Spokesperson for the Committee

The chair is the chief spokesperson for the committee and its report.

The chair should take advantage of the extensive capabilities available within the institution to assist in planning and carrying out all dissemination and outreach activities.

The chair, working in concert with the committee and staff, should ensure that a dissemination plan is in place by the time the report is completed.

Once the committee's report is released, the chair often will be asked to represent the perspective of the committee through such dissemination activities as briefings, press conferences, preparation of "op-ed" articles, or the provision of congressional testimony. Selected committee members may also be recruited to participate in such activities.

During the course of a study, the chair may prefer to delegate some of the roles described above, specifically assigning certain tasks to staff and other committee members. But the chair remains the principal intellectual leader for the committee throughout the project, and he or she must take the ultimate responsibility for making sure that a high-quality report is produced in a timely manner. The full resources of the National Academies will be made available to help chairs in this task, but it is critical to communicate concerns before a major problem develops.