NATIONAL MISSION STRATEGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS

The Sierra Club is seeking applicants for a vacant position on its Mission Strategy Advisory Committee. The position to be filled has a term of two years; re-appointment to a second two-year term is possible.

The Committee’s charge is reproduced below. Briefly, the Committee’s responsibilities are to review and assess the effectiveness of existing Club campaigns and programs; examine the political, environmental and cultural landscape with an eye to identifying challenges or opportunities for the Club; and making recommendations to the Board of Directors as to opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

The Committee meets once per year and conducts conference calls on a monthly basis; members are expected to be prepared for these meetings and calls. From time to time the Committee appoints subgroups to take on specific, time-limited assignments.

Service on the Committee offers its members an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to the long-term effectiveness of the Club’s – and indeed the environmental movement’s – conservation campaigns. This is also an opportunity to become acquainted with the traditions, programs and leadership of the Club. Reimbursement is made available for all out-of-pocket expenses.

Those who are interested should send a message to Committee Chair Chris Warshaw (cwarshaw@gmail.com) no later than June 1, 2013.

The following information must be included:

- Name, address, phone and email
- A brief description of what you would bring to the committee that will help it achieve its mission;
- A brief discussion of what you see as the challenges and opportunities facing the Sierra Club.

– Brief additional comments (optional);
– A copy of your resume; and
– Names and contact information for three references

For more information, call Jim Dougherty at 202-488-1140.



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Charge to the Mission Strategy Advisory Committee

Advise and make recommendations to the Board on broad organizational challenges, opportunities, and priorities over the medium- and long-term range to further advance the Club’s mission.

A. Assess the environmental, political, and cultural landscape, and identify key opportunities and threats to achieving the Club’s mission in the medium- to long-term range.

· Identify key opportunities and threats that have implications for the Club, as well as concerns not previously seen as challenges or which have been identified but are not being addressed effectively, and evaluate the strategic implications of these trends, threats, opportunities, and/or concerns for the Club’s ability to advance its mission.

· Identify and assess challenges and opportunities in the medium- (3-5 years) to long term
(6-10 years) range, as distinguished from shorter-term (1-2 years) concerns of program and
campaign implementation.

B. Advise the Board on opportunities to strengthen the Club’s strategic capacity and resources to identify: (1) problems or challenges when a fundamental or different approach is needed in order to advance the Club’s priorities, and (2) the conditions that can better enable the Club to evolve in adaptive way to address new challenges.

C. Advise the Board regarding priorities for the overall mix of programs, campaigns, support teams, and the activist network, to most effectively advance the Club’s mission.

· Identify the challenges or opportunities that have implications for future Club conservation priorities, as well as the process for considering these, including use of broad consultative or deliberative gatherings of Club leaders.

· Advise the Board on the relative level of investment regarding the range of Club programs, campaigns, and other activities that can best advance the Club’s priorities over the medium- to long-term.

D. Coordinate and work with Conservation Priority Task Forces.

1. Conservation Priority Task Forces advise the Mission Strategy Advisory Committee on medium- to long-term opportunities, challenges, and threats consistent with the Club’s major conservation priorities, providing relevant expertise in their specific area.

2. Task Forces also provide advice to the Mission Strategy Advisory Committee about new or different ways of thinking that enable the Club to advance its conservation priorities at more coherent or strategic levels.

E. Identify the challenges to (and conceptual resources for) evaluating the impact or effectiveness of Club programs, campaigns, and support teams, as well as the Activist Network, for advancing the Club's priorities. Recommend tools for evaluating such impact or effectiveness. The periodic evaluation of implementing teams shall be the responsibility of the Board with assistance from the Coordinating Pairs and team leaders.

F. Develop information-gathering and other communication processes that ensure timely and continuous sources of new and/or challenging ideas from multiple sources, both within and outside of the Sierra Club.

Composition: This committee will be chaired by a Director and composed of Directors, other volunteers, supported by staff. Collectively the committee should include expertise in analytical skills related to midterm and longer term strategic thinking about the mission of the Club – analysis of contingent developments and emerging trends; ability to identify implications of alternative developments and potential impacts on the Club; and an openness to thinking about new or different approaches to ongoing problems. Committee members are expected to participate actively in the work of the committee, including occasional travel and interaction with sources of information beyond the committee. The ability to make a significant commitment of time will also be a requirement.