From Jovana Ríos Cisnero – See original letter here as pdf
Chair of the IPPF/WHR Board of Directors
Dear Chair Sinding,
On behalf of the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/ WHR), I would like to thank you for your dedication and hard work chairing IPPF’s Independent
Governance Reform Commission (IGRC). IPPF/WHR has been part of the Federation for more than 60 years, and we fully support the need for radical reform and are committed to doing our part to ensure the process is successful.
The new governance design should be both efficient and cost-effective.
Having a majority independent board of trustees/ directors is essential to attracting leaders who have expertise in a variety of fields such as fundraising, financial oversight, strategic planning, and programs—all of which will be of tremendous benefit to the Federation.
The proposal falls short in that the language does not ensure independence nor does it eliminate potential conflicts of interest when at least five members are from our Member Associations. This model does not ensure proper checks and balances, which can erode faith in our organization and its capacity to make a strong impact on the lives of women and girls.
A strong, independent Nominations Committee is integral to building a sustainable Federation. The Committee should have a clear mandate to identify, interview and vet the best candidates to meet the ever-evolving needs of the organization. We do not believe it should be merged
with the Membership Committee, which deals with performance and governance issues.
We also support transforming regional councils into learning and exchange bodies to ensure that our members are able to share best practices and strengthen their work in ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
Finally, we encourage the IGRC to perform a best-in-class cost analysis of any reform efforts that include both direct and indirect costs. Such an analysis will be invaluable to members of the Federation as we review and evaluate proposals moving forward. We also kindly request that the report acknowledges the independent status of WHR since 1954, as reflected in the
IPPF financials.
Thank you again for your hard work, thoughtful proposals and dedication to the mission of IPPF. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to discuss any of these issues in more detail.
Sincerely,
Jovana Ríos Cisnero
Chair of the IPPF/WHR Board of Directors
Ms. Jovana Rios Cisnero
Chair, IPPF/WHR Board of Directors
Dear Jovana,
Many thanks for your thoughtful letter of October 11. I am taking the liberty of responding on behalf of the Independent Governance Reform Commission (IGRC) because ultimately, I bear full responsibility for our report.
First, let me say how much I appreciate knowing that there are several important areas of agreement between what you suggest and what the commission is recommending. Having acknowledged that, I will respond point by point to the areas in which our views do not completely align.
As regards the question of independence, we started out with the view that the new Board of Trustees should be comprised exclusively of persons recruited on the basis of their knowledge, skills, and experience, and that they should come from outside the Federation. We came to understand over time that such a proposal simply would not fly with a large majority of the MAs. Our consultations and the feedback we received made it clear that such a proposal could not survive in New Delhi next month.
Accordingly, from very early on we proposed what we called a “hybrid” model, attempting to walk the fine line between independence and MA-centricity. All along, we have insisted that the recruitment of board members be done according to strict standards of expertise and accomplishment, whether these trustees were from MAs or externally recruited. In our final meeting on October 9 we concluded that a majority representation of MAs would strongly enhance the sense of membership engagement while a strong nominating process could ensure a board that was strong and independent in spirit and commitment to excellence. I do not accept that such a board would necessarily lack independence or that the system we are proposing would lack the necessary checks and balances. Let me ask: Does the WHR board, which is itself a hybrid, lack independence and checks and balances? Yes, we did compromise lest the perfect become the enemy of the good. I do hope that the WHR members who come to New Delhi will understand and appreciate this.
The nominating process will be conducted by a board committee, working with a professional search firm and casting a wide net for nominations and applications. I believe that such a system will enable IPPF to attract people of the highest caliber to join the board. Furthermore, those recruited from MAs will represent neither their own associations nor any Region. While we urge geographic diversity, we insist that those recruited from the MAs meet the same high standards as those recruited externally and that they represent the interests of the entire Federation.
We were unable to calculate the cost of the system we are proposing because there are still too many unknowns, but we make a very strong statement in the report to the effect that the use of modern technologies and a reduced frequency of meetings should offset the cost of triennial general assemblies, and we urge the new board and management to ensure that the cost of the new system be less than, and in no case greater than, the current system.
Once again, I want to express my thanks for your thoughtful letter and to assure you that the commission was deeply mindful of the issues you have raised, even as we ultimately took some decisions that will not fully satisfy you. We did the best we could and we are convinced that if the approach we recommend in our second report, which will reach you next week, is adopted, IPPF will have a fit-for-purpose governance system that will serve it well for years to come.
Sincerely,
Steve
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