Making Committees Work

A committee, as understood in parliamentary law, is a body of one or more persons, elected or

appointed by an assembly to consider, investigate, or take action on certain matters or subjects, or

to do all these.

To function effectively, a committee, and especially its chair, needs to have

1. A list of committee members.

2. A copy of the motion or problem referred to the committee.

3. Special instructions to the committee, if any. These instructions should include a statement

of exactly what the committee is expected to do, and whether the question is referred to it for

discussion, study, hearings, investigations, recommendations, or action.

4. A statement of the powers and duties of the committee.

5. Copies of all papers or correspondence relating to the subject assigned to the committee.

6. Copies of any rules, policies, or decisions of the organization relating to the subject.

7. Information on the type of report desired and the date set for its presentation.

Reports from committees should minimally contain

1. A statement of the charge to the committee

2. A statement of the methods employed by the committee in accomplishing its charge.

3. A summary of information gathered or work done.

4. A statement of conclusions or findings.

5. A specific recommendation, together with a rationale for that recommendation.

6. The names of the members on the committee.

7. A summary (often called an "executive summary" at the beginning of the report is helpful 

for long reports.

The next section elaborates the nature and content of committee reports.

The Committee Report

By whom should the report be prepared? Usually a member of the committee (often the chair or a

recorder, but it could be anyone) prepares a draft of the report. All members of the
committee should be given opportunity to review and revise the draft before it is submitted. It is not the

drafter's work product, but the product of the entire committee.

To whom should be report be made? In most cases the committee is addressed to the appointing or

supervising authority. Occasionally, particularly at the direction of the authority, a report may go to other

individuals or organizations.

What form should the report take? There is no universally mandatory form, but some principles help

guide us. Reports should go forward with a written and an oral report; both should be planned carefully to

be effective. Exactly what goes into each depends on a large number of factors: the audience, the nature of

the problem and the solution, time available, how much information is needed by the higher authority for

decision making, and so forth. The report should be prepared and organized to accomplish two ends: (1) to

persuade the higher authority to adopt the report & its recommendations and (2) to facilitate the decisionmaking of the higher authority. A reports need not necessarily be long (being too long may discourage

anyone from reading it), but needs to be long enough to competently and persuasively present the plan and

justify it to the higher authority. Whatever format is decided upon, the report should meet high professional

standards: typed, spell and grammar checked, etc.; a computer and printer makes this easier.

What content should the reports contain? The report should be written to have an impact on those who

read it. After reading the content, the reader must be convinced the conditions the proposal seeks to remedy

are serious enough to justify action, understand the details of the proposal and how it will remedy the

problem conditions, and be assured that the proposal is practical, reasonable, and will bring no undesirable

side outcomes. The reader must also believe the proposal is the best alternative. Although the content and

organization of the content is flexible and should be adapted to each situation, several content elements are

usually "necessary" to fulfill the functions of a report:

Executive Summary. Especially in longer reports (probably over 8 pages), it is a good idea to have

an Executive Summary in which the whole report (including purpose, problem, solution, rationale, and

recommendations) is summarized in a few paragraphs, not to exceed one page in length. Explain the

purposes of the report. Is it an interim or final report? Is it to outline factual findings, conclusions, of

recommendations? Is it to summarize actions of the committee or does it propose a project or program

in solution to a problem?

Preamble. A preamble or introduction contains boilerplate information (such as the name of the

committee and the names of the members), a statement of the charge or mission given to the committee

(making the organizational context of the report cl ear), and a review of the procedures used in the

problem solving process.

Background. The report should give needed background on the nature of the problem indicating a

need for a solution. Succinctly and objectively, the committee's factual findings and conclusions about

the nature of the problem, its causes, its effects, and related matters should be presented. Appropriate

documentation should be given. If there is a large amount of material as a result of the committee's

work, often this material is best summarized briefly in the report with supporting documents p laced in

an appendix.
Proposed solution. The report should give a detailed presentation of the solution to the problem,

including an implementation plan, organizational chart, and budget. An implementation plan can

include such things as

1. Goals and objectives. Goals point to the qualitative ideals or values the solution supports; they

inspire motive and enable unity of action. Objectives are the statement of particular activities

which, if achieved, result in the accomplishment of the goals. 

2. Statement of personnel. From goals and objectives, we derive particular tasks that can be done

by particular individuals. Often an organization chart makes clear the various task roles and their

interrelationships. Reports should make clear w hat people will be assigned to which tasks and task

roles. 

3. Space, materials, and logistics. The proposal must make clear what resources are needed,

including facilities, communications, computers, telephone, mailing, etc. 

4. Finances and budget. Linked to the above, the costs of the program (personnel, materials,

mailing, gasoline, etc.) should be clearly and accurately projected. If possible, the plan should also

indicate the source of funds.

5. Time. The report should project a timetable for the accomplishment of the various objectives

and tasks to facilitate the operation of the plan. Who is to do what by when? 

6. Evaluation and impact. Proposals are more likely to be approved if the higher authority has a

clear idea of how to tell if the investment of time and money was worth it. Explain how to evaluate

the success of the program. Specify who will be affected or inconvenienced by the new program.

Rationale. The report should make an argued defense of the proposed solution, generally including (1)

how the plan will meet the need; (2) why the plan is desirable in light of relevant absolute and/or

relative criteria; and (3) why the plan has advantages and fewer disadvantages compared to alternative

responses to the problem, including doing nothing.

Recommendation. The report should clearly present a request for the higher authority to take some

action on the work of the committee; sometimes this function is done in the Preamble. For example, if

the committee's function is largely advisory, then the report should request that the committee be

informed of actions or decisions on the matters covered in the report. If the committee's role was to

provide information, then the request might be that the receipt of the information be acknowledged. If

the committee's role was decision-making or action-taking, then the request should be for feedback to

guide future work.