Terms of Reference and Accountability and Performance Appraisals of committee

Terms of reference (TOR) define the purpose and structures of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal.

Terms of reference show how the object in question will be defined, developed, and verified. They should also provide a documented basis for making future decisions and for confirming or developing a common understanding of the scope among stakeholders. In order to meet these criteria, success factors/risks and constraints are fundamental. They define the:

• Vision, objectives, scope and deliverables (i.e. What has to be achieved)
• Stakeholders, roles and responsibilities (i.e. Who will take part in it)
• Resource, financial and quality plans (i.e. How it will be achieved)
• Work breakdown structure and schedule (i.e. when it will be achieved)

TORs should include:

Success factors, risks and constraints.

Although the terms of reference of a project are sometimes referred to as the project charter, there are significant differences between the two. This article describes a TOR containing detailed definitions, while a project charter has high-level requirements, assumptions, constraints and descriptions as well as a budget summary without detail, and a milestone-only schedule.

Project life-cycle

The terms of reference are created during the earlier stages of project management by the founders of the project in question, immediately after the approval of a project business case. They are documented by the project manager and presented to the project sponsor or sponsors for approval. Once the terms have been approved, the members of the project team have a clear definition of the scope of the project. They will then be ready to progress with implementing the remaining project deliverables.

This phrase “terms of reference” often refers to the tasks assigned to a consultant or adviser. Such a consultant or adviser may be engaged via a contract with general terms of engagement that also incorporate the terms of reference that specifically describe the consultant’s task.

Accountability of committee

Volunteers become members of a committee in various ways, most by appointment by the President-elect, some by Council election, and some by statute. Regardless of how one becomes a member of a committee, there are some responsibilities and duties all members have in common.

The first and foremost responsibility of a committee member is to try to attend all meetings. After appointment to a committee, it is important for each new member to become familiar with the charge, history, current agenda, and the other members of the committee. In this Guide there are a number of links to committee annual reports and current committee members for all standing committees. Each committee has an administrator and a senior staff liaison. If you have any questions, feel free to contact either of these people.

The location of committee meetings is determined by the Chair with input from the committee. Most committees meet at the Headquarters in College where excellent facilities exist. Meeting attendance is important and meetings are scheduled in advance to accommodate members’ schedule. Despite our best efforts to find a date and time convenient for everyone, it is sometimes impossible. In this case, it is often possible to arrange for a committee member to participate in the meeting via conference call.

Generally, the committee administrator will work with the committee chair to prepare and distribute an agenda and supporting material a week or two before a scheduled meeting. Committee meetings are much more productive when committee members read the agenda briefing material before the meeting.

Performance Appraisals of committee

The key benefits derived from board/committee-level reviews include:

1. An objective assessment of common issues for boards such as leadership, relationships, size and tenure. This also provides an insight into the engagement of each director with the organisation and the dynamic environment in which it operates.
2. Helping to set the board/committee’s culture and build cohesion that flows through the organisation.
3. Keeping the board/committee in step with organisational needs through renewal and training.
4. Identifying excellence in current practices and letting directors and board/committee members provide honest feedback through an independent party.

This all leads to continuous improvement of board and committee practices and better outcomes from their interactions. A high-functioning board or management committee provides a solid grounding for effective decision-making and better manages strategic risks. It also delivers opportunities to identify improvements that will lead to enhanced organisational performance that creates greater business value.