1. Does a group have to adopt an agenda?
Yes. The act of adopting an agenda honors your members’ right to an efficient and fair meeting by allowing them to dictate how their time is spent and how various items of business are prioritized. Typically, the adoption of an agenda is the first thing that happens during a meeting.
Without the official adoption of the agenda by the group, the decision of what is included or excluded on the agenda, as well as the order of items, would all be left up to the president and staff, and their priorities might not be the same as everyone else’s. Parliamentary procedure protects the rights of all members by requiring that an agenda be adopted.
2. Does an agenda have to follow Robert’s Rules’ standard order of business?
No. The standard order of business listed in Robert’s Rules of Order (approve minutes, hear reports, address special or unfinished business, introduce new business) does not always work best for every organization or for all meetings.
It is fine to create a completely different, customized agenda. You may want to draft a strategic agenda based on the larger strategic plan your organization is working to accomplish. Or you may want to create a priority agenda where the most important items are handled first—before everyone is tired. Using a consent agenda (discussed in #5 below) is another option to save time.
The important thing to remember is that you set the agenda—and you should set it in a way that’s thoughtful and that works best for your organization.
3. Can a group change an agenda after it has been adopted?
Yes. If a member wants to change an adopted agenda, she can make a motion to amend the agenda. The amendment follows the normal motion process, including discussion. For the agenda to change, the motion to amend it must be adopted by 2/3 of those present and voting, or by a majority of the entire membership, or by unanimous consent.
Note: It is advisable to adopt a special rule that there be a deadline for submitting new business items, typically 7-10 days in advance of the meeting. This type of rule prohibits members from proposing new, last-minute ideas that no one has had time to consider in advance. Though it may seem restrictive to exclude member contributions, a policy like this enables members to be prepared for discussion, helps items to be given the consideration and weight they deserve, and decreases the introduction of ideas that haven’t really been thought through.
4. What should be done if a group is not following the agenda after it has been adopted?
A member should “call for the orders of the day,” which means he should ask the Chair to follow the order of business that was adopted as the agenda for the meeting. This motion may interrupt another speaker, and it needs no second, discussion, or vote.
Though it is the responsibility of the Chair to keep a meeting on track according to the adopted agenda, any member may use this motion to remind both the Chair and the group of the planned order of business.
5. How does a consent agenda work?
A consent agenda uses a single motion to approve multiple noncontroversial action items. Instead of listing each of the items on the agenda separately, they are grouped together and voted on all at once, without any debate, unless a member requests debate on a specific item.
This method improves meeting efficiency by eliminating time spent discussing and voting on items that are perceived as noncontroversial. The process of creating and using a consent agenda is fairly simple and easy to incorporate as you plan a meeting. And members’ rights are still protected: any item can be removed from the consent agenda by the request of only one member.
Where to Learn More
- From Civility
- Other Sources
