Frequently Asked Questions...

About Agreements
About Mutual Accountability and Consensus
About the Organizational Database

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About Agreements

Q. What is an LLL Agreement?
Q. Why is the USWD working with agreements?
Q. How is working with agreements any different?
Q. How will working with the agreements impact me personally?
Q. Is it true that our Area has to write its own set of agreements?
Q. Will USWD cease to exist and stop providing support sometime soon?
Q. Where/how do we begin in our Area to work with the agreements?
Q. Do we have to have agreements even if we don’t want to change how our Area works?  
Q. Do all Leaders have to sign an agreement?
Q. Can I be in more than one Area?  
Q. Can we still use the name La Leche League of………?
Q. Will we still have a Team and an Area Council?  
Q. Do I have other options?  
Q. Why are some Areas calling themselves an Area Network by breaking up into five small Areas?  
Q. What needs to be in the agreement? 
Q. Does every Leader have to participate?  
Q. Does that mean for the purposes of meeting the 20 Leader minimum an Area must have 20 Leaders who have their PRIMARY connection with that Area?
Q. Can there be an Area where everyone has secondary connections?
Q. If a Leader agreed to agreements for every Area formed, could she conceivably be connected to every Area in the country?
Q. Are there limits to the number of secondary connections? 
Q. Could an Area not accept a Leader who has agreed to an Area's agreements?
Q. Are the current Divisions (Eastern United States and United States Western) as listed in the LLLI organizational database already “recognized by LLLI,” or do Area Network Leaders need to do more to ensure that they meet all the PSR requirements? 
Q. Why 20/5/5?
Q. Will this change how my Group operates?   
Q. What will stay the same and what will change?

Q. What is an LLL Agreement?

A. An LLL agreement is a statement that defines how Leaders connect with each other, or how LLL entities connect for mutual accountability.  Agreements must be in keeping with the LLLI mission and policies. Examples of agreements include Leaders connecting with other Leaders, Leaders connecting with an Area, an Area connecting with an Area Network, Area Networks connecting to form a US entity, or a US entity connecting directly to LLLI.  

Q. Why is the USW working with agreements?

A. Over the last several years, based on the LLLI Board's vision for LLL to allow Leaders more of a voice in decisions that closely affect them, many changes have taken place throughout USWD.  We've been trying to be less bureaucratic, while strongly conforming to the key lessons learned by LLLI Leaders over the last half century:

• don't mix causes
• let moms make their own decisions
• stay focused on mother-to-mother support
• it’s all about mothers and babies.

 Q. How is working with agreements any different?

A. It’s important to note that these changes are really about being explicit about how we work and connect right now.  There will be no huge shift or major upheaval and some may even find these changes to be somewhat anticlimactic and wonder what all the fuss is about.

Briefly summarized, the agreements document explains:

• Expectations of all USW Leaders
• What it takes to be recognized as a USW Area, and the accompanying responsibilities
• The definition of USW, its responsibilities, and its governing procedures.

Q. How will working with the agreements impact me personally?

A. There is one “change” that should be highlighted.  The LLLI Board has been moving toward this “change” for a couple of years and that is the fact that Leaders have the right to choose the Area they report through. All Leaders everywhere must operate under the same basic policies and expectations set by the LLLI Board, including the importance of communicating and coordinating with each other no matter in which Area or Division we find ourselves.  We are one set of Leaders helping mothers worldwide, and all of the other distinctions are mostly a matter of administrative convenience.  While there are some legal differences country by country, and smaller ones state by state, they shrink in comparison to what we have in common as Leaders.

Q. Is it true that our Area has to write its own set of agreements?

A. All Areas will now have to write agreements among themselves to define their Area. You are encouraged to gather with Leaders in your local Area and talk about how you are working now and what you might like to do differently. Refer to Appendix 6B to see what is required of an Area, and write down how your Area plans to fulfill those requirements.

Q. Will USW cease to exist and stop providing support sometime soon?

A. Nope! USW Staff will continue to function to support Leaders and as an administrative body until there is no longer a need for them to act in these capacities.

Q. Where/how do we begin in our Area to work with the agreements?

A. An easy place to begin is by looking at Appendix 6B in the LLLI Policies and Standing Rules. Just by looking at those few points, you can see that your Area already has most of the bases covered.

Q. Do we have to have agreements even if we don’t want to change how our Area works?  

A. Yes, LLLI Policies and Standing Rules (PSR) Appendix 6 make this a requirement.  The agreement can simply state how we work.  

Do all Leaders have to sign an agreement?

A paper signature is not necessarily required, but every Leader must connect to an Area through an agreement.   Several groups of Leaders forming Areas have decided that they want each to sign their agreements on paper, and it certainly is one answer for how Leaders demonstrate their commitment to each other.  But it's not the only one.  In most states and countries, agreements are agreements whether or not they are signed. Just as you agree to the conditions of software license by using the software, or you agree to changes in your credit card agreement by continuing to use the card, there are many ways to indicate agreement.  Leaders are being encouraged to be careful not to enter into an agreement that they don't think they can keep or that they wouldn't be willing to sign if asked to sign!  A reasonable set of agreements is not likely to get anyone in trouble.  In fact, a nice clear set of reasonable agreements is likely to help everyone to stay out of trouble... ...That's a good goal for every Leader, Area, Area Network and even LLLI to aspire to!!

Q. Can I be in more than one Area?  

A. All Leaders need a primary connection to one Area.  Leaders are free to have secondary connections to other Areas – and as many as they feel necessary to do their La Leche League work.

Q. Can we still use the name La Leche League of………?

A. If 80% of the Leaders living in a geographically recognized name place, such as Arizona, Kansas or Washington choose to connect to that Area, they can use the geographic place name of LLL of…….  

Q. Will we still have a Team and an Area Council?  

A. The Area makeup will be what the Leaders in that Area want it to be.  If they are happy with the way things are currently structured they need make no changes.  If, on the other hand, they would like to try something else, they can do that instead.

Q. Do I have other options?  

A. Yes. You may connect with any Area of your choice or start your own.  Appendix 6 lists all that is needed to be an Area.  Also, Areas are free to seek support in any manner they choose.  They will not be automatically in a Division but can choose how they get support.  

Q. Why are some Areas calling themselves an Area Network (AN) by breaking up into five or more small Areas?  

A. Some Leaders want their Area to be relatively small so they know and interact with everyone on a more personal basis.  One major benefit of breaking into smaller Areas is more local autonomy—Leaders in the Area have more say in what they do locally, if they want it. A related benefit some Leaders are hoping for is that more local autonomy will generate more local enthusiasm and creativity! Another is that it may be simpler to break things down into smaller parts, as long as we don’t lose the “economies of scale” of doing some things in the larger group (the AN). A benefit for LLL as a whole is more diversity in how LLL USA is run. Rural Areas bring a different perspective than urban Areas—those differences are important to be heard. Some larger Areas are choosing to become Area Networks in order to better contribute to instituting a national entity.

Q. What needs to be in the agreement? 

A. We have the same overall standards. We are all to adhere to LLLI Policy, including the Principles that state we will remain open and welcoming to all. How we do that will vary according to local custom. Some may feel the need to be explicit in their agreements; others may figure it's such a given for them that they don't need to write it down. That's between the Area Leaders, and the Area and Area Network they connect to -- and the other Area Networks they connect to.

The Principles require us to remain coherent; how we do that is what we get to figure out. The Policy lists the minimum requirements we need, how we do that is up to us instead of being decreed.

It has been suggested we might want to ask ourselves the following questions as we figure out how we want to connect with other Leaders and write our agreements:

• Who are you willing to receive feedback from?
• Who are you willing to offer feedback to?
• Do you have any special talents that certain Areas would value?
• Does the Area have any special points that you would value?
• How important are certain functions--- CE day, conferences, Leader Days, etc.
• Since all Areas are required to provide for PLD/LAD support how do you want to do that?   Have a CLA and APL (or equivalent) person as we’ve done in the past?   Another possibility with the new LLL Policies is for one Area to basically contract with another Area or Area Network to provide some services.

To put it another way, support can now be unbundled from a one-package deal. For instance, an Area could be perfectly happy with the support it gets from the Area Network (maybe a Division in this example) but it just turns out to be more convenient to get, say CS support, from a neighboring Area or Area Network.

Q. Does every Leader have to participate?  

A. Every Leader is encouraged to participate at the level she is comfortable with.  One question she may want to ask is, “What do I want my Area to do for me?” A Leader who participates in discussing, writing and/or editing process is assured her needs have been considered in any agreement she enters into.  Another option is to find an Area that has already written an agreement she is comfortable with and ask to join that Area.  This is about agreements between entities (Leaders, Areas, Area Networks).

To paraphrase some of the current LLLI policies:

1. Every Leader must sign the LLLI Statement of Commitment (SOC) upon becoming a Leader and renew that commitment annually thereafter.
2. Every Area must have a written outline of:
   a. The system through which Leaders in the Area are accountable to each other for adhering to the SOC (LLLI policies) and any other agreements that they make with each other within the Area.
   b. The process through which Leaders are added and removed from the Area.
3. Every Area must maintain a connection for Leaders and Leader Applicants to the LLLI accreditation process and technical breastfeeding information (PL), maintain an adequate financial system, and have a way of making agreements as a whole.  In general, Leaders are free to choose their own Area leadership.
4. Sets of Leaders (at least 20) may choose to form their own Area, if they meet the requirements that everyone else has to, and don't interfere with other Leaders doing the same.  Sets of Areas (at least 5) may choose to form their own Area network, with the same caveats.  LLLI is the ultimate arbiter of whether any of these entities meet the necessary requirements.
5. All Leaders, Areas and Area networks must connect in a way that ultimately connects to LLLI.  Any Leader or entity that isn't connected may not do LLL work or represent themselves as being connected to LLL(I).  LLLI has ultimate responsibility and authority for recognizing Leaders, Areas and Area networks.
6. All LLL entities must follow lcal, state and federal laws.
7. Affiliates currently have special and varied contracts with LLLI, which LLLI will honor, even if they conflict slightly with the above policies.  The hope is that all Leaders will operate under the same obligations a privileges one day...

Q. Does that mean for the purposes of meeting the 20 Leader minimum an Area must have 20 Leaders who have their primary connection with that Area?

A. No.

1. An Area must have a minimum of 20 Leaders that have entered into an agreement of mutual accountability.  This is the real bottom line.
2. Making a primary connection must include entering into that 20+ Leader agreement.
3. Making a secondary connection may include entering into that 20+ Leader agreement.  It's up to the Area to decide.

So, an Area can reach the 20+ threshold with a combination of primary and secondary connections, if that's what they choose.  But the 20+ Leaders need to know that that's how it works, i.e., Leaders need to know who they're mutually accountable to/among.

Q. Can there be an Area where everyone has secondary connections?

A. Yes.
 
Q. If a Leader agreed to agreements for every Area formed, could she conceivably be connected to every Area in the country?

A. While this is unlikely, it is technically allowable.

Q. Are there limits to the number of secondary connections? 

A. No.

Q. Could an Area not accept a Leader who has agreed to an Area's agreements?

A. Yes.  The connection between a Leader and an Area (other Leaders) has to be agreeable to both.

Q. Are the current Divisions (Eastern United States and United States Western) as listed in the LLLI organizational database already “recognized by LLLI” as Area Networks or do Area Network Leaders need to do more to ensure that the PSR requirements are met? 

A. Yes, the current Area Networks are currently recognized.  

To maintain that recognition, however, Area Networks need to meet the new policies set by the LLLI Board, including the written agreements noted in LLLI PSR Appendix 6.

For new Area Networks to form, they must meet the standards fully.

Q. Why 20/5/5?

A. To form an Area, 20 or more Leaders make an agreement. The LLLI Board has determined that 20 is the minimal number that can protect the Area against too much similar thinking. If there are at least 20 Leaders, they couldn't all being doing something awful and think it's just fine.  Surely there'd be a voice of reason somewhere among them.

Five plus Areas to an Area Network is for the same reason. Once the ED approves the Area's agreements to make sure each of the Areas has a reasonable plan for being sure the Leaders are accountable, the network is where each Area demonstrates to the other Areas in that network that the Leaders in the individual Areas are truly living by their agreements. Each Area demonstrates to the other Areas that they are accountable to their agreements. However, all the Areas in a network don't have to have identical agreements. Each Area's job is to demonstrate to the rest of the network that they are upholding their own agreement. "At least five" is because, again, the BOD feels confident that there will certainly be at least one Area willing to confront another Area whose Leaders aren't really upholding their agreements. The odd number also helps if votes are ever taken.

Five plus Area Networks are required to form a national entity.  The networks will figure out a way to demonstrate to each other that all the Areas in each network are living by their agreements. And there have to be at least five because the BOD didn't want a bigger one always winning any disagreement just because of their size. (No big one bossing around the smaller one, no two ganging up on the third. With five there will always be lots of discussion so a best answer for the entire organization will be found--eventually!)

Q. Will this change how my Group operates?   

A. No, not unless you want it to.  Some Leaders are discussing the possibility of having a Group agreement.   

Q. What will stay the same and what will change?

A.

• Leaders are the same as always.
• Groups are the same as always with room for innovation, if desired.
• Areas are a collection of Leaders, with a minimum of 20 Leaders.
• Area Networks are a collection of Areas, with a minimum of five Areas.
• The existing Divisions are considered Area Networks.
• LLLI is the parent organization we all connect to either directly or indirectly.  

How Leaders demonstrate their accountability and how they get support may stay the same -- or may change depending on what they want.

We will continue to report information as needed.   How we do that is now up to us – each Area can do it in whatever way they feel works best for them. Some Areas may agree to online reporting, others may decide to do it in person, others by phone, still others a mix or something else. The reporting (if it is agreed that serves a purpose) would happen.

Accountability mostly only comes into our awareness when we have a situation involving a so-called "rogue Leader," one who does something contrary to LLLI Policy, damaging to LLL's image in some way, or something that makes things difficult for other Leaders.  Area administrators are aware of the accountability issue when they deal with Leaders who don't report, keep in touch with the Area in some way, or who don't pay dues--even though those Leaders may be doing great work helping mothers!

Holding those Leaders accountable in the past has been difficult because local Leaders/Area Administrators had very little actual authority to effect change. When they reported "up the chain" (DA, ACL, up to the Division and even the Executive Director level) there were procedures in place as to how to deal with the issue.  However, if the Leader continued to be unaccountable in the situation, the Area had little recourse. Disaccreditation was rare and only possible at the International level.

Certainly the part of Areas that we are probably all most familiar with is the support.  How we do this has changed tremendously over the last few years.   With the amount of information available on the Internet, many Leaders don't get support the way they did in the past.  It's a fact of modern LLL life that support comes in a variety of forms. The new LLLI Policy recognizes Leaders as responsible adults able to determine what works best for them. 

That's where accountability comes in.

We all have the opportunity now to examine our own systems of working, and explain them to our sister Leaders enough to assure them that we are being accountable. We have a head start by going through the accreditation process-that's where we learn a lot about what's out there for us and how to access it (hopefully!) But resources change, and we need to continue to be conscious of what we are doing. We agree to keep in touch in a way that works for us AND for the rest of the Leaders in our Area. We keep each other informed. And we do it in a way that we have agreed to explicitly, so we all know if it's not happening--that we need to tweak the agreement so it works better.

That way we have something concrete to share with other Areas in our Area Network, and something the Area Network can share with other Area Networks to demonstrate their accountability.

We get support to help us fulfill LLLI Policy. Accountability is how others know we are fulfilling it. A clear chain of accountability (Areas and Area Networks) helps ensure the LLLI brand is meaningful. A smorgasbord of support ensures many ways to get what we need.

This may be one of the biggest changes: Areas are about accountability to LLLI Policy, not (necessarily) about support! (The lines are easy to blur because we are used to the two going together.)

Leaders will have the option to be accountable in ways that work for them  -- making sure we each are making use of whatever we have and need to fulfill LLLI Policies.  It is hoped we will have fewer issues with "non-reporting" Leaders when Leaders can report in lots of creative ways that fit with their lives. They may even be more likely to stay Leaders longer if it fits naturally with the rest of their lives.

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About Mutual Accountability and Consensus

Q. What is mutual accountability?
Q. What are some ways Leaders might hold each other accountable?
Q. What is consensus? What’s the difference between Consensus and Majority Rule?
Q. What about reaching consensus in a larger group, say an Area of a hundred Leaders or more?

Q. What is mutual accountability?

A. Mutual accountability means a Leader agrees to:

Hold herself accountable to a simple, common agreement,

AND

Demonstrate to those with whom she made it.

Example: Agreeing to send the monthly Group report for your Group meeting and providing your co-Leaders with a copy.

Example: Paying your Area Leader assessment on time

(You can also substitute Area for Leader, Division for Area, etc. in this definition)

Q. What are some ways Leaders might hold each other accountable?

A.  It might be helpful to think of accountability in terms of demonstrating and documenting. We document (keep a record of) finances and statistics such as adult attendance at meetings, phone, email, personal breastfeeding contacts, and outreach.  We demonstrate when we report these statistics (records) in a timely and appropriate manner. Other ways we demonstrate our accountability is participation in leading meetings, phone helping, attending events, and sharing with a wider group of Leaders in person or through other venues such as an Area e-list.

Leaders are accountable locally, to the Area, to the Area Accountability Network (now known as USW) and to LLLI.

Whatever system of documenting and demonstrating that is already in place is fine until Leaders see a need to change. When change is desired, Leaders will be explicit, i.e., they will write simple agreements.

Q. What is consensus? What’s the difference between Consensus and Majority Rule?

Some dictionaries say it is “general agreement or concord; harmony,” “an opinion or position reached by a group as a whole,” “agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole.”

Consensus is sometimes confused with a large majority of opinion, a majority much greater than 50%, such as 75%, 80% or even 90%. In a way that is true, but it is also more than that.

The real difference between consensus and majority is in how the decision is reached. With a majority rule process, a group of people makes a proposal and presents it to the larger group. There may be more or less discussion, then the proposal is voted on, and if a certain majority vote yes, the proposal passes. That required majority can be anything from 50% up. Significantly greater than 50% is sometimes referred to as a “super-majority.”

Consensus can look pretty similar. A group of people makes a proposal, discussion happens, a decision is made. But in a consensus process, the objective is more about discovering the wisdom of the group, than it is about getting the decision made quickly. The whole group participates from early in the process. Everyone has a part in the discussion of the situation, the formulation of the proposal and its final implementation. Not everyone will participate to the same degree or in the same way, but everyone participates significantly, more than just a yes or no to the final formulation of the proposal. Everyone’s contribution to the decision is genuinely valued and respected, even when it differs from the majority opinion of the members of the group. And because of that participation and respect, everyone “owns” the decision and takes responsibility for it.

For example, the ten Leaders of the North County chapter want to do a fundraiser and meet to decide what to do. Proposals are made and the pros and cons are discussed. Most people support Plan A, but two Leaders feel strongly that Plan B is a better use of the Group’s money. A vote is taken, and Plan A wins, having an 80% majority, the number their rules require. Unfortunately, two Leaders leave, feeling that their concerns haven’t really been addressed, because Plan A had majority support. The result is a plan supported by eight Leaders, with two more who don’t agree and will find it difficult if not impossible to help.

The ten Leaders in the South County Chapter also want to raise funds and they too meet to come up with a plan. They are committed to finding a consensus as they make the decision. They begin by looking at as many possibilities as they can, talking about how each relates to their purpose as a group and to what is important to them. As they discuss all the possibilities, they find that most of them support a similar plan, Plan A. However, two Leaders feel strongly that Plan B is a better use of their resources. At that point, the group decides to slow down a bit. They realize that if two people have such strong feelings, these two Leaders may have more information that’s important for everyone to hear. They take the time to listen carefully to the concerns of these two, not with a view to convince them, but rather to understand, look for common ground, see if there is an alternative that will work for everyone. Perhaps there is something that the group hasn’t fully considered? All ten Leaders embark on an exploration to find common ground. They set aside their desire to make a decision and be done, and instead focus on understanding each others’ concerns, the underlying needs that are important to each Leader. Eventually, they are able to come up with a plan that takes all their concerns into account. All ten Leaders agree to proceed with that plan. They have come to consensus that this is the plan they all want to implement. All ten Leaders are excited about the plan, and eagerly look forward to working together and doing what they can to help.

Consensus can take more time, but it respects the concerns of everyone involved and leaves no one feeling unheard.  It also puts the responsibility for making decisions on everyone in the group, not just a few.

Consensus often saves time in the long run, however. The kind of in-depth exploration required to come to consensus often surfaces problems that would otherwise cause trouble later on, enabling them to be dealt with sooner in the planning process. When everyone involved gives willing support to a decision they’ve participated in, there is less second-guessing, more cooperative spirit in the implementation.

Q. What about reaching consensus in a larger group, say an Area of a hundred Leaders or more?

Reaching consensus with large groups doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone must contribute equally to the conversation. It does, however, mean that everyone is included, that is, everyone has the opportunity to participate to the extent she desires.

For example, an Area decides that their bylaws need changing. The conversation would be open to all Leaders in the Area from the very beginning, since all Leaders in the Area are both relevant to and affected by the decision.

Now, not all Leaders will be interested in working directly on writing bylaws changes, but some will. Others may be interested in taking part in the discussion of what should or should not be changed, and what the new bylaws will cover, but they don’t actually want to write them. Some will just want the overview so they can give input if something comes up that they feel strongly about. And some will say they really don’t care, and whatever others come up with is fine.

All of those folks participate to their desired level in the decision. Their contribution and concerns are listened to and respected.

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About the LLLI Relationship Manager (RsM)

Q. What is the RsM?
Q. What are the benefits of this system to LLLI and LLL entities?
Q. What services will this new system provide?
Q. When will we be able to use the system?
Q. How will we learn to use the system?
Q. Will I need an i-name to use the system and why?
Q. What is an i-name?
Q. How will financial transactions happen with this system?
Q. What is an “enrolling entity”?
Q. What is a “primary connection”?

Q. What is the RsM?
The relationship Manager (RsM) is what we call the LLLI organizational database.This is the database in which all LLL entities will keep track of Leaders, and the database that will determine who is connected for purposes of accountability to LLLI (as well as coverage by Leader insurance).

Q. What are the benefits of this system to LLLI and LLL entities?

• The LLLI office recognizes that its former data was not 100% accurate, easily accessible or easily available due to multiple outdated systems. Providing Areas the ability to directly update the LLLI records eliminates the need to reconcile Area information with the LLLI files.
• It will streamline the delivery of benefits to new Leaders and new members.
• Data will be accurate, consistent, accessible and transparent to LLLI and LLL entities.

Q. What services will this system provide?

• The new systems will allow individual Leaders authority to view and update their own Leader record.
• It will allow Leaders authority to view and update their Group record.
• Leaders may view and update Member rosters for their Group. 
• Each Area will have authority to view and update all the records for the Area and access to additional system features.
• Leaders will report their individual statistics directly and entities to some degree will be able to see aggregate statistics.
• Membership sales may be entered into the system directly by Groups/Areas using a credit/debit card.
• Membership statistics and financial transactions will tracked and be transparent to LLL entities.

Q. When will we be able to use the system?

As with all new technology implementation, there is much design and testing and an exact timeline is impossible to predict. It is anticipated that components of the system will come online in the near future. Each Area has already been asked to name an Area Data Administrator (ADA) and they will be trained on the system as soon as possible. The system will be introduced in stages for specific reasons.

Stage 1 – Rosters. There are three "rosters" for every Area: (1) Leaders, (2) Groups and members. ADAs will work to correct and confirm the data on these rosters for each Area. It is key to have an accurate baseline of data to work from for LLLI and for entities. At this stage each Leader will be able to use her LLLID to manage her profile and information.

Stage 2 – Group records. Leaders may have access to manage group records, data and rosters. Groups will also be able to maintain three rosters: (1) Leaders, (2) enrolled Members and (3) "Friends"
           
Stage 3 – Membership. Once the rosters are in place and functioning, then we will introduce the ability to generate batch transactions -- and *net* of the revenue share portion for memberships sold by a local enrolling entity.  For example, an Area could pay all of the Leader dues within the Area at once.  Or a Group could sell memberships to five new "Friends" at once.  Of course, "batch" will work just as well for one person as for ten.  Mostly likely, batch transactions will take 24-48 hours to clear.

Stage 4 – Leader reporting. Leaders will use the system to report their data formerly collected in the Area via monthly reports or other means.

Stage 5 – Additional system features.

Q. How will we learn to use the system?

The system is designed to be exceedingly user friendly and training won’t really be necessary. However, information on using the system will be made available in multiple formats and your own local ADA can serve as a resource to you.

Q. Will I need an i-name to use the system and why?

Yes. Many of the Information Systems which Leaders use in their LLL work currently require usernames (IDs) and passwords for security. A Leader getting information via the LLLI website, checking Area websites, sharing files on the CN, working on online helpforms, etc. is currently required to remember numerous IDs and passwords. To assist Leaders, some usernames and passwords are published in LEAVEN and other LLL publications. This compromises the security of the systems. To address “password overload” and security issues, the new LLLI Information Systems are being implemented to use Single Sign On (SSO) technology using i-names. Once all the systems are configured to use SSO, a Leader will enter her new internal LLLID one time and she will not need to enter usernames and passwords for any other LLL systems.

Q. What is an i-name?

At their simplest, they are merely a way for LLLI to set up usernames and passwords for entry into parts of the LLLI system that need those sorts of controls. But whereas most user registry systems assume a single, central database for storing all information about users, the i-name protocol is specifically conceived to allow the databases to be distributed, and to interact with each other based on data sharing agreements among the users and organizations involved.

Each LLLID will be in the format of @LLLI*first.last and each user will have the ability to create two additional LLLIDs (such as @LLLI*whatevershewants1 and @LLLI*whatevershewants2). The system for registering LLLIDs will be announced soon. The various LLLI Information Systems will be upgrading to use LLLIDs in a sequenced fashion. Applications with small numbers of users will be implemented first, and widely-used systems (such as the LLLI website) will be upgraded later. This will limit bottlenecks in assigning LLLIDs and allow the IS Project team to monitor the implementation and address any problems that may arise. More information on the implementation schedule will be coming very soon.

Q. How will financial transactions happen with this system?

All individuals and LLLI entities (Groups, etc.) will be able to go online and pay their own dues, fees, etc., directly with a credit or debit card.  In addition, once the "batch/net" transaction functionality is in place, then Leaders will be able to go online and pay the membership fee for mothers in their Group.  (The mother needs to show up on their Group roster for this to work.  If a Member pays her dues directly, then the full amount will first go to LLLI, and then LLLI will cut a check for the local revenue share and send it to the *Area* to which the Group is attached (quarterly).  Distribution from there is up to the Area.  To do batch/net transactions, a credit or debit card is needed.

Q. What is an “enrolling entity”?

The enrolling entity is the entity of LLL that a member chooses to connect/credit her membership too. She could choose to credit her Group, an Area, a Division or other entity, or select no enrolling entity.

Q. What is a “primary connection”?

A Leader may be “connected” to various entities of LLLI for various purposes. The system requires that a Leader must designate one LLL entity as her *primary* connection, this will most often be her Area. Areas will also have a primary connection; a Division, Area Accountability Network, Affiliate.