SCG Working Party on Rules and Process

Proposal:	SCG Internal Structures and Procedures

1.	Internal Structures

The SCG will have two types of subgroup:

a)	Sub-committees
b)	Working Groups

1.1	Sub-Committees
These will be permanent subgroups with membership to rotate over time to provide opportunities for involvement to all interested SCG members.  There will be three sub-committees:
i)	Process and Agenda
ii)	Staff Development
iii)	Implementation Review

Composition
o	Each subcommittee will ideally consist of 5 members drawn from the SCG membership.
o	There will be a maximum of 3 of each of the general and academic staff classifications on each sub-committee.
o	Each sub-committee will select a Convener to act as point of contact with the Chair of the SCG.
o	The Chair of the SCG will be a member of the Process and Agenda subcommittee, with the Deputy Chair to substitute if the Chair is unable to attend sub-committee meetings.

Terms of Reference
i)	Process and Agenda
o	Receive suggestions for review of policies from: University staff via their elected members of the SCG; members of the SCG directly; sub-committees and working groups via their conveners; or from the Director, HR via the SCG Chair.
o	Recommend to the SCG the formation of working groups and a reporting timetable, according to the suggestions received.
o	Formulate the Agenda for each meeting based on the Meeting Procedures and suggestions received.
o	Keep records of sub-committee and working group membership.
o	Liaise, via the Chair, with the Director, HR to ensure that papers are distributed in a timely fashion in accordance with the agreed SCG Procedures.
o	Periodically review the sub-committee and working group system to ensure that it is meeting the needs of the SCG and the University.

ii)	staff Development
o	Consider the staff development needs associated with University policies under review by the SCG. 
o	Liaise with working group and other sub-committee conveners in order to inform this activity.
o	Consider the provision of staff development programs by the HR Office, CPD (or equivalent in the new structure), the Library and CFL (or equivalent in the new structure) in relation to existing University policies.
o	Make recommendations on staff development issues for consideration by the SCG.

iii)	Implementation Review
o	Receive and consider formal and informal reports of implementation of University policies (these may be referred to the sub-committee by staff via their SCG representatives or by the Director, HR via the SCG Chair), with a view to: 
•	establishing the consistency of implementation across the University;
•	evaluating the effectiveness of policy implementation; and
•	identifying issues that may give rise to disputes.
o	Make appropriate recommendations for consideration by the SCG.

1.2	Working Groups
Working groups will be ad hoc, and set up to review specific policies or clusters of policies.  
In forming working groups, the SCG will consider whether the scope of a policy to be reviewed extends to all staff or focuses on a particular classification of staff (academic or general).

Example
Given the material provided to the first SCG meeting, the first working groups would be:
i.	Personal Leave
ii.	Position Classification Review for General Staff Positions
iii.	OSP
iv.	Outside work
v.	Academic Promotion

These could be clustered as follows:
All staff focus (i, iv)
General staff focus (ii)
Academic staff focus (iii, v)

Composition
o	Each working group will consist of 3-5 members drawn from the SCG membership.
o	Working groups considering policies with an academic staff focus will include one member of the general staff
o	Working groups considering policies with a general staff focus will include one member of the academic staff
o	Working groups with an “all staff” focus should have a balanced membership (1-2, 2-2 or 2-3)
o	Each working group will select a Convener to act as point of contact with the Chair of the SCG.

Terms of Reference
Note that these are generic terms of reference; further terms may be added as appropriate to the particular policy under review.
o	Review the nominated policy or cluster of policies with particular reference to:
•	The stated purpose of the policy or policies (Is this appropriate?)
•	The likely effectiveness of the policy or policies in meeting this purpose (Will it work?  Are there unintended consequences?  Are the processes expressed with sufficient clarity?)
•	The extent of change to the nature of staff work and working conditions implied by the policy or policies (Should it be dealt with under Managing Change?)
•	The implementation process of the policy or policies (Who is responsible?  Do they have sufficient knowledge and/or support to carry out implementation?)
•	The relationship to: other existing policies; policies under development; or other University documents such as the Union Collective Agreement (UCA) (Are these consistent?  What supporting policies or other documentation might be needed?)
o	Make recommendations for consideration by the SCG.  These may take the form of:
•	support for implementation of the policy in its current form;
•	specific amendments to the policy;
•	rejection of the policy in its current form (providing reasons) – indicating that the policy needs substantial reworking by the relevant University body;
•	requests for further information/clarification from HR or other University bodies;
•	advice to the University regarding implications for managing change; or
•	other issues particular to the policy or policies under review.

1.3 	Subgroup meetings
The number and form of meetings and the manner of internal communication will be determined by the members of each subgroup.  Subgroups may request that an email group be set up for them, and this will be provided by the University.

1.4  	Reporting
Sub-committees and working parties will provide a report and, if appropriate, present recommendations to the SCG at its regular meetings.
Relevant papers and recommendations should be prepared by subgroups and provided to the Chair at least 10 days in advance of each regular SCG meeting, to enable circulation to all members of the SCG at least 7 days in advance of the meeting.

2.	Meeting Procedures

The SCG will meet quarterly - that is, at least and normally not more than once in every quarter.

2.1 	Agenda

The Agenda for regular meetings of the SCG will include the following items:

1.	Apologies
2.	Confirmation of Minutes
3.	Business arising from Minutes
4.	Housekeeping (starring of items, passage of unstarred items etc)
5.	Report from the Chair
6.	Invited presentations from senior management (if scheduled)
7.	Presentation/question time – Director, HR
8.	Reports from sub-committees (including voting on recommendations)
9.	Reports from working groups (including voting on recommendations)
10.	Policies for review (including formation of working groups to report at next meeting)
11.	Other business

Responsibility for the agenda and minutes lies with the Chair.

2.2 	Procedures

Preparation
Sub-committees and working groups must submit a report and any recommendations arising from their deliberations to the SCG Chair at least 10 days before the SCG meeting at which they will be reporting.  The Chair will distribute these to all members at least 7 days prior to the SCG Meeting.
Members are expected to read all reports and recommendations and, where they feel it necessary, the relevant policies.  Amendments to sub-committee or working group recommendations may be submitted to the Chair in advance of the meeting, or tabled at the meeting.

Procedures
Starring of items: The Chair, in consultation with the Process and Agenda sub-committee, will create an initial list of starred items.  At Item 4 of the Agenda, the SCG will identify any further items needing discussion.  Any unstarred items will be voted on as a group.  Voting in favour at this stage means that the SCG is accepting all recommendations and reports of unstarred items.
Presentation of reports and recommendations (starred items):  This will usually be done by the convener of the sub-committee or working group.  This should be a very brief summary, speaking to the submitted papers. Members of the SCG will then have an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarifications and have some informal discussion. 
Any amendments to recommendations should be presented at this stage, before moving to formal debate and voting, first on the amendments and then on the final form of the recommendations.  
Prior to voting on the matter, the Chair will provide an opportunity for any SCG member who has not yet spoken on the issue to make a contribution.  
Voting:  Each member of the SCG has one, equal vote.  Votes will be decided by show of hands and by a simple majority of the members present.
Once voted on, sub-committee and working group recommendations become the recommendations of the SCG to the University, via the Director, HR.
Voting by proxy is permitted only in an election for Chair or Deputy Chair.  Proxy authorisations shall be given in writing to the person chairing the meeting, who shall inform the meeting of them before any vote is taken.
Quorum:  The number of members who will constitute a quorum is half of the membership.  No business shall be conducted unless there is a quorum.
If a quorum is not present within half an hour after the appointed time for a meeting, whether ordinary or special, all business that should have been conducted at that meeting shall, unless a special meeting is summoned in the meantime for the conducting of that business, be held over for the next ordinary meeting and take precedence at that meeting.
The person chairing a quorate meeting shall close the meeting if there ceases to be a quorum.
Substitutes:  If a member of the SCG is unable to attend a meeting, they may choose a member of their electorate to substitute for them at that meeting.  But no member may choose a substitute for more than 2 consecutive meetings.
Adjournments:  The SCG may adjourn a meeting to a later date.
Special meetings:  A special meeting of the SCG shall be held if requested by at least 8 of its members.  The request must be made in writing to the Chair and must state the objects for which the meeting is requested.  The Chair shall determine the place and time of that meeting.