November 28, 2023
Transparency Trend for Governing Bodies
K-State Research and Extension has a reputation of being a valued and trusted resource for Kansans. It is a motto we often use and has served us well.
These traits have become more important across our organization even more so today among a culture that questions everything and challenges the status quo.
Executive boards, advisory boards and governing bodies have seen increased scrutiny from finances to staffing issues.
This atmosphere is one of the most significant trends across the spectrum of organizational management that oversees private corporations and public organizations. The public has become increasingly more involved in government, and K-State Research and Extension is not exempt from the views and opinions of our stakeholders.
A trusting organization will be transparent, providing satisfactory explanations for the decisions that are reached. The first thing that often comes to mind is the finances that we maintain to manage our system.
Sharing the actual budget numbers shouldn’t cause a board to wince if they have been making sound financial decisions. We have an excellent auditing system that provides oversight to the expenses that are incurred, and makes suggestions for proper handling when necessary.
It seems like we have plenty of ‘gray area’ in extension statutes and someone always finds their way to that mysterious area. This includes our county election process that the state loosely defines in Kansas law but supposedly has no jurisdiction over the actual process.
Local elections have traditionally been conducted in order to best fill offices, such as the Program Development Committees. There are no statutes that guide our process and we will need to be more diligent in finding and conducting best management practices even for our local counties.
When it comes to personnel, it can be difficult to manage truthful information since much of the truth is veiled as confidential. However, the truth is that we simply cannot discuss these matters outside those involved.
The part of transparency that we must protect in this situation is to not violate confidentiality that an individual is bestowed, or information that a governing body has learned via executive session. Even a single “leaky” individual on a board can tarnish the reputation of everyone.
To clarify my point, trust is not something every organization is able to offer the public. K-State Research and Extension is valued because of the reputation of our past and present employees. Transparency is the top trend in working with the public, so keep showing our best intention with the public and make sure that we continue to put our best foot forward.