Ways of Working documents

Zero Waste North West Ways of Working

1. Our Agreements (everyone in the ZWNW team – volunteers and members)

What, after all, is the exchanging of self-interest for group interests but the beginning of love?” Evelyn Underhill, writer and mystic.  

Zero Waste North West operates out of our personal commitment to creating and modelling change.

These agreements form the basis for all our work within Zero Waste North West.

Note: They could also be used as the basis for a set of agreements worked out separately by each project team to meet their needs.

These agreements seek to generate a shift from ‘power-over’ relations to a ‘power-with’ culture of transformation. 

They are a set of promises we make to each other to create a regenerative spirit of gratitude for the gifts we are and bring. 

Our Shared Purpose:  

We create a living interface for the public to encounter the collective spirit of ZWNW – looking after ourselves and each other so we can look after our common home, the planet earth.

How We Volunteer:

• We offer shifts, or take on tasks out of free choice, not sacrifice, ensuring we don’t burn out or put aspects of our personal lives at risk.
• We attach a ‘by when’ if promising to do something.
• If we can no longer keep that promise we let those affected know as soon as possible.
• We respect the work of all ZWNW volunteers in our own project and other projects.  
• We can (gently and with understanding) hold each other to account should we forget to or be unable to stick to the agreements. 

How We Meet:

• We commit to attending regular online and in-person meetings and if this is not possible, we read the minutes. 
• We bring issues/ideas to the meetings for resolution.  
• We strive to speak to any issue arising as honestly as it occurs to us in the interests of realising our shared purpose (even if it challenges us or may be regarded as challenging to others).
• We bear in mind the following confidentiality guidelines for speaking about others both in meetings and outside meetings: Is it true? Is it kind? Does it need to be said?
• We strive to keep views separate from the people who hold those views. 
• Issues are discussed on the basis that “every view is respected but every view can be challenged” and we strive for shared agreements.
• We reserve the right to change our minds and take responsibility for communicating this.

Difficulties

We are activists and naturally passionate and opinionated. It is natural that there will be times when we have difficulties with each other.

When this happens, we strive to engage openly and honestly with the support processes laid out in Ways of Working 2 and 3 with reference to the ZWNW formal policies.

Changing these Agreements

Any volunteer or member can seek to add to or amend these Agreements at the annual review in January each year.

Date Agreed: 01.03.24

Signed:

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Signed:

Review Date:

Jan 2025

2. Projects (project leaders and volunteers in the project teams)

Zero Waste North West has from the early days operated on the basis of projects having autonomy.

Anyone with an idea for an action, event or longer-term project can invite others to join them in a conversation. If your conversation leads to setting up a project, please read and follow these guidelines. With autonomy comes responsibility as we are representing the whole group.

Leadership

One or more people need to take on leadership of the project. This could be on a rotational basis. What’s important is clarity about who is taking responsibility at any time.

Ground work

Project leaders are responsible for communicating the ZWNW Ways of Working agreements and for ensuring the commitments involved in the formal policies – Volunteer Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Health & Safety Policy, Equality & Diversity Policy and the Grievance/Problem Solving Procedure.

Administration, funding, accounts

(the housework)

The ZWNW team are all volunteers including the folk managing the admin, funding and accounts. It is important to talk with these people first about anything that may mean extra work for them to seek approval without putting them under pressure.

Note: Anyone who applies for funding is then committed to being responsible for coordinating this aspect of the project, managing the spending according to the agreement with the funder and submitting a final report to the funder.

Volunteers

Project leaders will liaise with the ZWNW Volunteer Coordinator(s) on recruiting and looking after volunteers according to the ZWNW Volunteer Policy, other policies and Ways of Working Agreements.

Communication and Decision Making within the project team

Project leaders are responsible for facilitating the volunteers in their project in drawing up their own Ways of Working agreement to suit the needs of the project team.

Leaders are responsible for setting up and managing the project internal and external communication systems. Each project can decide the best system for their needs. Help is available from the communications team. Note: the ZWNW communication system is being streamlined in 2024.

Leaders take responsibility for clarity in their projects around decision making, following up on actions, recording and reporting. This doesn’t mean they have to do it all personally.

Connecting with the wider ZWNW team

Leaders are linked with a member of the ZWNW committee and can talk regularly with them for an informal chat and the support of a listening ear. The link person will share project learning and support needs at the monthly committee meeting and follow up if needed.

Note: Leaders are responsible for ensuring that the project’s profile is up to date on the ZWNW website.

Working in partnership with other projects

Working in partnership is challenging and requires clear agreements covering decision making and dealing with difficulties. These agreements should be written before starting the partnership.

Ending a project

When a project comes to an end, it is important to let the ZWNW committee and the wider ZWNW team know this.

Problem Solving

It is normal that at times difficulties will arise. If the project team can’t work out a solution themselves, they can then go to their link person on the Committee for support in informally working out an agreed solution.

If a solution still can’t be found, then the volunteer(s) involved can follow the steps in the Grievance/Problem Solving Procedure. The ZWNW committee will then follow the agreed procedures according to the relevant formal policy -Volunteer Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Equality & Diversity Policy, Health & Safety Policy.

Date agreed: 1st March 2024

Signed:

Signed:

Review Date: Jan 2025

3. Monthly project updates (Project leaders and committee members)

Info for the monthly committee meeting

this info is presented by the committee member who is the link person for the project (this may change during the year).

Committee link people for ZWNW projects: 

Project		Project Lead		Committee Link Person
Fridays For Future & Climate Fresk		Conall Morrison		Conall Morrison
Cloth Nappy Library		Maeve Leahy		Mary Webster
Little Footprints		Helen Ni Bhaoighil		Marcella Di Palo
Life Cycles		Monica Downey		Anjuli Grantham
NW BAPS		Maria Herron		Maria Herron
Toy Library		Margaret Mc Kay		Marian Farrell
Environmental Gathering		Mary McGuiggan		Marian Farrell
Participatory Budgeting	Marian Farrell		Marian Farrell
Education			Conall Morrison
External to ZWNW
Artitude			Anjuli Grantham
ZWE			Maeve O Neill, Marcella, Conall
VOICE Ireland			Christine Neer
ZWAI			Christine Neer
UKWIN			Conall Morrison

Monthly Reporting back form: 

This reporting may take place on paper, electronic document, text message, voice note or informal chat. It is here on paper to act as an aide memoir: 

Name of project
Learning in the past month -what worked, any challenges, what we would like to change.
Thinking and planning.
Support needs.
Anything else.

Form completed by

Website info

Note: The ZWNW website is our virtual Zero Waste Hub, our primary interface with the public and each other.  Facebook posts move down and out of sight. The website is the place where members and the public go to find out what events our various projects are hosting as well as other environment-related events.  As such leaders are responsible for ensuring that the project’s profile is up to date on the ZWNW website so we can support and connect with each other and the public as we grow our movement.

The following info should be sent to the Comms team/posted directly onto the website. At least one person from each ZWNW project needs to attend the training and take on responsibility for uploading their project info. Fellow technophobes don’t be daunted! The comms team Marcella, Conall and Anjuli are providing online website training during 2024 and will always give friendly support.

Name of project
Project leader(s)
Team members
Photo of team
Brief description of the project
Location and opening hours
Volunteering opportunities
Contact details
Work done/connections made/events organised in the past month (with photos if possible)

Events coming up next month – Page Title – Page Content (formatted as requested) – Page image.

Date Agreed: 1st March 2023

Signed:

Signed:

Review Date: Jan 2025