Public Policy Committee Report to Council 17/12/05 - ToR

Purpose

To coordinate and formulate policy on public policy issues involving the Internet in New Zealand.

Objectives/Role

• To ensure that InternetNZ is recognised as a respected and authoritative advocate for the Internet community
• To be proactive and where necessary reactive in response to legislative and regulatory issues
• To educate and inform government and parliamentary decision makers about Internet public policy issues
• To educate and inform the broader Internet industry and consumers about Internet public policy issues

Powers

• To recommend to the Executive Director the spending of budgets in the Public Policy area
• To coordinate and recommend all public policy submissions to Government and Parliament
• To finalise and lodge submissions on behalf of InternetNZ, except where the lack of a consensus means the submission needs to be referred to Council for agreement

Reporting Line

• The Committee reports to Council through the Executive Director.

Delegated Authorities

• To expend its meeting budget as it sees fit.

Notes applying to Sub-groups:

Governance Function.

This Sub-group will:

• regularly report to Council and/or to the Society's office
• meet regularly
• keep a written record of meetings
• make recommendations to Council or the Executive Director within its mandated area of expertise on activities deemed as appropriate for the Society.

N.B. Sub-groups are restricted in authority to make recommendations to Council, or where specified to the Executive Director. Formal decisions made within Sub-group can only be applied to internal Committee or Task Force procedures and processes. All external works can only be undertaken with Council approved authority on recommendation from the Sub-group. On Council approval work is handed over to the Executive Director and the Executive Director will be tasked to:

a) undertake contract negotiations with the contractor if the Committee has undertaken the formal process of contractor selection in accordance with the Society's procurement policy; or

b) undertaking the formal process of contractor selection in accordance with the Society's procurement policy and in undertaking contract negotiations.

All direct contact with external parties is through the Executive Director.

Meetings. Meetings shall be scheduled in advance for the forthcoming year and the schedule published. The Sub-group will meet regularly and at least four times F2F during the year. Once scheduled, a meeting date or location may be altered or cancelled only for sufficient cause by majority vote at a regularly constituted meeting of the Sub-group. Notice of such approved change shall be mailed to all members of the Sub-group and notified to the Office of the Society not less than five days before the original or the new date of said scheduled meeting, whichever is earlier. In addition, the Sub-group may also meet by tele/video conference.

Budget. The Sub-group can expend its authorised meeting budget but all such expenditures must be notified and justified to the Office of the Society. No expenditures in excess of the authorised budget will be permitted without the prior authorisation of the Executive Committee.

Minutes of Meetings . Meeting notes or Minutes of all meetings of the Sub-group shall be circulated to all Committee Members.

Sub-group Reports. Written Reports to Council will be produced regularly and will be structured and include the agenda discussed, Sub-group Members in attendance, time and place of the meeting. When items discussed at the meeting give rise to recommendations to Council, the recommendations will be included at the end of the report and highlighted for easy reference.