If you have served on an advisory council before or have had to set up one, then you know that the PEOPLE on an advisory council can make it or break it. An Advisory Council is a group of individuals appointed or assembled to provide advice, guidance, and expertise on specific matters to an organization, project, or initiative. An Advisory Council aims to bring external perspectives and insights, complementing the organization’s internal expertise.
This blog talked about how to structure and manage an advisory council. One of the five steps in setting up an advisory council is member selection or appointment. For some advisory councils, members may be
appointed. For other advisory councils, there may be a limited number of spots, and potential members “apply” to be selected.
For this blog, we are focused on advisory councils where members apply and are selected. When that is the case for your advisory council, it is essential to have a structured process for selecting members.
You will need to create a marketing outreach and recruitment strategy that will educate and inform interested individuals about the purpose of the Advisory Council and allow them to apply. An applicant scoring process to ensure diverse representation and make final council member selections will also be essential in this process.
When considering who should sit on an advisory council, consider these guiding questions:
- How many members will this council have?
- What is the geographic representation needed for the council? For example, will this council be local, regional, statewide, or national?
- What qualifications and expertise should members possess to contribute effectively?
- What will be the term limits for council members?
- What is the level of time commitment expected from each member?
- How diverse should the council be regarding skills, backgrounds, geography, demographics, and perspectives?
For SPARK Learning Lab, a statewide training and coaching program for Indiana child care providers, we developed and managed their Statewide Advisory Council. As we worked to identify the criteria for members of the Advisory Council, it was crucial that the members selected would represent various backgrounds of early childhood professionals in all regions of Indiana. Members met the following criteria:
- Diverse geographic counties including a mix of urban and rural communities
- All types of early childhood and education programs, including licensed child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start programs, school-based programs, and ministry/faith-based programs
- Diverse based on race, education, and language
- Flexibility for travel for in-person meetings and virtual meetings
- Different levels of engagement (from minimal to high) with SPARK programs and services
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) reached out to us for assistance in establishing and managing a Youth Advisory Board for the Balance of State (BoS) Continuum of Care (CoC).
Youth Advisory Boards bring unique insights and perspectives to an organization, but it also requires thoughtful planning and leadership. When tackling a Youth and Young Adult advisory board there are some additional factors that you may want to consider with membership:
- The hosting organization must staff the board with leaders who can genuinely connect with young people and are open to sharing authority.
- You will want to foster an environment where the youth feel comfortable and safe sharing their perspective and opinions.
- The logistics of getting members to a meeting can be quite challenging and the need to be flexible, accommodating youth schedules around work, school, and activities. Often, meetings are held outside of traditional work hours.
- Communicating with youth members can take place on a variety of channels such as social media or texting.
- If the hosting organization offers financial stipends for youth members the process needs to be accessible, especially for those who may face challenges with formal financial systems such as banking.
With the right support, a Youth Advisory Board can greatly influence organizational decisions and leadership approaches, ensuring youth voices are heard and valued.
An Advisory Council is a great way to get fresh perspectives and insights into your work! If you want to see more examples of how this can look check out these additional client stories: Shine Early Learning and Indiana Early Learning Advisory Council.
If you need support establishing and managing an advisory council, reach out to us for a free consultation.
