Terms of reference
Purpose
1. To support communities activities; to facilitate effective communication between communities and the sharing of best practice on community matters.
2. The Technical Networks Communities Committee supports all IET technical communities.
Planning and resourcing
(a) Co-ordinate the planning of community activities and advise the Communities Resourcing Committee on the allocation of resourcing.
(b) Agree and monitor community KPIs with the Communities Resourcing Committee and promote remedial action where required.
(c) Allocate funding and other resources to communities (total budget for technical communities allocated to the Communities Committee by the Communities Resourcing Committee).
Supporting communities activities
(d) Build and maintain excellent relationships with all technical communities.
(e) Proactively review the programme of communities activities to highlight gaps in coverage to the communities.
(f) Enable a highly integrated approach between communities (eg between Technical Networks, and between Local and Technical).
(g) Identify required community tools and facilities.
(h) Reinvigorate existing communities activities where required.
(i) Make recommendations to the Communities Resourcing Committee regarding the creation, closure, merger or re-focus of technical networks.
(j) Ensure that the needs of Young Professionals are reflected in the portfolio of technical communities activities.
(k) Increase member participation in other ‘non-community’ IET activities (eg submissions to IET journals, candidates for prizes).
(l) Increase membership and registration.
(m) Identify high profile and influential individuals to act as thought leaders and ambassadors for the IET.
(n) Encourage more members to volunteer.
(o) Recommend nominees for IET Boards and Committees.
(p) Ensure that volunteers are well motivated and equipped to deliver the IET Plan.
(q) Resolve difficult community issues.
(r) Collaborate with technical professional bodies and other relevant organisations on communities activities as appropriate.
(s) Ensure that all activities are appropriate, in accordance with the Royal Charter and Bye-laws and the Regulations of the IET, and uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional behaviour.
Communications
(t) Share best practice between communities.
(u) Provide input and advice on communities issues from members to the Communities Resourcing Committee.
(v) Communicate effectively with members around the IET Strategy and Plan as well as other items as appropriate.
(w) Raise awareness of the IET with a view to growing the membership base.
(x) Propose changes to IET products and services to the Communities Resourcing Committee for communication to the Knowledge Services and Solutions Board, the Membership and Professional Development Board, and the Volunteer Engagement Board as applicable.
(y) Report to the Communities Resourcing Committee.
Constitution
3. The Committee should be constituted of at least eight members.
- Chair appointed by the Communities Resourcing Committee.
- Senior Staff Member.
- Three Ordinary Members with experience of serving on or working closely with a TPN, of whom at least one must be aged less than 30 years at the commencement of their period of office, should be elected by the membership.
- Three Ordinary Members with experience of serving on or working closely with a TPN, of whom at least one must be aged less than 30 years at the commencement of his period of office, should be appointed by the Communities Resourcing Committee based on proposals from the Committee.
- The Chairs of any Sub-Committees that report to the Committee, ex officio.
4. To ensure the interests of all types of technical are represented, the Committee will appoint members to complement the competencies and interests of the elected members.
5. The Chair of the Committee will be an ex-officio member of the Communities Resourcing Committee.
6. The number of meetings required by each Committee will vary, but all Committees should make effective use of technology to conduct as much business as possible virtually. In addition, it is expected that Committees will wish to meet physically, up to a maximum of three times per year.
The expectation of attendance and contribution of members
7. Any member who has not attended three or more consecutive Committee meetings (physical or virtual) spanning a period of more than six months, and has not contributed to the work of the Committee outside meetings during the same period, may be considered as being eligible for removal from the Committee. The decision to start the removal notification process from the Committee shall be agreed by the Committee by majority vote at the next Committee meeting. In the event that the Committee agrees that the member should be removed from the Committee, the following process shall apply:
8. A Senior Staff Member from another Committee should be asked to try to contact the member via each form of communication once more. Then, if no reply is received, a formal letter (signed by the Head of Governance and Legal Affairs) should be sent from the IET to the member’s last known registered address, by recorded delivery, saying: “The IET has been unable to make contact with you over the past 6 months to discuss your membership of the xxxx Committee. In view of this, unless we hear otherwise from you, we shall assume that you no longer wish to continue to be a member of the Committee.”
9. After twenty-one days, in the event of no satisfactory reply, the member shall be removed from the Committee and a suitable replacement sought.