The following is taken from the Constitution:
5.5 Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides overall leadership to the [Community Project] and has day to day responsibility for the [Community Project].
5.5.1 Responsibilities
Below are responsibilities of the [Community Project] Steering Committee:
- To provide leadership and foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment in the wider [Community Project] community.
- To promote strategies for the implementation and use of [Community Project]-based research among existing research networks.
- To advocate for and represent the [Community Project] community at external meetings and events, including leading the organisation of the annual [Community Project] meeting, incorporating both scientific and administrative (“routine”) business.
- To be the penultimate body for adjudication of disputes and conflict.
- To effectively progress the vision and purpose of [Community Project] and the wider [Community Project] community.
- To meet on a regular basis, at least quarterly (i.e. every three months), and additionally when a situation arises that needs addressing urgently.
5.5.2 Role of the Steering Committee
The major role of the Steering Committee is to ensure the sustainable operational functioning and communication of the [Community Project] community. Specific roles are detailed below.
- Responsibility for community policy ratification and implementation: Example: new policies developed in the community to be reported to Steering Committee, who will decide how to and what policies to ratify/implement in a sustainable way.
- Authorise [Community Project] community events: top level decision making, delegating responsibilities to training, communications and events working groups to ensure the events happen. E.g. training, Annual Conference.
- Ratify decision-making presented by the Core Groups. Themes report to Core Groups and Core Groups present decisions to Steering Committee who ratify the decisions.
- Appoint new members to itself or remove existing members.
- Community conflict resolution: arbitrate on disputes that may be escalated to the Steering Committee by Core Groups.
- To keep an overview of the activities, progress and issues in the [Community Project] community.
- Report at least annually, both internally to the [Community Project] community and externally, on the progress of the [Community Project].
- To communicate externally about the work and activities of the [Community Project] when required.
- The Steering Committee may request that a working group is created to achieve a specific goal. For example, the Steering Committee may suggest that a working group is created to organise the Annual Conference.
5.5.3 Members of the Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is constituted of the Steering Committee Chair PLUS a minimum of FIVE and a maximum of EIGHT Voting Members representing three constituencies:
- AT LEAST two members of the [Community Project] Steering Committee should be Contributors participating in the Technical Core Group;
- AT LEAST two members of the [Community Project] Steering Committee should be Contributors participating in the Process Core Group;
- AT LEAST one member of the [Community Project] Steering Committee should be a Voting Member not involved in either of the Core Groups.
5.5.4 Appointment
When the above thresholds are not met (i.e. when there are fewer than two members from either of the Core Groups, or no member who is not involved in a Core Group), the Steering Committee may appoint new members until the threshold for each constituency is met.
When the number of members of the Steering Committee is fewer than eight
- If there are at least two members from either of the Core Groups, the relevant Core Group is able to recommend new members to the Steering Committee who may then choose whether or not to accept the proposed new members.
- If there is already at least one member who is not involved in a Core Group, Contributors who are not members of either of the Core Groups may self-nominate themselves as a new member to the Steering Committee who may then choose whether or not to accept the proposed new member.
A Voting Member is eligible to serve a maximum of TWO consecutive terms.
If a Voting Member has previously been re-appointed to the Steering Committee (i.e. they are finishing their second of two consecutive terms), they are only eligible to stand for re-election if they have not been a member of the Steering Committee within the previous 12 months.
5.5.5 Term limit
- On January 1 st of each year the term of any Steering Committee member who has served more than 42 months (3.5 years) and who is one of the two most senior members is set to expire on December 31st of that year.
- A member of the Steering Committee is said to be more senior than another if they were appointed earlier, or were appointed at the same time and have been a member of the [Community Project] longer. In the event that a member has been appointed more than once, only the most recent appointment is relevant.
- Members may voluntary leave the Steering Committee at any time and for any reason. In the event that the departure is planned, i.e. not the result of a force majeure, a notification of the intention to leave should be made to the Steering Committee at least 2 months prior. This will allow the Steering Committee to fill the vacant position.
5.5.6 Removal of members
The Steering Committee may remove an existing member of the Steering Committee if there is agreement of two thirds of members other than the member to be removed. In this situation, the Chair is equivalent to the other members of the Steering Committee and there is no casting vote. In situations where the Chair is the member to be removed, this will immediately trigger a new election for the Steering Committee Chair.
5.5.7 Special members
The Steering Committee will elect a Chair and Secretary from among their members.
The role of the Steering Committee Chair is to:
- Adjudicate any disputes about interpretation of the constitution.
- May delegate part or all of their authority to someone else within the Steering Committee, or withdraw such a delegation at any time.
Specific responsibilities of the Steering Committee Chair:
- The Chair ensures that the Steering Committee functions properly, that there is adequate participation at meetings, that all relevant matters are discussed and that actions or decisions are made and carried out
- Plan and run meetings in accordance to the [Community Project]
- Bring impartiality and objectivity to meetings and decision-making
- In the event of a tie, the Chair shall provide a deciding vote
- In the event of absence from a Steering Committee meeting, the Chair will nominate one or more other Board members to organise a deputy. Any person who deputises shall temporarily assume the roles and responsibilities of the Chair.
The role of the Steering Committee Secretary is to:
- Take votes amongst the Voting Members, and determines the number and identity of Voting Members, whenever this is required by the Constitution.
- Stand in for the Steering Committee Chair if there is no other delegated Member or the Steering Committee Chair is otherwise unavailable.
- If there is no Chair then the Secretary may make any decisions if they consider it imperative to do so.
- When the Steering Committee meets, in conjunction with the Chair, ensure there is an agenda, and that minutes and actions are captured and recorded.