Project, SIG and Committee Reports

The members need to be informed of the status of the organization. This is even more so in meetings of a Board of Directors. The traditional Order of Business includes committee reports. In this case, we expand that to include Projects and Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which are associations organized under a larger organization.

Projects and SIGs always have automatic slots on the agenda for a status update unless specifically declined. Standing committees (those with an ongoing function) should have priority over ad-hoc or temporary committees. Project and SIG reports are followed by committee reports listed in order starting with the most important current status. The meeting chair should communicate with committee chairs to determine the status ahead of time, to facilitate the decision of the presentation order.

These reports do not need to be in printed form. Unless absolutely necessary, paper copy should be discouraged. Any reports or detailed status should be placed on either a public or private web site as appropriate for the material prior to the meeting, then provide the URL to access it. A short summary should be made verbally and transcribed on the online meeting chat record.

Questions will be taken for each report. If a project, SIG or committee report includes recommendations for the board, the presenter will submit them to the meeting. These recommendations should already have been entered into the agenda for the meeting. In case of an inadvertent omission, the agenda may be amended to add them. Each recommendation then become agenda items for discussion as usual with the consensus building mode of the meeting.

The meeting body is allowed but not required to adopt reports. Financial reports should be adopted if acceptable. In the event of an unacceptable report, the meeting body may make advice in response.