The role of Chairperson is to provide leadership to the management committee and to ensure the group operates efficiently.

Duties:

• chairing meetings (planning and running)
• ensuring everything is covered and decisions are made when required
• ensuring everyone who wants to have a chance to speak has a chance
• representing the organisation at external events and when liaising with the press
• acting as a spokesperson for the group
• assisting in managing the groups organisational affairs
• dealing with matters relating to the membership, other officers and users
• members’ rights
• disciplinary action
• disputes between members, users and organisations
• supervising and supporting the staff’s work
• ensuring the organisation as a whole sets and sticks to its policies
• making essential emergency decisions

The chair must be seen to be:

• fair – have a sense of impartiality and treat each contribution as being equally important and must not take sides
• firm – if rules/practices are breached and things are getting out of hand, the chair must take appropriate steps to keep the  meeting in order
• sensitive – look for hidden disagreements or undercurrents and actively encourage all members to participate fully
• detached – only voice her/his opinion if it’s a view that has not been stated or if information needs to be given that no one else knows.

Some of the tasks of a chair can be delegated to a vice chair