7.2: Structure of the Agency

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You will complete an Agency Report assignment in which you will explore the structure of your agency. Agencies have mission statements, and sometimes a vision statement, to guide their purpose. For an example, note the mission and vision statement for the Department of Human Services found here: https://www.dhs.pa.gov/about/DHS-Information/Pages/Learn-About-DHS.aspx#:~:text=Our%20mission%20is%20to%20assist,accountable%20steward%20of%20commonwealth%20resources.

There are a variety of types of agencies. They include nonprofit agencies which are sometimes called a non-governmental organization or NGO (see this site for a definition: https://www.ngosource.org/what-is-an-ngo#:~:text=NGO%20stands%20for%20non%2Dgovernmental,all%20parts%20of%20the%20world). There are also government agencies and there are private agencies. Some are for-profit and others are not-for-profit organization. See examples here: https://www.humanservicesedu.org/organizations/

Agencies often have a Board of Directors as part of their structure. For a good overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Board at a nonprofit agency, see here: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/board-roles-and-responsibilities

Agencies also have operating procedures that are often detailed in a Policy and Procedure manual. Ask to review this information at your agency. You will also learn about the way the agency is organized, how it is funded, and how referrals for services are handled.

Finally, you will learn about how decisions are made, and what relationships the agency maintains in order to operate efficiently. Sometimes when students are looking at the agency’s brochures and websites they can locate much of this information. Often, though, students will interview their site supervisor and other administrative-level personnel to discover the information they need.