Background Information
MTAS provides support to many of the associations of city employees, professionals, and elected officials in Tennessee, and is constantly revising this support to meet the changing needs and demands of these associations.
How MTAS Benefits from Affiliation with Professional Organizations and Associations
Several years ago the consultants with MTAS developed a list of how MTAS benefits by supporting affiliate organizations. These benefits include the following:
Leadership – affiliate support keeps MTAS at the front of these organizations. The perception of MTAS consultants as leaders is upheld.
Relationship development – MTAS personnel are able to interact on a close basis with a large number of our customers in both a formal and informal atmosphere. These informal interactions are crucial to our success because they are the basis for developing trust. A solid trust relationship is required in order for us to be effective.
History – we have a long history of support to these organizations.
Cost – MTAS affiliate support is an inexpensive and effective means of communicating with a large number of our customers at one time.
MTAS development – They learn from us and we also learn from them, involvement is one of the ways we connect to the collective pulse of our customers.
Association Support Policies
- Association start-ups generally require a greater investment of time early in the formation of the association, and MTAS recognizes and has generally increased the investment of staff time during the start-up period. Under this association support policy, the goal of MTAS will be to move away from a start-up position, with intense support further required, to a maintenance position within three years of the creation of the association.
- As a general rule, the maintenance role of MTAS will be to assign no more than 10 percent of a consultant’s time to the support of an assigned association. This includes total work time, including travel and attendance, at meetings and conferences.
- UT’s monetary resources should not be expended for anything other than MTAS functions and uses.
- UT’s employees must maintain the highest levels of integrity and objectivity as they perform their duties.
- Assignment of consultants to support organizations or associations must be made by the consultant’s immediate manager. The Executive Director will maintain a listing of consultants’ specialties and association support assignments.
- A consultant will be assigned no more than one organization or association to support at any one time.
- No consultant will function as treasurer for an association. No MTAS staff member will receive, tabulate or process any dues or other association funds.
- Costs of materials and supplies incurred by MTAS consultants on behalf of the association (i.e., costs of stationery, postage, etc.) must be paid by the association – not borne by MTAS. These costs may be handled in a couple of ways: (1) materials and supplies could be procured by outside vendors who would then invoice the associations’ treasurer or (2) if postage or stationery or other materials are provided by MTAS, MTAS will invoice the association periodically.
- Duties – It is impossible to develop a firm, complete listing of duties that are appropriate for MTAS consultants to perform for associations. The consultant does have individual judgment and flexibility to apply to this position, but generally the following guidelines help to determine inappropriate activities. Many of these are listed because of the position that they put the consultant in to have his or her integrity questioned, expand the consultant’s commitment beyond the 10 percent time goal. The following are generally discouraged or not allowed for the duties of the consultant:
- Collection of money or serves as purchasing agent for the association.
- Generally assuming the smaller administrative roles that others in the association choose not to do.
- Serving as the association's executive director.
The associations are stronger if there is shared responsibility among the members, and ownership by the association in their work conducted.