Virtual Governance webinars for NC members + NC virtual meeting protocols
April 24, 2020
Dear Neighborhood Council leaders,
As part of the EmpowerLA Virtual Governance Plan (EVG) in support of Neighborhood Council (NC) virtual meetings officially beginning on May 1, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (Department) has developed companion virtual meeting learning opportunities and resources.These resources follow City of Los Angeles virtual meeting protocols and the best practices for the recommended online application.The resources are responsive to feedback and responses from a survey of NC leaders.
We are pleased to release the EmpowerLA Neighborhood Council Virtual Governance Protocols (EVG Protocols), which follow from the aforementioned EVG Plan and related timeline released April 17. It is important that board members review this set of EVG Plan Protocols as they provide recommended guidance on how to best administer NC meetings in a virtual governance environment.
Invite to Virtual Governance webinars for NC members
Pursuant to the EVG Timeline, the Department is hosting webinars to support NCs getting ready to hold virtual meetings. Our Virtual Governance webinars are being held in a series, which maps to the three phases outlined in our EVG Plan.
The last session of the EVG Phase I webinar on “Robert’s Rules Made Simple” parliamentary procedures happens this Monday evening April 27th from 6 – 9pm, so, make sure to RSVP for EVG Phase I here. Monday’s webinar repeats the material presented during the Thursday, April 23 webinar.It is being offered a second time for those with limited ability to join during daytime hours. You’ll be able to learn from and get your questions answered by professional parliamentarians in this webinar.
In addition, two webinars for EVG Phase II: Running Virtual NC Meetings are planned for the coming week. These sessions – which will be led by the Department – will provide an overview of the EmpowerLA Neighborhood Council Virtual Governance Protocol (EVG Protocols) and will demonstrate the technical aspects to hold a virtual public meeting.
Topics covered will include: posting requirements for virtual meetings, a Zoom governance overview, resources for technical support, the 4 roles needed to conduct a virtual meeting, the role of the Department, and how to administer public comment in a virtual meeting.
The two webinars below are identical, so you may attend the session of your choice. RSVP and get the details to attend one of these sessions online or by telephone at http://tiny.cc/EVGphase2:
EVG Phase II: EmpowerLA’s Running Virtual NC Meetings (Session 1)
Tuesday, April 28 6pm to 8pm
EVG Phase II: EmpowerLA’s Running Virtual NC Meetings (Session 2)
Wednesday, April 29 10am – 12pm
For questions and/or more information about any of these EVG webinars, please contact the Department at (213) 978-1551 or email: EmpowerLA@lacity.org. For interpretation or ADA accommodations, please contact (213) 978-1551 or email NCsupport@lacity.org.
Visit the new EmpowerLA Virtual Governance Portal
We’ve launched a dedicated EmpowerLA Virtual Governance Portal that is a one-stop shop to find resources to assist you with running online NC meetings – including a complete Robert’s Rules of Order education course; access to video from the EVG how-to webinars; and a manual of EVG Protocols to guide you through every aspect of virtual NC meetings, from writing and posting agendas to managing interactions with board members and stakeholders.
Our EVG Portal is located here: http://EmpowerLA.org/EVG
Please note that you will need to create a login to access the “Robert’s Rules Made Simple” content that appears there. The Robert’s Rules content is only available to current NC board members and alternates, and your username is your public NC board member email address. You’ll be prompted to create a password the first time you log on. (Which email address is your public one? The email address where you received this email is the one you’ll use to log onto that Robert’s Rules section.)
We have arranged for you to have customer support if you need help logging in to access the Robert’s Rules Made Simple content. Please write to their support team for assistance: Support@RobertsRulesMadeSimple.com. If you have any difficulties, please email your Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate.