Establishing Role Clarity Quickly

When it comes to governance boards and local government councils, there are few topics as important-or polarizing-as role clarity. Establishing and understanding the difference between who plans, monitors, and reviews the work, and who carry it out is critically important for the effective functioning of the organization and the delivery of programs and services to those who need them.

A solid understanding of the role and the willingness to abide by the constraints of that role are harbingers of an effective term on council or on a governance board. A machine where all the parts work as they should is obviously much more efficient than a machine with misplaced parts and grinding gears.

In my experience across Canada, achieving that level of understanding and execution often proves elusive. Too many councils operate in a self-imposed ‘gray zone’ where responsibilities blur, decisions stall, frustrations grow, and public confidence erodes. I’ve seen strategic plan execution falter not because of a lack of will or resources, but because elected officials either didn’t understand their roles or chose not to stay within the constraints of those roles.

My first book, Who’s Driving the Grader? and Other Governance Questions (available from Municipal World), is all about this topic. It speaks to what role clarity means and how it is executed well. In my experience, administrations generally have a very clear understanding of their roles, whereas elected officials are often the ones who bring some lack of familiarity to the situation.

Defining Role Clarity

At its heart, role clarity is about drawing two lines; one around authority, and another around accountability, acknowledging that there are legislative restrictions that come into play differently across the country. Essentially, these roles get divided into three main group of responsibilities:

• Those who strategize – council with advice of administration.

• Those who translate strategy into action – CAO and other staff members.

• Those who review results and have the authority to alter course – again council backed up with administrative expertise.

  
  

When these boundaries overlap or leave gaps, activity enters that metaphorical gray zone, becomes inefficient or combative, and can slow or grind to a halt. Council members who believe they should literally write policy, or staff members who think they can properly make strategic decisions themselves, will result in an organization that cultivates internal friction and conflict.

Clear role understanding and execution solves this: council debates vision, staff drafts bylaws or policy for council consideration, council approves the budget, and staff oversee the execution of council decisions and spending of council’s budget. With each group understanding their part, progress flows rather than sputters.

Why Role Clarity Matters

Speed of Decision-Making: Councils regularly face time-sensitive issues. When roles are clear, agenda items move through direction setting, review, approval, and execution. No time is wasted debating ownership of process or outcomes because both elected and appointed officials already know who does what.

Ownership: When council members understand and stay within their sphere of influence, they step up. Councilors feel confidence in guiding policy, and staff take pride in operational delivery. That sense of ownership fuels innovation within the boundaries of each role.

Accountability and Transparency: Citizens demand accountability from their local governments, and from elected officials in particular. Clear roles make it easy to trace decisions back to their origins, fostering trust between council members, administrators, and the community.

Adaptability in Crisis: Emergencies expose role confusion most painfully. As the ‘head’ of the organization, mayors/reeves/wardens and other members of council often think they should be in the emergency operations centres directing activity, when that’s not their role. Clashes between a mayor and a director of disaster services serve nobody well.

Ensuring Role Clarity in the Governance Structure

Role clarity certainly isn’t guaranteed. It must be understood and acted upon consistently. Since elected officials change on a regular basis, it’s very important that they lead through understanding. Several ways that council members can understand, practice, and reinforce role clarity are through:

• Council candidate workshops – allow prospective candidates to see what the role of council really is before they campaign for the job.

• Council orientations – An early and thorough understanding of who does what will set a council off on the right foot. It will also serve as a refresher for members of the previous council who have been reelected.

• Ongoing governance ‘moments’ or refreshers – One-time orientations won’t stick through the course of the term. Consider brief refreshers on various aspects of role clarity throughout the term.

• Inviting experts to present - this can be attendance at conferences or having governance experts speak to councils and members of administration about how best to carry out their roles within the constraints of legislation and local culture.

• Learning from mistakes – case studies can be a really good way to explore what happens if role clarity is either unknown or ignored.

  
  

Finally

Role clarity is more than just a benefit; it’s truly at the core of effective local governance. It accelerates decisions, fosters ownership, nurtures trust, and ensures resilience. Whether an individual is a council member in one of Canada’s largest cities or smallest rural communities, a governance machine with all its parts in the right place will outperform one where gears grind without purpose.

Looking at your municipality today – both council and administration - where are the gaps? Whose job is it to fill them? How can a shared understanding of roles provide better service for the community you all serve?

If you have comments about role clarity, you can reach me at ian@strategicsteps.ca.