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Leader, Facilitator, and Team Builder for the Committee
1. Conferring with Staff before the First Meeting
Some chairs take a "hands-on" role in many aspects of a study. Others prefer to delegate more responsibility to staff working under their guidance. Early consultation between the chair and staff (including, as needed, the board or division director and the Executive Director of the commission or major unit) can help work out these roles and responsibilities before the committee is convened for its first meeting.
In preparing to confer with the staff, the chair should have reviewed:
- The study prospectus approved by the institution
- The statement of task outlining the specific charge to the committee and proposed products
- The provisional membership of the committee, which generally will be posted on the Internet with biographies (statement of qualifications) for public comment
- A tentative work plan prepared by staff, with schedule and milestones
- The financial, personnel, and information resources available to the committee
- The institution’s policy document on compliance with Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Amendments of 1997
In the conference with staff, the chair should:
- Determine if the charge is clear--particularly in its descriptions of what is within and outside the scope of the study--and decide how best to communicate the charge to the committee
- Understand the expectations for the study of the sponsors, other important audiences such as the Congress, and the institution
- Develop a preliminary conception of the report's architecture for discussion by the committee at its first meeting
- Understand the expertise on the committee and the process by which the institution will finalize the provisional committee appointments
- Understand the institution's report review and release process
At the conclusion of the conference, the chair should have:
- Ascertained if the tentative work plan is reasonable in light of the charge to the committee
- Flagged issues, if any, for discussion by the committee, including the possibility of revisions to the statement of task, schedule, milestones, or physical resources
- Outlined objectives the committee should expect to accomplish at and in between each of its meetings
- Identified prospective presentations to the committee from external sources as well as from the members and staff
- Approved a draft agenda for the first meeting
- Clarified the role of the chair and the role of the staff in the conduct of the study
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