[members-discuss] Marketing? Really?

On 22/10/2013 17:49, Daniel Stolpe wrote:
> Well, you know, it doesn't surprise me that much, considering the 
> employees talking about the NCC as a company while it in many ways is 
> everything but a company. I think it has many similarities with a 
> government entity. People do a lot of divese things and nobody is 
> responsible for the financies. (Axel just goes to Nigel and says "I need 
> 20 millinon euros next year, and then the board suggest a membership fee 
> that will cover the expenses and we are done).
>
>
Since I got mentioned by name, perhaps the list won't mind if I respond
to this one.

In actual fact the board drags Axel over the coals every time he
proposes a budget. Every item on the budget is debated and in many cases
reduced. Axel has a personal objective (with real personal implications)
to reduce per member spending, year on year and to bring expenses in
below budget. That's one reason why the expenses are consistently
falling. Every extra staff position is identified and debated before
making it into the budget. It normally takes 2 or 3 iterations to come
to a final budget, and only then will the membership fee be proposed. If
the community thinks that the board just rubber-stamps the NCC's
management decisions, then I'm afraid they are much mistaken.

In addition to that, the NCC generates a monthly board report, running
to 20 pages or more, which the board reads through and picks over.
Between us, we've got pretty good at spotting anomalies and Axel knows
better than to try (not that he would, of course).

All the best

Nigel