In the run up to the UKOUG elections I have been asked by
many people who should they vote for?
I am still a council member having been re-elected last March
and part of the question being asked is ‘what does the council need?’
There is a lot of information on the website about what you
should think about when voting but here are some of the questions I am asking
myself before placing my vote:
The council needs a balance, not just of communities, but
also skills and experience.
For instance we need management / executive skills. Not only does half the board which runs the
business side of UKOUG come from those elected, the council also works on
initiatives that need to be driven within UKOUG and with Oracle.
We need a balance of partners / independent contractors and
end users.
Don’t discount partners, they often have the time and the
skills to make a difference, but make sure they and every candidate has a track
record. Are they already part of the community? I personally had not been
active in a community before I was elected to the old board, so it isn’t a non
starter but we are electing someone for 3 years and we need to know they will be
active, and have the right reasons for doing so. In my original election I am sure I simply
got the woman’s vote and there was such a shortage of nominations.
Independent Contractors are also very important and I think
we need to look at how we support them as a community. The user group has a lot
of support here in their volunteers, especially in the speaker base, but again look at
their motivation and track record.
End Users are what we all want, but they need to be engaged,
and have the time necessary.
We also need a balance of experienced and new council
members because we need new ideas but also an understanding of what does and
what doesn’t work.
To work, the council needs to represent all communities, but
once on the council those elected represent all communities and must act in the
best interests of UKOUG and not a single area. If all your votes go to one
community they may be over represented. Only one council member can be the
Responsible Councillor for a specific community and those elected may find themselves
being asked to be responsible for a community they are not active in.
Finally as councillors it is not just about who we
represent, we are there to determine the strategy for our services to members.
It is hard work, and those elected are expected to take part in working groups
and give up one day a month.
So please read through all the manifestos, don’t just vote
for someone you know, but look at their track record, will they serve your user
group well. But please do use your vote.
