Exeter Green Party (EGP) roles and definitions

An addendum to EGP’s Constitution, maintained by EGP’s Executive Committee and any changes to be agreed at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) or Annual General Meeting (AGM). Up-to-date as of 19.06.2024.

Executive Committee roles (those with voting rights):

Chair - To fully replace what was previously established as Party Coordinator, with the following definition in addition to what is laid out in EGP’s Constitution:

Lead and build the strategic direction of the local Party.

Support and encourage an effective officer team. The Chair should ensure all officers keep in regular contact with each other.

Provide a warm welcome for all members and ensure they have a stake in the direction of the Party.

Chair meetings in a fair and open way in accordance with the Green Party rules.

Have an overview of all roles within the local party.

Work with other officers – to put together a 12 month development plan for the local Party.

Organise follow-up meetings to ensure they are sticking to EGP’s strategies.

Ensure the local Party constitution is up to date and complies with Party rules.

The purpose of this role is to ensure the internal work of the party progresses throughout the year.

Ensuring regular meetings take place.

Consulting key stakeholders such as members, candidates and councillors on key operational decisions.

Support the Treasurer, Election Agent, Recorder and other specialist volunteers to deliver on tasks associated with their roles.

Maintain a register of key operational decisions which will be made available to members upon request.

Elections Coordinator - As previously established.

The Elections Coordinator is usually responsible for organising year-round targeting work, overall election campaign forward planning, recruitment of non-target candidates towards standing a full slate and acting quickly to respond to stand candidates in the event of a by-election.

However each of these internally-focused roles may be handled by different people - some local parties may appoint a dedicated Campaign Manager to focus on running the target campaigns, and another person to handle non-target candidate recruitment. It's whatever works for your local party team!

Definitions:

To ensure that the party is delivering on our agreed election strategy.

Ensures regular door knocking and literature delivery takes place during both the long and short election campaign.

Supports the Election Agent and Data Manager to deliver on tasks associated with their roles.

Liaises with the Volunteer Coordinator to ensure election (ward/division) teams are supported.

Volunteers Coordinator - As previously established.

Definitions:

To ensure that the party is recruiting and mobilising volunteers for election work and roles that support Exeter Green Party’s collective work.

This entails delivering activities to recruit new volunteers, delivering regular training to volunteers and supporting them to deliver on tasks agreed as part of the party’s election strategy.

Support election leads (ward/division etc) to deliver on tasks associated with their roles which concern literature bundling, round allocation, literature delivery and year-round door knocking.

Young Greens Officer - To be held by a young member, as defined by the national Party. This is a wholly separate role to Student Liaison partly because Green Soc members aren’t automatically members of the Party but also because ‘student’ doesn’t always mean young person.

Definition:

To help young Party members play a full and active role within the Party.

To organise meetings and social activities for young Party members.

Governance and Disputes Officer - (currently listed as Internal Governance Officer in EGP’s Constitution) The ‘governance’ aspect of this role means responsibility for ensuring the exec and by extension local Party is aware of any code of conduct or constitution requirements but also cognisant of ways to keep the local constitution up to date, proposing improvements as necessary. The ‘disputes’ aspect of this role means responsibility for handling disputes within the local Party and to ensure that local members have a dedicated person to raise concerns or complaints with in line with the first steps laid out in the Green Party’s Code of Conduct which says seek resolution through discussion and conciliation or if a resolution is not possible referring it first to the regional disputes resolution committee; this hopes to ensure that members do not feel excluded or isolated in potentially stressful situations.

Vice-Chair (not a standalone role) - An exec member, other than the member elected to the Chair, shall be appointed to this role to ensure that Party business can still be carried out in case of the Chair’s absence. The Vice-Chair can chair meetings in place of the Party Chair as required.

Legally required non voting, functional roles:

Treasurer - As defined by EGP’s Constitution.

The Treasurer has the legal obligation under PPERA to maintain proper accounts for the party, including financial tracking, signing-off on expenditure, and reporting back to the Executive Committee and membership.

They are also responsible for ensuring the local party is compliant with GPEW financial reporting rules, including the quarterly return, and with all relevant legislation.

They shall keep thorough records of all income and expenditure and are responsible for the creation and updating of the local party’s budget.

As part of their role, they shall work with the party’s Election Agent(s) to ensure accurate reporting of election expenses.

Where there is no Fundraising Coordinator, the Treasurer is responsible for income generation plans.

Data Officer - Established under the new constitution, what was previously defined as Data Manager as opposed to Data Protection Officer which is listed and described later in the constitution.

To have an overview of EGP’s various digital platforms i.e. how they work, their respective functions. To include the Wordpress site, Action Network and the party website.

To maintain a small team of supporting Members who have understanding and can manage one or more of the platforms

Liaise with party communication officers / functions and with data protection on data issues

Monthly updating of database from ES spreadsheet (easy when shown), including updating any new addresses with rounds_id and street_id

Annual reissue for database ( should be easier now but because it's only done once a year, I find it stressy)

Setting up new wards - **WARNING** This is an ' under the bonnet' task. It involves setting up new Streets, new Rounds and assigning these to every address in the new ward. It requires some knowledge of SQL and database design.

Looking at ways to add in database functions ie as per action network.

Being the fixer when things go wrong as required.

Understanding the actual and potential capacity of the database.

Data Protection Officer - As defined by the Party and by law.

Definitions:

To inform and advise the controller, its officers and any associated processors about their obligations to comply with the UK GDPR and other relevant data protection laws such as Part 3 of the Act;

To monitor compliance with data protection laws, including managing internal data protection activities, advise on data protection impact assessments; train officers and conduct internal audits.

To be the first point of contact for the Information Commissioner and for individuals whose data is processed i.e. members and volunteers

Election Agent(s) - As defined by the Party and by law. Inclusive of the roles nominating officer(s) and holder of Register Authority. The election agent is legally responsible for:

Being the 'promoter' of their candidate in both printed imprints and digital imprints (the agent name must appear as the promoter).

Authorising publications from the candidate.

Authorising candidate spending and ensuring compliance with election law, including submitting a 'nil return' expenses declaration for non-target candidates (any candidates that didn’t campaign and thus didn’t incur expenses).

Handling donations and ensuring compliance with election law.

Keeping meticulous records of campaign spending and donations.

Reporting campaign expenses and donations after the election.

Recorder - To replace the term ‘Secretary’; to record minutes of meetings and any decisions made within Members’, exec meetings, EGMs and AGMs.

Bank signatories - Usually 2 are required, naturally Treasurer should be one and Agent or Chair should be the other.

Non voting, functional roles that have been identified as necessary to the functioning/productivity of EGP or useful for growing EGP:

Councillor Group Liaison - A necessary role but needn’t be a standalone role i.e. an exec member could do this as well as their respective duties, need to establish it explicitly to underpin the importance of a positive working relationship between successive executive committees and the Councillor Group(s).

Communications Coordinator(s) - Previously ‘Media and Communications’.

• To facilitate, support and guide the Communications Team.

• Ensure all outward facing comms, whether by press release, social media or website is in keeping with Green Party ethos and codes of conduct.

• Ensure all outward facing comms is up to date with the Green Party’s comms strategies, including colour schemes, party logo and ‘Target to Win’ (TTW) requirements etc.

• Ensure all outward facing comms are signed off by the Executive Committee and that anyone quoted is consulted.

• Provide reports to members’ meetings and the annual general meeting (AGM) to ensure members can keep up to date with EGP’s comms strategies and ask questions.

• The Comms Coordinator may also take on some of the jobs inherent to the comms team, please read the Comms Team definition for more info.

Support Officers:

Election Support Officer - A functional role to support Elections Coordinator.

Volunteer Support Officer - As previously established, a functional role to support the Volunteers Coordinator.

Division/Ward Organisers - Previously ‘Ward Lead’, the person(s) holding this role will organise a team to ensure all campaigning within their respective division/ward is undertaken. This entails establishing a team to carry out key actions such as bundling, organising delivery rounds, recruiting and allocating volunteers to deliver, organising regular door-knocking (proven to be our most impactful and successful campaigning method), recruiting and training volunteers to door-knock, organising the creation of election literature with relevant stakeholders (candidate, councillors if applicable and the executive). One of the most important roles within any local party.

Safeguarding Officer - As required by the Green Party’s Constitution and supporting documents, following the Green Party’s safeguarding policies.

To receive, record and act (including contacting external authorities such as the police where required) on all safeguarding concerns reported to Exeter Green Party, to ensure that no child, young person or adult at risk is put at risk through their involvement with the Green Party. 

To ensure that safeguarding information about an individual safeguarding concern is shared appropriately within the Green Party, including the local Executive Committee, Green Party Regional Committee and other relevant bodies.

To promote a culture of safeguarding throughout the local Party, ensuring the Executive Committee fulfils their safeguarding responsibilities.

To keep up to date with Green Party Safeguarding Policy. 

To participate in safeguarding training where possible.

To regularly report on the application of the Green Party’s Safeguarding Policy to the Executive Committee, including the number of safeguarding concerns reported and recorded. 

Liberation Officer - An advocacy role. Anyone applying to or holding this role, whether individually or in a job share, should be someone from an underrepresented group. Although not a prerequisite, ideally some experience in some kind of related advocacy. This role could be broken down to represent specific groups if we have volunteers to do so, for example:

Green Women Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as a woman.

Greens of Colour Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as such.

Green Party Disability Group Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as such.

LGBTQIA+ Greens Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as such.

Feminist Greens Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as such.

Jewish Greens Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as such.

Muslim Greens Representative - To be held by a member that identifies as such.

Definitions:

Making sure that underrepresented members are included in all of the party’s activities and that meetings are relevant and accessible to them.

Reaching out to underrepresented people in the wider community through local campaigns, and working with organisations in the constituency to engage underrepresented voters, highlight issues, and get a better deal for underrepresented people.

Bringing underrepresented people together to empower each other and gain the knowledge and skills they need to get involved.

Running events for underrepresented people, including training, policy development and social events.

Working to recruit more underrepresented people into the Green Party and helping to make sure that underrepresented members make the jump from member to activist.

Listening to the views of underrepresented people and ensuring that they are reflected in the Green Party’s policy making.

Prospective candidates for these roles needn’t explain if/how they identify if they do not wish to, only what they hope to do with the role.

Green Society Liaison - As previously established; as long as there is an active Green Soc at Exeter University, EGP needs to secure and maintain a positive relationship.

Definitions:

Be a point of regular contact between Exeter Uni Green Soc and Exeter Green Party

Establish and maintain good relationships, of mutual support and benefit, to EGP and Green Soc

Look for opportunities where EGP can help Green Soc eg recruitment of Green Soc members, co-hosting events, providing speakers, hosting hustings

Look for opportunities where Green Soc members can assist our election campaign eg fundraising, hosting events using Uni facilities, door knocking, delivery etc

Health and Safety Adviser - As previously established.

Events Coordinator - A role to organise, promote and facilitate events to encourage member engagement, inviting speakers and working with the volunteers coordinator to track if we have any members or volunteers wanting to give presentations/Q&As on specialist subjects.

Fundraising Officer - An organising and facilitation role, doesn’t need to attend any events just ensure they can happen.

Policy Officer - A role for the promotion of policy discussion in meetings, training members on how to write motions, leading on the creation of motions, promoting a culture of member engagement, democracy and consensus building.

Candidate Interview Panel - A pool of volunteers with relevant experience to be clarified in yet to be established protocol that promotes best practice; relevant volunteers to be identified then listed in a document of the same name for Executive Committees to maintain year on year - maintaining a list of known volunteers should be easier than having to repeat the work from scratch annually.

Target Ward Selection Panel - As above.

If you're interested in any of these roles, please contact hello@exeter.greenparty.org.uk for more information. To apply, please send a 150 word statement to the same address; this will be circulated ahead of the next members' meeting for members to consider. Roles within this list are either directly elected by EGP members or can be co-opted by the Executive Committee pending membership approval.

Communications Team - A team of specialist volunteers that will consider and implement a communications strategy on EGP’s website and various social media pages to ensure the best possible digital campaigning.

Volunteers within this team may individually fulfil one or more aspects of EGP’s comms requirements including but not limited to:

• Keeping EGP’s website accurate and up to date.

• Keeping one or more social media pages accurate and up to date.

• Liaising with election teams to review what is being raised while door-knocking to draft related stories for use in digital comms.

• The Election Working Group (EWG) considers election literature so most stories can be gleaned from them rather than the comms team necessarily having to draft stories themselves.

• Cognisance of local, regional and national policy areas to ensure EGP can engage where appropriate. Tracking where we have engaged and how, can also support our campaigning efforts.

• Liaise with the Executive Committee, Elections Working Group etc both to ensure comms strategies are up to date and adhered to and in case any support or guidance is needed with any or all aspects of the Comms Team’s work.

• Ensuring that EGP’s approach to digital comms is coordinated across all platforms and with physical campaigns.

• Coordinating external campaigns that may not be under the Green Party’s banner but still fall within policy areas that we campaign on, such as Paris Street safety, 20 is Plenty and more.

• Liaising with the Data Officer and team to make effective use of Action Network’s capabilities.