address, among other things, plans for outreach to base, enlargement of leadership base, and stimulating volunteer "career paths."
• Expand the number of Directors of the Board; SPITForce to recommend number upon further study and consultation with the Elections Committee. [On 12/20/05, the Board tasked the SPITForce with working with the Elections Committee to determine how to handle elections when conference dates shift. Should the Board election be done on a calendar or fiscal year?]

C. Leadership : Definition of Board and Staff authority and responsibility

Prioritized Action Steps:

• Review staff job descriptions.
• Finalize Office-Board decision-making matrix.

SPITForce Recommendations:

• Reconstitute Office Review Committee as a Management Task Force to address, among other things, the review of staff job descriptions and the finalization of the Office-Board decision-making matrix.

 D. Staff: AMIA Office Leader

 Prioritized Action Steps/SPITForce Recommendations:

• Continue the work of the Executive Director Search Committee.

E. Membership: Definition and Development

Prioritized Action Steps:

• Create outreach plan
• Promote membership benefits

SPITForce Recommendations:

• Create Membership Committee to address, among other things, the creation of an outreach plan and the promotion of membership benefits.

V. Committees: New and Revised Charges

A. FRIPForce: Additions to Charge

First priority: Review and recommend revisions to the Development Committee charge to encompass the new Fundraising Plan. Revised charge should include:

• Considering possibilities related to a tiered membership dues and support structure.
• Exploring an Affiliate Membership program (for non-professionals wishing to support film preservation, cataloging, and access), including a review of the current by-laws.
• Review and recommend mechanism for promoting benefits of membership.
• Review the Strategic Plan to identify areas where the FRIPForce's work necessitates revisions to the plan.
• Make recommendations for executing the following tasks: an evaluation of the pros and cons of hiring a grantwriter and a review of the list of existing AMIA projects, determining which seemed most fitting for grant applications.

B. Advocacy Task Force: Addition to Charge

• Explore possibilities of using AMIA-L as a public relations tool.

C. Management Task Force: Revised Charge

The Management Task Force has the finite obligation to review how management responsibilities should be distributed between the Board and the AMIA Office (and tangentially, the Committees of the Board). It shall define and delineate roles, duties, and decision-making responsibilities to ensure that each individual understands the scope of his or her role and responsibility, for effective management of the Association’s activities.

The work of the Management Task Force shall include the following tasks:

• Review current Office-Board decision-making matrix and finalize, including the originally outlined tasks and the following additional tasks:
• Project oversight
• Disposition, assignment, and follow-up on member proposals
• Succession planning tasks
• Candidate recruitment
• Networking (making personal connections)
• Participation in Board meetings
• Accountability of and to Office
• The role of the Board liaison in the management and sustainability of Committees

Note: The matrix should define the responsibilities of Office, Board, and Committee leaders and clarify relationships between the Board, Office, and committee chairs. It will be used to aid the Executive Director and Board in improving on follow-through, accountability, and succession planning.

• Review the functions and structure of the Board.
• Review current Office, Board, and Committee job descriptions and update as needed.
• Clarify relationship between the Office and committee chairs.
• Review the Strategic Plan to identify areas where the Management Task Force's work necessitates revisions to the plan.

Deadlines

December 3, 2005 Announce Management Task Force formation.

January 6, 2006 Board sets charge and roster.

April 15, 2006 Interim report to Board due – report progress on:

• Staff job descriptions
• Board job descriptions/responsibilities
• Delineations in decision-making
• Board and Staff interaction with Committees and prioritization of work

August 15, 2006 Interim report to Board due – report progress on:

• Status of charge
• Recommendations for updating strategic plan
• Recommendations for continuing the work of the MTF if necessary or for discharging the MTF because its work has been completed

D. Membership Committee of the Board – Charge

The Membership Committee of the Board is focused on the development of the Association’s human resources by identifying and recommending strategies for meeting the needs of its members, effective use and development of active volunteer efforts, retention of members and leaders, and facilitating the membership-driven tradition that sets AMIA apart from other associations. The Committee works toward a long-term objective of developing a strong and deep volunteer base and effectively preparing volunteers to lead. It is crucial that this Committee has close ties to the Development Committee and Diversity, Advocacy and International Outreach Task Forces. To achieve these goals, the Membership Committee shall:

• Analyze current membership information gathering strategies, including:
• Review of A*CENSUS final data
• Recommendation of types of membership information that should be routinely collected, for example:
• Demographics (position title, job function, length of time in the field, age, other association memberships, education, type and size of institution and institution’s annual budget)
• Interests
• Level of satisfaction
• Recommendation of how best to collect membership information, for example:
• Membership survey
• Membership renewal form revisions
• Conference proposal reviews
• Exit survey
• Review and make recommendations concerning communications with AMIA members and committees, addressing the following matters:
• Tools to improve the flow of communication between the Board, Office, committees, and members.
• Strategies for supporting cross-committee project work.
• Means of improving follow-through with those expressing interest in AMIA committee involvement.
• Ways to personalize the membership experience.
• Ways to evaluate the value of membership services.
• Means of encouraging members to involve AMIA in external projects.
• Create membership outreach plan.
• Create external organization outreach plan.
• Review the Strategic Plan to identify areas where the Membership Committee's work necessitates revisions to the plan.

Note: MC should consult Appendix A of this report for further background information.

Deadlines

December 3, 2005 Announce Membership Committee formation.

January 6, 2006 Board sets charge and roster.

April 15, 2006 Interim report to Board due – report progress on:

• A*CENSUS final data analysis
• Recommendations for membership data collection

October 15, 2006 Create membership plan that includes:

• Communications strategies
• Outreach to solicit new members
• Outreach to other organizations
• Review and provide recommendations for updating strategic plan

 E. Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee of the Membership Committee - Charge

As a Subcommittee of the Membership Committee reporting to the chair of the Membership Committee, the Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee contributes to the long-term objective of developing a strong and deep volunteer base and effectively preparing volunteers to lead. The VES shall address current pressing issues of succession planning, leadership development and training. The VES will lay the groundwork for the development of current members into active volunteers and the management of an effective volunteer infrastructure. The VES shall:

• First priority: Clarify expectations and desired outcomes for group chairs.
• Develop job descriptions for group chairs, recommending minimal requirements, for example:
• Creation of reports regarding progress with charge
• Posts to website
• Distribution of roster to Office
• Attendance of conference or arrangement of meetings at conference
• Recommend a mechanism/authority for removing chairs who fail to meet requirements.
• Recommend administrative procedures for leader transitions, for example:
• Distribution of roster and charge(s) to successor
• Final report
• Review existing AMIA volunteer guidelines, Volunteer Leadership Policy, and Board Leadership Manual and update as needed.
• Ensure each AMIA committee is working with an up-to-date charge; recommend updates as needed. Work with committees to determine whether participation is based more on expertise or general interest.
• Suggest mechanisms for streamlining the management of committee rosters.
• Recommend means of communicating with the membership about volunteer opportunities, successes and benefits, for example:
• Work with Office to develop mechanisms for identifying non-active members and informing them of the benefits of volunteering.
• Submit a volunteer profile for each AMIA Newsletter, emphasizing current work and benefits derived.
• Draft specially targeted outreach information to students concerning the benefits of volunteering.
• Work with the Office to recommend candidates for Certificates of Appreciation and develop means of publicizing the award.
• Make recommendations concerning the establishment of a "Volunteer(s) of the Year" award to recognize outstanding achievement.
• Make recommendations to the Education Committee concerning the establishment of a year-round, person-to-person mentoring program.
• Make recommendations to the Office concerning training opportunities for AMIA leaders.
• Contact other associations such as SAA, ALA, MAC, etc. to discuss their strategies for broadening and maintaining their leadership base and make recommendations.
• Review the Strategic Plan to identify areas where the Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee's work necessitates revisions to the plan.

Deadlines

December 3, 2005 Announce Volunteer Expansion Subcommittee formation.

January 6, 2006 Board sets charge and roster.

April 15, 2006 Interim report to Board due – report progress on:

• Review of original volunteer guidelines
• Draft job descriptions for AMIA leadership positions, including time commitments
• Provide a volunteer profile for the spring AMIA Newsletter

October 15, 2006 Recommend means of communicating with the membership about volunteer opportunities, successes and benefits.

• Work with the AMIA Office to develop strategies and processes for identifying potential leaders.
• Create specially targeted outreach information to students on the benefits of volunteering.
• Discuss with Education Committee the expansion of the mentoring program.
• Review and provide recommendations for updating strategic plan.

January 2007 Begin broad, long-term research and planning in the issues of volunteer management, including:

• Why members are often unwilling to chair and lead.
• Consequences for leaders who do not fulfill their responsibilities.
• Succession planning strategies for use by committee chairs.
• How other associations broaden and maintain their leadership base.
• Establishment of strategies for continuously and actively developing leaders and matching them with leadership opportunities.

December 19, 2005 Final report of 2005 SPITForce circulated.

January 6, 2006 Committee charges and rosters finalized. Develop and circulate a list of accomplishments since the last strategic plan, a list of pending projects, and a list of projects to accomplish.

April 15, 2006 Interim report to Board due – report progress on recommendation for expansion of the Board and review of strategic plan to identify high-priority areas for revision or expansion and recommendations on who should be responsible for making the revisions or drafting new text.  

Appendix A: Consolidation of Strategic Planning Suggestions

I. Report on AMIA projects related to strategic planning

AMIA has undertaken several projects since 2004 to survey its membership, and there is much valuable information that has been compiled in a variety of documents. This information should be fed back into the strategic plan. The following section is a first pass at mapping comments from these other projects to the strategic plan. Sources for comments include:

S = Comments from SZM's read of the strategic plan completed while preparing this report of October 3, 2005.

M = AMIA Board member survey of approximately 75 members conducted in June/July 2005.**

B = Comments from the AMIA Strategic Planning Day of May 22, 2005.***

A = Comments from “AMIA at 13: Surviving our Teenage Years,” held as a closing plenary session at the November 2004 AMIA conference in Minneapolis, MN. ****

_______________________

** Each member was asked three following questions:

• Because AMIA is at a strategic point in its growth, the seven Directors of the Board are asking members to assess where the organization is and where it is going. In addition to determining our strategic path, we also need to fill the recently vacated position of Managing Director. What is important to you in terms of AMIA's growth and the selection of a new MD/ED?
• Based on your understanding of AMIA's mission and goals, what are your ideas concerning AMIA's short-term needs? Long-term needs?
• Issues the Board has identified that continue to have an effect on AMIA now and in the future are:
• Technology changes (digital vs. analog)
• Leadership changes (Office and Board)
• Broad range of educational needs concerning technology (small archives/studios)
• Career development for the youth within our archival industry (education/career path)

How should AMIA's leadership address these issues both short-term and long-term?

Survey data was compiled, and a summary report was issued. It is from this compilation that the information in this report is drawn. As a further step in the strategic planning process, it would be useful to go back to the raw survey data to ensure that all relevant information has been compiled.

*** AMIA Board and staff held a strategic planning day with two goals:

• Review strategic plan to identify issues and actions within it that should be priorities as the Board moves forward.
• Agree on a common vision that will assist in decision-making, prioritization, and action.

**** The session was chaired by Sarah Ziebell Mann and Rick Prelinger. The session was videotaped, and from that videotape, a transcript (available on the AMIA website) was produced.

 ______________________

Organizational Purpose – Mission Statement

• Consider whether AMIA is a professional association or a group of interested people. (A)

External Threats and Opportunities

• Threats of larger groups taking our members and growth of regionalism do not seem to be as urgent. (B)
• Review threats, issues and tensions for currency. (S)
• "Issue of original digital in all aspects" could be better explained (p. 5) (S)
• Consider the ascendancy of grassroots efforts and the mainstreaming of materials/methods of work formerly on the fringe. [Nevertheless, as Greg Lukow pointed out, AMIA has had waves of television archivists and regional archivists in our history. Is amateur film/home movies just the next wave? None of these other waves proved definitive – better to see them as trends and analyze as such rather than seeing them as definitive?] (A)

Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses

• Overall, strengths and weaknesses still seem pretty valid. (S)
• We need to add strengths and weaknesses for the two newer goals of advocacy and outreach and relevance. (S)
• First bullet point on p. 11 – do we want to decrease our dependence on volunteers? See weaknesses – this doesn't make sense. Could this be said differently? (S)
• Also on p. 11, we have a volunteer development policy now – we need to focus on implementation. (S)
• We soon will have an Executive Director (p. 12) (S)

Overall Strategic Direction

Seven Critical Issues

• Overall action steps identified were: (B)

• Finances – fundraising and development
• Leadership – succession planning
• Leadership – definition of Board/staff authority and responsibility
• Staff – AMIA Office leader
• Membership – Definition and development

Vision of the Future

• Much within our organization has changed through our work with CCAAA, for example, we now have an application pending for UNESCO membership. Our vision for international work, in particular, should be expanded upon in the strategic plan. (S)
• AMIA should be seen as essential as National Public Radio. (M)
• Help needy archives elsewhere. (M)
• Have a more international presence. (M)
• AMIA should be a catalytic organization – there is a risk of archives becoming culturally irrelevant. (A)
• AMIA should be the clearinghouse for the big questions. (A)
• Recent management situations in archives that have been so problematic have been due in part to outsiders' perceptions of how we are, what we do. This needs to change. (A)

Goals, Objectives, and Action Plan

Membership: Maintain a strong and diverse membership base

• The 1998 Board may have taken steps re: cultural diversity, but this effort has not been sustained. (S)
• Recruit beyond moving image archivists. (M)
• Understand better our own members before we think about expansion. (M)
• Make a public statement re: diversity. This is a way of understanding our common goals, what binds us as a profession. (M)
• The Board membership survey should be ongoing and the results should be distributed to the membership. (M)
• Need to understand past membership trends and future membership goals. (A)
• Need to have substantive interchange between the seasoned and the initiates, especially as the membership expands. (A)
• Need to make the organization hospitable/attractive to moving image consumers like stock footage/archival researchers. (A)
• Individual membership orientation is one of AMIA's strengths. (A)

Finances: Ensure AMIA's financial security in order to achieve other goals

• Reference to declining economy on p. 10 should not be there. This is not something that should be in a 4-year plan. In fact, much of the analysis in this section does not seem appropriate for a plan of this duration. (S)
• Sales/marketing strategies seem weak – some items are duplicative (p. 19). (S)
• See sentence that begins "In order . . ." This is a circular argument (p. 16). (S)
• Strengthen business/industry ties. (M)
• Think about specific fundraising causes, not fundraising for the general fund. (M)
• Inclusion of vendors/service providers makes it difficult to unite on issues of resource allocation. (A)

Staff: Build and maintain and adequate, qualified staff to manage AMIA and support program growth

• Determine how the plan should address the role of the Board and the periodic review of structure of Board membership and Office. (B)
• Consider giving the Executive Director a vote on the Board. (M)

Leadership: Develop strong leadership in the organization

• Determine how the plan should address Board oversight of Committees. (B)
• Strategic plan discusses the benefits of making committees more staff-driven and thus more proactive yet bemoans the lack of volunteers (p. 20). (S)
• Look at language here: "improve quality of volunteers" (p. 21) (S)
• Define "board of inspiration" (p. 22) (S)
• Reconsider term lengths of Board members. Too much turnover? (M)
• Inclusiveness and mentoring within AMIA is already present – need to find ways to harness it. (A)
• AMIA helps to legitimize work of archivists to their institutions. (A)
• [Don't let there be a generation gap – use the enthusiasm for succession planning. A part of succession planning relates to career development – get experience through AMIA to help become a visionary leader in an archives.] (A)

Programs and Services: Expand programs and services in order to fulfill AMIA's mission

• Improve our website. (M)
• Upgrade whole technology infrastructure of AMIA – not just website. (M)
• Do we have a central didactic paradigm? Research facilitation or direct education? Should we really be doing direct training when so many formal means of training have been developed? (A)
• Consider the impact of academicization of our field – movement from apprenticeship to self-directed academic model. (A)
• We are educating people, but are we allowing them to reach their potential? [Glass ceiling] Are we really maintaining the status quo? (A)
• Hold traveling workshops at a low cost. (M)
• Explore accreditation/certification. (M)
• Create training documentation. (M)
• Should AMIA provide additional assistance to those starting archives who don't come from traditional archival world or training programs? (A)
• Consider awards for institutions as well as individuals. (M)
• Consider AMIA's role in career development. (A)
• AMIA should focus more on screen experience and not just screen content. (A)
• As the organization grows, communication methods need to become more formal. (A)

Advocacy and Outreach: Play a vital role

• Implementation of national plans – how do we want to deal with this now? (p. 27) (S)
• Further develop advocacy action steps, for example, one reads "to advocate" (p. 28) (S)
• Assign people to cover national policy issues for AMIA. (M)
• Advocate for content as well as preservation and access. (M)
• Weigh in on issues (like copyright and preservation) before they become urgent. (M)
• Outreach needs to happen for ourselves, our materials, our jobs. We need to be in more central decision-making roles in the public sphere, especially where it concerns funding and political impact. (A)
• Advocate for access broadly. (A)
• AMIA should involve politicians, donors, funders more in our meetings. (A)
• We need more media savvy – more blitzing. When we come to town, we should have screenings/receptions that are open to the public. We should invite journalists and encourage discussion. (A)

Relevance: Maintain relevance

• The language throughout the plan, especially as it relates to technology, needs to be reviewed for currency (for example, "emerging digital professionals" on p. 6). (S)
• DIC shouldn't have to request AMIA to stay abreast of new technologies. (p. 28) (S)
• Further develop new technology action step. (p. 28) (S)
• The division between digital and film seems overstated. There seems to be more harmony now as archives embark on digital projects. This is borne out by the comments in our membership survey, which indicated that digital VERSUS analog was no longer a valid distinction; rather, it now was digital AND analog. (S)
• Figure out how to get information out about hot topics before it becomes dated. (M)
• Publish information re: archival/preservation issues in the mainstream media. (M)
• Hold press conferences re: current preservation issues (CD/DVD longevity a key issue). (M)
• Stake out middle group re: technology and recommend solutions. (M)
• [Strategic planning on a regularized basis is the only real way to keep pace with how fast things are changing. Otherwise, you run the risk of outdatedness/irrelevance.] (A)

II. A*CENSUS survey background information

The main purpose of the A*CENSUS survey (conducted by the Society of American Archivists in 2004) was to define the universe of archivists currently in the workforce and to determine the knowledge and skills they needed to do their jobs now and in the future. A*CENSUS was intended to provide baseline data to graduate and continuing education programs to support recruitment and training of new archivists.

There were about 5,400 responses to the A*CENSUS survey, a 46% return rate. The final A*CENSUS data is not yet available. AMIA has a hard-copy book with some preliminary data, which is available for consultation. SAA has put out a public data file from which the information that follows is drawn.

There are several questions in A*CENSUS directed solely at AMIA members. For strategic planning purposes, analyzing the data for these questions as well as AMIA-only data for the following general A*CENSUS questions will be helpful. A*CENSUS data particularly relates to the work of the AMIA Education, Conference, and Membership Committees.

Some general facts from the overall (not AMIA-specific) A*CENSUS survey:

Archivists estimated they spent their time on:

• Reference services and access: 23%
• Unrelated activities: 23%
• Work with moving images: .5%
• Work with sound recordings: .5%
• Work with electronic records .5%
• Arrangement and description: 21%
• Managing archival programs: 17%
• Selection, appraisal, and acquisition: 13%
• Preservation and protection: 13%
• Outreach, advocacy, promotion: 13%
• Other activities: 13%
• Teaching archives-related courses: 11%
• Seeking an archives-related degree: 11%
• Consulting on archives: 11%
• Participating in professional development: 10%

Amount of financial support received from employer for professional development (registration fees):

• Less than $500: 43%
• None: 29%

Amount of financial support received from employer for travel/lodging:

• None: 36%
• Less than $500: 25%

Percentage of archivists who are personally willing to invest less than $500 for professional development:

• Registration fees: 54%
• Travel: 48%

Archivists' main workshop interests:

• Copyright
• Digital asset management
• Appraisal
• Cataloging
• Conservation
• Digitization
• Preservation of electronic records
• Grants

• 48% of archivists said that their employer does not pay for their association membership.
• The Education Committee needs to analyze sections related to educational level and training background when we have the AMIA-specific data.

III. SAA strategic planning background information

The challenge AMIA seems to face is regularizing its strategic planning work. According to articles in the Society of American Archivists' July/August 2005 Archival Outlook newsletter, SAA has been engaging in some very interesting strategic planning work that may be useful for AMIA to investigate further.

Some general points about SAA's recent strategic planning work:

SAA's strategic planning efforts are primarily focused on outreach and consider the image of archivists in the larger world.

• SAA's leadership will be focusing on strategic planning in every Board meeting rather than limiting it to a separate annual planning day.
• SAA worked with Jim Dalton, a consultant from ASAE who wrote a book entitled From Scan to Plan. It might be useful for AMIA to purchase this book.
• Dalton helped SAA to identify strategic issues upon which they could act effectively and to set up strategic issue statements, principles to guide decisions, desired outcomes, and an action plan.
• The strategic issues had to have the greatest impact on the organization's membership and had to be within the organization's capacity to act on effectively. Issues were framed as dilemmas, not problems with suggested solutions/responses.
• The focus was on an ongoing process rather than a single sequence of steps.
• Through this work, SAA plans to focus attention and resources on priority concerns, keep an eye on other strategic issues, and develop and act on identifying new issues facing the organization.
• All of SAA's strategic issues are outwardly focused (technology, diversity, public awareness). Internal issues will be worked on at a later point.

Appendix B: Strategic Planning Day (May, 2005) Action Steps

I . Finances: Fundraising and development – action steps

• Determine where responsibilities for fundraising and development should specifically lie.
• AMIA needs to expand fundraising activities beyond those strictly driven by members. Identify which skills are required in Office staff, and encourage Board and membership to move more toward role in which they provide contacts, direction, and partnerships.
• Define and implement Office leader's role in fundraising and development.
• Revisit Development Committee charge.
• Clarify function of Board of Directors as AMIA's Trustees.
• Diversify fundraising strategies.
• Create an overall fundraising and development plan.
• Identify different types of sponsors.
• Charge specific committees (for example, Digital Initiatives and Preservation) with encouraging their vendors to become active AMIA donors.
• Discuss/decide on Honorary Board, Advisory Board, and Friends of AMIA.
• Define what we mean by "endowments."

Most important action steps

1. Create an overall fundraising and development plan.
2. Determine where responsibilities for fundraising and development should specifically lie.
3. Develop a fundraising and development timeline.

II. Leadership: Succession planning – action steps

• Determine why members are often unwilling to chair and lead.
• Start actively developing leaders from within the current base.
• Determine methods for broadening the leadership base.
• Board improve on follow-through concerning membership projects.
• Assure continuity of operations within AMIA groups and the Office.
• Board liaisons work with their committees, task forces, and interest groups to ensure succession plans are in place.
• Board members should actively seek out new Board candidates.
• Board members make personal connections.
• Invite Committee chairs to Board meetings.
• Encourage person-to-person mentoring.
• Define specifically what is involved in leadership positions.
• Communicate what current leaders are doing and the benefits they derive from their AMIA activity.
• Continue new member orientation.
• Continue to provide outreach to students.
• Continue to develop training opportunities for prospective AMIA leaders.

Most important action steps

1. Define leadership roles and responsibilities, benefits, and empowerment.
2. Create plans for 1) outreach to base 2) enlargement of leadership base 3) stimulating volunteer "career paths."

III. Leadership: Definition of Board and staff authority and responsibility – action steps

• Continue work of Office Review Committee in codifying decision-making responsibilities and clarifying the Office-Board partnership.
• Review the functions and structure of the Board.
• Explore options for dealing with committees that are not meeting their charges.
• Clarify relationship between the Office and committee chairs.
• Review job descriptions.

 Most important action steps

• Review job descriptions.
• Finalize decision-making matrix.
 

IV. Staff: AMIA Office leader – action steps

• Define the Office leader role and update job description.
• Establish a search committee, including membership and staff.
• Locate and hire an Office leader.

V. Membership: Membership definition and development – action steps

• Obtain final A*CENSUS information from SAA.
• Revise membership renewal form.
• Collect basic membership demographic information.
• Consider using Survey Monkey for an online membership survey.
• Consider conducting membership exit surveys.
• Use conference proposals as a means of current membership interests.
• Send out more information about the work of AMIA groups.
• Improve follow-through with people when they express interest in being involved in an AMIA group.
• Determine whether participation on some AMIA committees is based more on expertise than on general interest.
• Review and promote benefits of membership.
• Explore possibilities related to a tiered membership structure.
• Create membership outreach plan.
• Increase outreach to other organizations.
• Encourage members to involve AMIA in projects done outside of AMIA.
• Personalize membership experience.
• Use AMIA-L as a public relations tool.

Most important action steps

• Create outreach plan.
• Promote membership benefits.