Political Science

The Local Association for Retarded Citizens (LARC) was founded in 1950 by parents of disabled children. The LARC board has made several changes over the past thirty years. Using Miriam Woods analysis of the dynamics of board development, the following paper will evaluate whether the LARC board transitioned through the same described stages as in Miriam Woods dissertation, what events have pushed the changes forward and an evaluation of Woods hypothesis on board development versus the actual LARC case.

Founded in 1950 by parents of disabled children, the Local Association for Retarded Citizens held the firm belief that the parents and company should have an active part in the activities and future of the disabled persons.

Board members include the fifteen members of various backgrounds, professions, experience and knowledge. There are three parents of disabled children, a college professor, teachers, business persons and two directors of social service agencies.

The current board members of LARC serve as the governing body. They are responsible for making decisions, creating goals and policies, expected to participate in committee meetings, ensure compatibility between programs and the companys mission and evaluate performances of the committee and staff.  Several changes have taken affect. What are these changes and what pushed the board to make these changes

Overview of the Changes
The LARC board has made many changes to its current structure. They have decided to push forward into professionalization of its board and company. Some of those changes are a new professional accountant, new board and staff members, a new executive director with a background in professional training and a detailed plan focusing on reorganization.

First, the plan of reorganization brought with it a new direction. Initially, the board moved in the direction of cause dedication or advocacy. The new focus is on goals achievement or direct services. (Stone, p. 39-42)

Four plans, three LARC and one DMR, were the driving forces behind these changes. The plans were LARC Long-Range Plan for 1984-1988, LARC Eighteen-Month Plan for Period January 1987 to June 1988, LARC Three-Year Plan for 1988-1991 and the DMR Strategic Plan for Future 1988-1992.
LARC Long-Range Plan for 1984-1988

The goal of the Long-Range plan for 1984-1988 was an organizational effort to look at itself as a whole and plan new ways to help the mentally challenged.  Some of the goals of the plan were more jobs for the disabled, informant staff members who could run the client and family support services and supervise volunteers (Stone, p. 40). The plan was fifty pages long, created by both the board and staff and expressed through several special meetings and even an all-day company retreat.

Forces Driving Change
The purpose of the Long-Range plan was to end Local Association of Retarded Citizens stagnant period, to balance the direct services versus advocacy dilemma and to earn accreditation by the national accrediting body in order to gain additional opportunities for employment for mentally retarded persons. (Stone, pgs. 40-41)

The Long-Range plan was needed to solve the current problems faced by LARC. One of the problems they faced included being able to qualify for state funding. This could be accomplished by following the Long-Range plan. Complications arose with the Long-Range plan and led the board to concoct a new plan. (Stone, p. 41)

Before creating the Eighteen-Month plan, the board along with its new members chose to professionalize the company. A professionally trained and experienced manager was hired as the boards new executive director in 1986. She held the management philosophy that all organizing decisions should be based on quality services to clients. She held the belief that a full integration of all mentally challenged persons regardless of the level of severity to become a reality. She believed in management by walking around and participation as a major factor in all decision making.
Complications included several factors. The work shop was funded primarily by DMR (76) and United Way, a thrift store, and small fundraising attempts made up the rest of the budget. The small staff did not trust the new executive directors new management approach and there were about two hundred inactive memberships. (Stone, p. 42)

LARC Eighteen-Month Plan for Period January 1987 to June 1988
The Eighteen-Month plan was created as a more realistic plan that was structured around the current companys budget, capabilities and resources. After an all day long retreat involving the board, committee, staff and members, a  new two page plan with goals extending over an eighteen month period was created. Next the boards planning committee would hold the responsibility of creating objectives and timetables to push the goals forward.

Forces Driving Change
The Long-Range plan faced opposition from many facets. First, the current board of fifteen members and small thirteen person staff were not large enough to execute the changes. In an effort to fix this problem, six new board members were recruited. (A committee took on more responsibilities making the older members of the board feel as if they were no longer in control. The second problem stemmed from the new board members as several did not agree with the contents in the Long-Range plan. (Stone, p. 41)

The executive director was hit with many problems. The Long-Range plan was not realistic for the current available resources or its present capabilities. She needed a planning document that would consist of realistic goals. Without a consensus in the direction the company wished to go, the executive director would not succeed in helping the company. She expressed, The LARC is at a crossroadseither expand or go out of business. DMR has had it with us. (Stone, p. 42)
LARC Three-Year Plan for 1988-1991

The Three-Year plan was created by three planners who over a months time met with the board planning committee, staff, the young parents support group and DMR representatives. They gathered the results in an effort to create the new plan. (Stone, p.47)

The new plan included a mission statement, six goals and the growth prospect from twenty seven clients to nearly one hundred by 1991. (Stone, p.48)

Forces Driving Change
The LARC budget more than doubled since the new executive director arrived. Many persons in the company and on the board resigned or quit when the new changes took effect and these members were replaced. Such as, new members entered and the executive director put members of managerial positions in placerelieving the board from the brunt of the decision making. An evaluation needed to be conducted of the current goals and progress of the eight goals set up in the Eighteen-Month plan. Two of the eight goals had been accomplished. She felt the other six goals too vague and decided another change was necessary. With a new board and committee that backed her, she was now able to make decisions without too much resistance for example DMR. (Stone, p.47)

DMR Strategic Plan for Future 1988-1992
The DMR Strategic plan was devised by the DMR to enlighten the nonprofit organizations and many others their future goals and funding plans. This would affect all organizations, especially those whose primary funding came from DMR such as LARC. (Stone, p.51)

Forces Driving Change
The new Three-Year plan estimated growth and more funding from the DMR.  Management agreed that in order for their goals to work there would need to be the supposed funding. The majority of LARC at this point was made up of staff and board members three years or younger who approved of the new direction and agreed that the company was being run in a more business-like manor.  There was a difference of feeling in the older members of LARC who feel as if the company was no longer theirs. (Stone, p. 48-49)

Some concerns were that the original mission statement and development of LARC was headed by the parents of mentally retarded children. Newer members felt parents should not be directly involved in planning. Also, due to funding issues, the DMR was necessary. Older members felt wary of losing much of their independence to the DMR. They remembered the court battles of the past and many felt newer members were not there for the mission but for financial gain or benefit. These factors and the new path that LARC was on, led to the allowance of control of the future goals of LARC by the DMR. (Stone, pgs. 49-51)

LARC versus Miriam Wood
LARC follows the theory on changing board behavior when it applies to going professional. Miriam Wood states that a board will begin with a mission or cause with principles where the board is the agency. Soon, an executive director will be hired who now shares the leadership of the company with the board in what is called the Owner-ED. When this happens, the funders questions the role of the board and recruitment of new board members happens.

At this point, the staff and members of the board begin to see friction in the varying of opinions and feelings. A separation from board membership and volunteers begins to sever. Many of the original board members and even possibly the executive director may leave the company. Soon to follow is a managerial executive director and managerial team to take over. The company now with more newer members than older ones, looks towards financial corporate goals (Fortune 500) and becomes dependant on their funding sources turning the original mission style company into a goal oriented company measuring success. (Wood, pgs. 14-15)

LARC followed this procedure by hiring a new executive director to be in control of management issues. She brought new staff and board members who shared her ideals and not necessarily those of the original company. She put them in place, relieving the board of their control. Next, the executive director pushed for realistic goals, a consolidation of the companys consensus between the board, staff and members. At this point the company began to change drastically. The goals of LARC were modified and reshaped and dependence on funding became the main focal of LARC and not the original mission. Now, the goals and structure of LARC depended on DMR and what they must do to continue to receive funding.