Services
Meeting Literacy™ Academy
Interactive programs and courses are available to boards, councils, or other groups online or onsite. Online courses are available to individual learners. Go to the Meeting Literacy™ Academy tab to explore the options.
Meeting Parliamentarian
A professional parliamentarian serves as an advisor for the advanced preparation of, and at, meetings to advise the presiding officer on procedural matters. The presiding officer, however, remains the sole authority to rule on questions of order or answer parliamentary inquiries. Advanced preparation is required.
Professional Presiding Officer
A professional presiding officer facilitates the meeting keeping it focused, effective, and efficient; ensuring orderly and efficient meeting conduct in compliance with the governing documents including the meeting and debate rules. The professional parliamentarian maintains neutrality and is able to answer questions regarding parliamentary procedure and meeting management. Advanced preparation is required.
Advanced Meeting Preparation
Advanced meeting preparation is key to successful meeting outcomes. A professional parliamentarian reviews bylaws; relevant legislation; provides advice and assistance for the agenda; scripts; credentials report; meeting rules; voting; election forms; tally reports; handling motions, resolutions, and contingencies; bylaw amendments; and coaching for the presiding officer.
Professional Registered Parliamentarian
A Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) is an accredited expert in parliamentary (meeting) law, rules of order, and proper procedures for meetings to ensure democratic decision-making of deliberative assemblies (membership and board meetings).
Governance Reviews
A governance review provides an objective analysis and practical guidance to optimize governance. The process includes:
- review governing and other documents
- conduct interviews and surveys
- observe effectiveness of meetings
- determine alignment with leading governance and parliamentary procedure practices
- deliver a detailed report of key findings and recommendations for actionable outcomes
- coaching for the implementation of the recommendations is available
Bylaws Revision
Bylaws revisions may be conducted internally; however, every few years it may be prudent to engage the services of a parliamentarian to review they bylaws and make recommendations to improve clarity, eliminate inconsistencies, and create a user-friendly governing document.
A bylaws review includes:
- analysis of the current bylaws and other relevant documents
- conduct interviews
- identify procedural inconsistencies within the current bylaws
- identify procedural inconsistencies between current practices and the bylaws
- identify potential misinterpretation and ambiguity
A bylaws revision is often an extensive process that may include:
- removing inconsistencies within the current bylaws
- removing inconsistencies between current practices and governing documents
- aligning language with legislation
- clarifying key roles and duties
- important changes in the structure
- add elements to ensure the document has clarity, consistency, and is “user friendly”
Parliamentary Opinion
A parliamentary opinion is a formal written response to a procedural question(s). The process includes a review of the organization’s documents and a written formal opinion as to how to the status or how to proceed.
- Have a parliamentary procedure question specific to an action taken or to be taken?
- Need an interpretation of the bylaws?
- Unsure whether a procedural action was, or will be, correct?
Are you ready to make your meetings more effective and efficient?
