Are there limits on the board’s advisory role with respect to the director?

Yes. First, in many cases a social services board lacks the technical, fiscal, administrative, or professional knowledge, expertise, or information that is necessary to provide competent and useful advice to the social services director with respect to issues involving the administration or financing of social services programs.
Second, even if the board has the information necessary to provide good advice, the board should not, under the guise of providing “advice” to the director, dictate the director’s actions with respect to matters that fall within the director’s area of responsibility. For example, the board should not “advise” the director to hire (or fire) a particular employee.
Third, even if the director seeks the board’s advice with respect to a particular matter, the board should avoid giving advice when doing so may blur the director’s accountability with respect to a particular issue. When the director follows the board’s advice with respect to a matter that falls within the director’s responsibility but with respect to which the director has sought the board’s advice, the board has, at least to some extent, assumed responsibility with respect to the matter and thereby diminished the director’s responsibility and accountability.