Role description for HiNZ Board members

The HiNZ Board provides strategic direction to the organisation in concert with the CEO, in line with the HiNZ constitution. Board accountabilities include oversight for organisational sustainability and value for members. This role description is based on best practice input from professional governance organisations in New Zealand.

At a time of great change with the largest reforms ever to our health system, a critical part of the reforms has been the acknowledgement of the persistent inequity in health outcomes in particular for Māori, Pasifika, and Disabled people, and the need to address these urgently. No one would disagree with the immense potential of digital health to play a key part in this.

As a board, we celebrate the creation of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, and Whaikaha, the ministry for disabled people. We acknowledge our obligations to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and our need to grow as a board to ensure we are meeting these. We are committed to ensuring Māori, Pasifika and Disabled people are represented in our board and encourage nominations for Māori, Pasifika and Disabled people to stand for the HiNZ Board.

The HiNZ board has a mixture of elected board members (two year term) and appointed board members (one year term). Three of the elected board member positions are up for election each year. 

The HiNZ constitution allows for the board to consist of up to 9 members, comprising either elected or appointed individuals, all with equal voting rights. Refer to section 7.1 in the constitution to read more about the rules relating to the composition of the board.

Board member qualifications

You are suitable for board membership if you:

• Have experience in, or willing to proactively learn, governance skills for New Zealand not-for-profits. 
• Have experience in, or willing to proactively learn about, the New Zealand health sector, and specifically the role of health informatics within the sector. 
• Must be, and remain during their term, a financial member of HiNZ. (Those on free student memberships or free reciprocal memberships are not eligible to be nominated for the HiNZ Board.)

Board member responsibilities

• Regularly attends board meetings and important related meetings. The current constitution requires up to four board meetings annually. However there may be additional meetings requested during the year. The board meetings have traditionally included two full day in-person meetings and the remaining via teleconference.
• Makes serious commitment to participate actively in Board work. The current Board work includes strategic planning and working on project teams (primarily focused on the development of additional member services), in conjunction with the CEO.
• Volunteers for and willingly accepts assignments and completes them thoroughly and  on time. Assignments will be discussed as part of Board meetings and will  include ad-­hoc working committee activity or ongoing working committees. 
• Stays informed about HiNZ matters, prepares themselves well for meetings, and reviews and comments on minutes and reports. 
• Gets to know other Board members and builds a collegial working relationship that 
  contributes to consensus.
• Is an active participant in the Board’s annual evaluation and planning efforts. Current work includes the continued development and establishment of HiNZ as a sustainable member organisation, building the profession of health informatics for New Zealand. 

Benefits for HiNZ Board members

• Opportunities for complimentary registration for HINZ sponsored or co-­sponsored events, as set out in the HiNZ annual budget, and as determined to align with the HiNZ strategic plan.
• Opportunities to attend events or participate in discussions, as a HiNZ representative, with expenses paid as set outlined in the annual budget.

Expenses reimbursed for HINZ Board members

• There is no financial remuneration for time spent in HiNZ Board related activities.
• Reasonable expenses that are incurred in the execution of the role will be reimbursed according to a schedule that is set out by the Board and included in the annual budget.
• Expenses pre-approved by HiNZ include:
  • free travel expenses from within NZ to the in-person HiNZ Board meetings
  • free accommodation for two nights during the annual HiNZ Conference
  • free delegate pass to the annual 2.5 day HiNZ Conference
• No other expenses may be claimed by board members without prior approval of the HiNZ Board or HiNZ CEO.