What are principles
Principles are foundational rules and guidelines used throughout the condo board to maintain integrity and is critical for decision making.
Qualities
Condo board principles are based off the values of the PCC 118 (Mission Statement). Condo board principles should be low in quantity and high in quality, and future-proof.
There are five criteria that distinguish a good set of condo board principles.
Understandable: the underlying tenets can be quickly grasped and understood by individuals throughout the condo complex. The intention of the principle is clear and unambiguous, so that violations, whether intentional or not, are minimized.
Robust: enable good quality decisions about repairs and plans to be made, and enforceable policies and standards to be created. Each principle should be sufficiently definitive and precise to support consistent decision-making in complex, potentially controversial situations.
Complete: every potentially important principle governing the condo board is defined – the principles cover every situation perceived.
Consistent: strict adherence to one principle may require a loose interpretation of another principle. The set of principles must be expressed in a way that allows a balance of interpretations. Principles should not be contradictory to the point where adhering to one principle would violate the spirit of another. Every word in a principle statement should be carefully chosen to allow consistent yet flexible interpretation.
Stable: principles should be enduring, yet able to accommodate changes condo board principles should be reviewed on a scheduled basis to ensure quality and validity.
Components
Condo board principles are defined using standard components. Sited from the TOGAF the components for defining a principle are Name, Statement, Rationale and Implications.
Name: Should both represent the essence of the rule as well as be easy to remember. Specific platforms should not be mentioned in the name or statement of a principle. Avoid ambiguous words in the Name and in the Statement such as: “support”, “open”, “consider”, and for lack of good measure the word “avoid”, itself, be careful with “manage(ment)”, and look for unnecessary adjectives and adverbs (fluff).
Statement: Should succinctly and unambiguously communicate the fundamental rule. For the most part, the principles statements for managing information are similar from one organization to the next. It is vital that the principles statement is unambiguous.
Rationale: Should highlight the benefits of adhering to the principle, using terminology. Also describe the relationship to other principles, and the intentions regarding a balanced interpretation. Describe situations where one principle would be given precedence or carry more weight than another for making a decision.
Implications: Should highlight the requirements, both for the condo board and property management, for carrying out the principle – in terms of resources, costs, and activities/tasks. It will often be apparent that current systems, standards, or practices would be in-congruent with the principle upon adoption. The impact to the condo and consequences of adopting a principle should be clearly stated. The reader should readily discern the answer to: “How does this affect me?”. It is important not to oversimplify, trivialize, or judge the merit of the impact. Some of the implications will be identified as potential impacts only, and may be speculative rather than fully analyzed.
Summary of Principles
PR1 – Equality: All units are treated equally.
PR2 – Economic Intelligence: Repair before replace. Reuse before buy. Buy before custom build.
PR3 – Future Proof: Solve problems over band aid fix.
Principles in Detail
PR1: Equality
Statement: All units are treated equally.
Rationale: When making decisions the condo board will not play favors to any particular unit. All units are equal. Decisions are made with consideration of all units.
Implications:
- Unit owners align with one another and think as a whole complex.
- Processes are designed/modified to benefit all the units.
- Unique problems are viewed as if all units are having the same problem.
- Large projects are handled by a phased approach.
PR2: Economic Intelligence
Statement: Repair before replace. Reuse before buy. Buy before custom build.
Rationale: The number of units are low and advantages of economy to scale do not apply. The condo board will choose the most economical path without compromising standards and quality.
Implications:
- Keeping as much money in the reserve as possible, for future rainy day situation.
- Function weighs higher over style, when given the choice.
PR3: Future Proof
Statement: Solve problems over band aid fix.
Rationale: Problems that occur to individual units or common elements the condo board will find a solution that will end the problem over just temporarily fixing the problem.
Implications:
- Increase amount of time is needed to find the correct and complete solution.
- Some solutions are simply too expensive and the best next solution is chosen.
- Multi-step processes are needed when executing solutions.