Vacant Committee Roles

Vacant Roles:

Campaigns Officer

Election Agent

Local policy Officer

Fundraising and Events Officer

Electoral Returning Officer

PPERA Second Officer

Equality and Diversity Officer

The Responsibilities:  

Campaigns Officer

• Take the lead in planning an election campaign in a ward or constituency or a specific local issue of importance to the community 
• Delegate responsibility to Ward/ Local Issue Campaign Officers as required
• Act as a link to bring together local party activities such as working with local media, exploiting digital media opportunities, producing leaflets and other printed material, lobbying local organisations and most importantly, working alongside your electorate 
• Act as a link with the National Party campaigns team 
• Liaise with local pressure groups, regarding joint campaigning.

Skills and capabilities

Campaigners need a wide range of skills and capabilities. They need to listen but know when to be assertive, they need to be good planners and organisers and motivators, and they need to be passionate but caring and dedicated to making positive change. Campaigners also need good written and verbal communications skills as they will have to produce campaign literature and vocalise concerns to a wide range of audiences – some hostile.

Election Agent 

• Act as a candidate's agent during an election providing the candidate with advice regarding legal conduct during an election and registering the candidate to compete 
• Their rights and responsibilities are defined in law and in practice they have to be appointed by the candidate or, at some PR elections, by the list of candidates
• Certify candidates so that they can use an official Green Party description on the ballot paper, and request that a party emblem appears on it
• Entitled to have copies of the electoral register and updates on a year-round basis and is often the person who organises the year-round work required to win elections
• Local parties are obliged by the national constitution to forward details of their Election Agent to the National Party Office so that the National Election Agent can supply them with the required paperwork.

Skills and Capabilities

The role requires a person dedicated to the progress of the party and prepared to devote some time towards supporting the ambitions of other people. It is a selfless role and require requiring tenacity, attention to detail and knowledge of relevant legislation. 

Local Policy Officer

• The process of policy development is one of the most important means through which the party can build real connections with the local electorate and partner organisations, and demonstrate that it listens and acts on their priorities 
• Create/Update a local election Manifesto, using the input of the membership and external bodies 
• Act as a link with the national party’s policy committee, and can ensure that all local policy is consistent with the national party’s 
• Developing policy that gains traction with the local electorate is best achieved through engagement of people and communities with the policy development process 
• Much information regarding the position of the electorate can be gathered through door to door communication with residents, attending meetings with community and voluntary groups, and conducting local surveys. Concerns and priorities identified by residents should then steer the direction of policy development.

Skills and capabilities  

Policy leads and researchers need to have excellent listening skills, they need to integrate information and evidence from a range of different sources and formulate practical solutions. 

Fundraising & Events Officer

• Ensure that the party raises enough money in order to fund our budgeted campaigns 
• Responsible for organising social events, where your members and the public can meet in a more relaxed manner and enjoy themselves, as these events can often be useful ways of raising funds 
• Send standing order forms to local members asking for a monthly contribution. This will help divert resources from fund raising and enable more time for campaigning 
• Parties are frequently involved in events such as such as stalls, demos, social events, debates, film nights and some parties find it useful to create a separate role to manage events 
• The officer needs to work closely with the Coordinator, Membership Officer, Fund Raising Officer and Communications Officer to ensure that events contribute to the strategic direction of the party.

Skills and capabilities  

Fund raisers need to be persuasive to present a convincing argument to potential donors for why money should be given to the local party, and many candidates build their funding case around the issue-based campaigns they are delivering. In addition, fund raisers need to be creative especially when organising fund raising events which might include concerts, jumble sales, auctions, etc. 

Electoral Returning Officer (ERO)

• The GPEW constitution requires all local parties to have a democratic procedure for the selection of candidates 
• This is organized and managed by the ERO 
• It is the responsibility of the ERO to ensure the selection process is run according to current GPEW rules 
• An ERO cannot put themself forward for an election but may stand at a future election if they resign the post.

Skills and capabilities

Like the Election Agent, this role requires a person dedicated to the progress of the party and prepared to devote some time towards supporting the ambitions of other people. It is a selfless role and requires an understanding of the electoral process, awareness of data protection rules, attention to detail, and, of course, impartiality and fairness. 

PPERA Second Officer

• The Political Parties, Elections, and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) requires the GPEW to register a minimum of 2 officers 
• One of these must be the Treasurer
•  The other – the PSO – is a role created specifically to satisfy the PPERA requirements 
• The PSO has the legal function of being responsible for organizing a replacement treasurer should the one in post leave for any reason 
• It is therefore a critical role but one which may not be called upon very regularly! 

Skills and attributes 

The PSO will maintain an understanding of the procedure required to recruit a Treasurer and must be prepared to act at short notice. 

Equality and Diversity Officer 

• Keeps themselves abreast of all national policy developments in the area of Equality and Diversity and ensures that the WLGP is informed of said developments and that it is acting upon its responsibilities in this area 
• Works with the Membership Secretary to monitor membership, support, and activism among underrepresented groups 
• Keeps specific data on the profile of the membership and reports back to the party on this at ordinary meetings and the AGM 
• Encourages the representation of underrepresented groups in local and national elections 
• Promotes the active participation of members of underrepresented groups in the WLGP’s work, including election to officer roles 

Skills and Capabilities  

This role is suited to someone with a commitment to equality and diversity both within the party and in wider society. The position requires an interest in current developments regarding issues specific to underrepresented groups (women, BAME, LGBTQI+, disabled, etc.). The person should see this role as intersectional and should be adept at empowering members of underrepresented groups to amplify their voices, rather than seeking to speak for them.