Communication With Members

Introduction:

Good governance relies on successful working relationships and effective communication. If ADAA is to provide the necessary services to its Member, it is important that there is ongoing communication to enable ADAA’s goals, policies and strategies are implemented and objectives met.

Purpose:

The purpose of this Policy is to clearly lay out the channels of communication between ADAA and its members and affiliated groups. This Policy establishes guidelines to ensure a co-operative and beneficial relationship between ADAA and stakeholders is maintained.

Policy Statement:

ADAA will primarily use electronic methods to communicate with members and affiliated groups. Members and Group representatives are responsible for providing ADAA with current contact information. If they choose not to maintain a means of receiving electronic information or do not inform the ADAA Secretary (or appointed delegate) of their current contact information, ADAA is not obliged to undertake postal mail out of information or response. Similarly ADAA is not obliged to contact a member by phone if postal mail is returned.

Definitions:

ADAA Representative: For the purposes of this Policy, representatives includes ADAA’s employees, volunteers and contractors.

Responsibilities:

ADAA Representatives – To respond in a prompt and timely manner to requests from Members and affiliated groups.

ADAA Secretary (or their delegate) – To accurately maintain ADAA’s membership database and group contact list using the information provided by Members and Groups.

Group Representative – To provide ADAA with up-to-date electronic contact details for receipt of ADAA notices and invoices and to respond, in a prompt and timely manner, to requests.

Member – To provide ADAA with up-to-date contact details (email, telephone and/or postal).

Procedure:

1. General
   1. ADAA’s desire is to provide for a high level of open, responsive and accountable communication. ADAA will act in a fair, honest and professional manner in exercising its role and responsibilities under this Policy.
   2. All communications with ADAA should be accurate, polite and professional.
   3. Official communication with international Agility bodies such as IFCS and other National Associations is the responsibility of the ADAA Chair and/or ADAA Secretary, unless specifically delegated by the Board. Individuals and groups should channel communication with Agility organisations internationally through ADAA.
   4. Judging issues should be directed through the Director Judging. The Director Judging will correspond and consult with the ADAA Board, Judges Management Committee and Judges Training Committee on judging, rules and training issues, as appropriate. The ADAA Chair and/or Secretary will communicate Regulation changes. The Director Judging will disseminate all relevant information to Judges.
   5. All parties will respond in a timely manner taking into account their role and nature of their capacity (eg paid employee, volunteer, member, group representative). Where a full and final response cannot be provided in a reasonable timeframe, information on the expected completion date is to be provided in lieu.
   6. This Policy does not apply to social or casual contact between ADAA representatives and stakeholders other than where ADAA business is discussed.
   7. The Spam Act 2003 prohibits the sending of spam, which is identified as a commercial electronic message sent without the consent of the addressee via email, short message service (SMS) multimedia message service (MMS) or instant messaging. The requirements under the Spam Act apply to all commercial electronic messages, including both bulk and individual messages.
   8. The unsolicited use of material of an inflammatory, defamatory, offensive, racist, sexually explicit, suggestive or discriminating in any way in communications within the ADAA community is forbidden.
   9. Individuals or groups found to be acting contrary to this Policy may face disciplinary action under ADAA’s Memorandum and Articles of Association and Policies. This disciplinary action may involve a verbal or written warning or, in serious cases, termination of membership, employment or engagement with ADAA.
2. Communication with Members
   1. ADAA will communicate with Members through a variety of media including:
      1. notices, articles and information on ADAA’s website;
      2. notices on ADAA’s facebook page;
      3. email notices;
      4. personal telephone calls or emails; and
      5. letters issued to postal addresses of Members.
   2. Applications for membership will not be accepted unless a valid email address is provided at the time of application. Should an email address become invalid, ADAA may cease issue of electronic notices (including advice of expiry of membership) to the Member. This will not however affect the person’s membership status, or eligibility to participate in ADAA events. Upon receipt of any subsequent registrations, transfers and/or titles the Member will be advised that the request will not be processed without a valid email address. Members must advise any changes to their postal address, email address and/or any other details to ADAA by promptly completing and submitting a Membership Change Form.
   3. Members may request to be excluded from Member email notices with the exception of statutory notices.
3. Communication with affiliated Groups
   1. ADAA will communicate with affiliated Groups through a variety of media including:
      1. notices, articles and information on ADAA’s website;
      2. email notices;
      3. personal phone calls or emails; and
      4. letters issued to the postal address of Groups.
   2. Group representatives should disseminate all information received from ADAA to its committee(s), at the earliest opportunity after receipt of that information.

Stakeholders to be consulted prior to policy change:

Board of Directors

Related documents:

Memorandum and Articles of Association
Membership Change Form FOR-MEM-015

Document Number: POL-MEM-012/6
6 February 2021