NDSA:Principles of Collaboration: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:17, 11 February 2016

Scope

The name of this organization is the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA), also referred to as the Alliance. The mission of the NDSA is to establish, maintain, and promote the capacity to preserve our nation's digital resources for the benefit of present and future generations. The Library of Congress (LOC), as an outgrowth of the December 2000 congressional charge that established the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), shall support the Alliance by serving as the Secretariat. Established on July 15, 2010, the Alliance is an organization of government agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and businesses committed to serving as digital stewards of America's national digital collection and employing standards, systems, and cooperative relationships that advance digital stewardship.

Membership

Coordinating Committee

The Coordinating Committee is dedicated to the advancement of Alliance activities and furthering communication within the Alliance. The Coordinating Committee works with the Working Groups to articulate a long-term, strategic vision for the Alliance. The Committee assists the Alliance Members in evaluating the effectiveness of the Working Groups and eliminating unnecessary duplication of effort between the Working Groups. Participants in the Coordinating Committee will act as liaison with one or more of the Working Groups. The Coordinating Committee will recommend for the creation of new Working Groups or to disband Working Groups that are no longer actively serving the needs of the Alliance. The Coordinating Committee is responsible for updating eligibility standards for membership in the Alliance as necessary. Coordinating Committee members may be nominated by Participants in the Alliance or may self nominate. Coordinating Committee members are elected by a simple majority of all votes cast over an open voting period, typically two weeks. The number of Coordinating Committee members shall be no more than nine (9). Coordinating Committee members shall serve in staggered appointments of one, two or three years through December 31, 2013, or their resignation. Any member may resign at any time by notification in writing to the Alliance through the office of the Secretariat. Vacancies on the Coordinating Committee shall be filled by special election.

Officers

The Coordinating Committee shall designate the facilitator for the next year at the last session of the year. There will be no officers.

Secretariat

The Secretariat shall (a) act as secretary of all meetings of the Alliance and of such other committees and working groups as the Alliance shall specify, (b) keep the minutes thereof, and (c) coordinate the planning of annual meetings and other events (with a program committee). All minutes, reports, and other documents of the Alliance will be filed and maintained at the Library of Congress. The role of Secretariat is fulfilled by staff of the Library of Congress, Office of Strategic Initiatives, National Digital Information and Infrastructure Preservation Program (NDIIPP).

Committees and Working Groups

Alliance Members designate Participants to serve on committees and Working Groups. Each committee shall have, and may exercise, such powers as authorized by the Alliance. Committee and Working Group participants shall serve for a term ending on December 31, 2013, or their resignation. Any participant may resign from a Working Group at any time by notification in writing to the Co-chair of a particular Working Group. Any participant may choose to continue to serve on a Working Group for the next term of membership. Working Group member co-chairs volunteer for the position. If more than one individual volunteers, the working group participants will vote to select the co-chair. Working Groups will make transparent their draft work plans and circulate their work products to all Alliance members.

Meetings

All meetings of the Alliance, and any committee or working group, may be held in person, or by means of telephone or video conference. The Secretariat will coordinate the planning of the Annual meeting of the Alliance. Regular meetings of the Alliance committees and working groups may be held at such time and place as shall be determined by consensus of committee and working group members, in coordination with the Secretariat.

Voting

The Alliance will vote to elect members of the Coordinating Committee, ratify and alter the principles of collaboration, or upon any other issue deemed necessary by the Membership. Members will be given a two-week period to vote electronically. A simple majority of the voting Member representatives shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Votes shall be cast by the designated Program Representative of any Member organization. In the event of a tie vote, the Secretariat will cast the deciding vote.

Amendments

These bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote provided all members have been offered a reasonable opportunity to vote.

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-Module 3: Organizational Structure
+==Scope==
-* Barrie Howard made contextual comments regarding the Subcommittee’s intent:
+The name of this organization is the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA), also referred to as the Alliance. The mission of the NDSA is to establish, maintain, and promote the capacity to preserve our nation's digital resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
-** One category of membership embraces broadness in membership
+The Library of Congress (LOC), as an outgrowth of the December 2000 congressional charge that established the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), shall support the Alliance by serving as the Secretariat.
-** NDSA general assembly will vote on Coordinating Committee members, which partially answers the question, what are we governing?
+Established on July 15, 2010, the Alliance is an organization of government agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and businesses committed to serving as digital stewards of America's national digital collection and employing standards, systems, and cooperative relationships that advance digital stewardship.
-** Coordinating Committee maintains eligibility standard
-** LC’s role is more administrative than anything else
-** Taking into account the inherent diaspora of the NDSA membership, there is an allowance for virtual meetings
-** Document suggests an annual meeting, or convention, of the general assembly
-* Breakout groups discussed the document, with the following reports:
-** Groups 3—focused on the role of the Library and Coordinating Committee, and recommended having a chair for that committee
-** Group 2—remarked how eligibility hasn’t yet been defined; strategic vision is important; Coordinating Committee should be a vehicle to move forward strategic vision, but not be a decision-making body; business transactions need to be transparent; ground rules for votes need to be established, e.g., a super majority for new memberships, and simple for all other business; Coordinating Committee members need to rotate, the committee needs a chair, and Working Groups need to coordinate with it
-** Group 1—Coordinating Committee should coordinate work of Working Groups, articulate the vision of the NDSA, and be composed of 9 people with each of the Working Group Co-chairs, one representative from the Secretariat, and 3 at-large members; At-large member numbers can fluctuate if Working Groups dip below 5; the Secretariat and Working Groups report to the Coordinating Committee; rather than having a chair with a term, the Coordinating Committee could have a presiding individual at each meeting, and the closing agenda item would be to choose one for next meeting
-** Group 3—discussed the importance of information exchange, the high value of using or being affiliated with the NDSA, and need to design an organization that allows for growth; recommended a rotating nominating committee to nominate Coordinating Committee members; Coordinating Committee members should have staggered, 3-year terms, and their number should cap at 12; their should be Working Groups representation on the Coordinating Committee, although not necessarily the Co-chairs, and this may be a problem if the number of Working Groups grows; strong support for a flat organization; agreement that there should be a Coordination Committee chair, elected annually
-** Group 5—one category of membership is good; 3 years is a short period of time; the language for number of Coordinating Committee members is fine, and Working Groups should be represented on that committee; when there are vacancies on the Coordinating Committee, replacements should be based on individual merit, not at the discretion of the institution affiliated with the exiting member; there should be no more than one individual from a given institution serving on the Coordinating Committee; the person who leads a Coordinating Committee meeting could be selected at the beginning of the meeting; Secretariat role should be administrative and logistical in character; the Principles of Collaboration doesn’t mention a quorum for conducting business; the informality of the document is welcome, yet it mentions Robert’s Rules
-Comments from Laura Campbell
+==[[NDSA:Membership Model|Membership]]==
-* Fiduciary legislation governs the Library’s role in NDSA in the permanent Secretariat, so that role has to be fulfilled by the Library
-* All other recommendations on organizational structure are fine
-* Martha and Laura are looking at the possibility of a Foundation, because the NDSA will eventually need additional funding to be successful
-Comments from Michelle Gallinger
-* The Secretariat doesn’t have to set the agenda for Coordinating Committee meeting; language can be changed to &ldquo;facilitate&rdquo;
+==Coordinating Committee==
-* The foundation being poured is for the first three years
+The Coordinating Committee is dedicated to the advancement of Alliance activities and furthering communication within the Alliance.
+The Coordinating Committee works with the Working Groups to articulate a long-term, strategic vision for the Alliance. The Committee assists the Alliance Members in evaluating the effectiveness of the Working Groups and eliminating unnecessary duplication of effort between the Working Groups. Participants in the Coordinating Committee will act as liaison with one or more of the Working Groups. The Coordinating Committee will recommend for the creation of new Working Groups or to disband Working Groups that are no longer actively serving the needs of the Alliance.
+The Coordinating Committee is responsible for updating eligibility standards for membership in the Alliance as necessary.
+Coordinating Committee members may be nominated by Participants in the Alliance or may self nominate. Coordinating Committee members are elected by a simple majority of all votes cast over an open voting period, typically two weeks.
+The number of Coordinating Committee members shall be no more than nine (9).
+Coordinating Committee members shall serve in staggered appointments of one, two or three years through December 31, 2013, or their resignation. Any member may resign at any time by notification in writing to the Alliance through the office of the Secretariat. Vacancies on the Coordinating Committee shall be filled by special election.
+==Officers==
+The Coordinating Committee shall designate the facilitator for the next year at the last session of the year. There will be no officers.
+==Secretariat==
+The Secretariat shall (a) act as secretary of all meetings of the Alliance and of such other committees and working groups as the Alliance shall specify, (b) keep the minutes thereof, and (c) coordinate the planning of annual meetings and other events (with a program committee). All minutes, reports, and other documents of the Alliance will be filed and maintained at the Library of Congress.
+The role of Secretariat is fulfilled by staff of the Library of Congress, Office of Strategic Initiatives, National Digital Information and Infrastructure Preservation Program (NDIIPP).
+==Committees and Working Groups==
+Alliance Members designate Participants to serve on committees and Working Groups. Each committee shall have, and may exercise, such powers as authorized by the Alliance.
+Committee and Working Group participants shall serve for a term ending on December 31, 2013, or their resignation. Any participant may resign from a Working Group at any time by notification in writing to the Co-chair of a particular Working Group. Any participant may choose to continue to serve on a Working Group for the next term of membership.
+Working Group member co-chairs volunteer for the position. If more than one individual volunteers, the working group participants will vote to select the co-chair.
+Working Groups will make transparent their draft work plans and circulate their work products to all Alliance members.
+==Meetings==
+All meetings of the Alliance, and any committee or working group, may be held in person, or by means of telephone or video conference. The Secretariat will coordinate the planning of the Annual meeting of the Alliance.
+Regular meetings of the Alliance committees and working groups may be held at such time and place as shall be determined by consensus of committee and working group members, in coordination with the Secretariat.
+==Voting==
+The Alliance will vote to elect members of the Coordinating Committee, ratify and alter the principles of collaboration, or upon any other issue deemed necessary by the Membership. Members will be given a two-week period to vote electronically. A simple majority of the voting Member representatives shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Votes shall be cast by the designated Program Representative of any Member organization. In the event of a tie vote, the Secretariat will cast the deciding vote.
+==Amendments==
+These bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote provided all members have been offered a reasonable opportunity to vote.