These Terms of Reference were adopted by the Coordinating Body 11th May 2004.

Each Monitoring and Delivery Group/Task Group will have a co-ordinator who is responsible for organising and ensuring meetings are properly chaired and run in accordance with the following terms. The Coordinator will usually be an officer from the mainstream agency to which the Task Group is most concerned with. The Coordinator is not the same as the Chair.

Membership

·The Task Groups will be attended by anyone living and working in the local area.

·Each Task Group will ensure that all sectors of the community are kept informed of the work of the Group and are enabled to participate in decision-making.

·Each Task Group will work with residents, organisations, agencies and businesses in delivery of the objectives.

·Task Groups will seek technical advice when required.

.Each Task Group will draw up a list of members who need to be present for the Task Group to do its job and secure their representation. Representation/attendance of key agencies will be monitored.

.People attending the Task Group meetings will be encouraged to join the Partnership.

.Each Task Group is aiming for 50% resident representation.

.A member of the Coordinating Body will be a formal link between the CB and the TG.

.Each TG will elect a Chair Person and Deputy Chair who can speak on behalf of the Task Group and attend meetings of the Partnership.

Accountability

·Each Task Group is a sub-group of, and is accountable to, the SPUCP Coordinating Body.

.Any letter written on behalf of the Task Group in the name of SPUCP must be copied to the Chair and sent to the SPUCP/NR office.

.Task Groups cannot propose policy statements on behalf of SPUCP until they have been agreed and adopted as policy.

Meetings

·Meetings will be held at least quarterly at different venues and times. Venues will be accessible. Venues and times of meetings will be publicly advertised in advance through the newsletter and website.

·The quorum for each meeting will be 5 people including residents.

·All meetings will be open to the public.

·Full and complete minutes will be kept of all meetings and will be publicly available. A copy of the minutes will be filed with the SPUCP/NR office and available on the website.
Minutes of each meeting will be submitted to the Coordinating Body.

.An attendance sheet with the relevant Objective 2 logos will be signed by each person present and submitted to the Admin worker the NR office.

.A report about the work of the Coordinating Body/general SPUCP business will be a set agenda item at all meetings.

Decision Making

.Decisions will be made by consensus. If a decision can’t be made by the group it will be taken to the Coordinating Body.

Conflicts of Interest

·SPUCP has adopted the National Code of Local Government Conduct with regard to conflict of interest until it is able to prepare and adopt its own policy and guidelines.

Role of the Task Groups

·To work with the Coordinating Body, residents, organisations, agencies and businesses to develop and deliver a neighbourhood plan.

.Provide a forum for joint planning and evaluation of public and voluntary services so that they meet the needs of local people.

.Monitor the delivery of the Neighbourhood Plan.

.Work on long-term solutions to persistent problems by having a clear understanding of all perspectives and adopting a problem solving approach.

.Develop service/project proposals to address areas of work outside of the remit of mainstream agencies or not prioritised by mainstream agencies.

.Oversee projects funded by NR or developed by SPU as part of the Neighbourhood Plan.

.Establish Project Groups to advise and steer projects. Project Groups are sub groups of Task Groups and are therefore accountable to the TG but may draw in additional members who are not part of the TG.

.Identify and secure additional resources to address priorities in the Neighbourhood Plan following agreement by the CB.

·With the Coordinating Body undertake periodic reviews of the Group's own performance and effectiveness.

·To work within and promote the values and principles of SPUCP.

.Operate within the company rules of SPUCP.

.Contribute to Partnership events, information and publicity.

.Set up working groups for a specified period of time.

.Provide a presentation/report to the CB twice a year:
- summarising the work and main achievements of the group
- progress with the N Plan
- barriers to progressing the N Plan/areas that the CB need to address.
- community issues arising/changes in plan
- bring any others issues of relevance to the CB

Role of Coordinator

The Coordinator may not carry out each of the tasks themselves but will work
with the Chair and CB link person to:

.To secure representation from all the relevant stakeholders.

. To be responsible for the effective administration (minutes, attendance sheets, publicising meetings, planning and sending out agendas, arranging speakers etc).

.Ensure the group are represented at and contribute to cross-partnership meetings e.g. Structures Group.

.Keep the NR/SPUCP office notified of meetings/check the partnership diary for clashes.

.Produce newsletter reports as requested.

.Ensure all relevant information is made available for the website.

.To work with the Chair to ensure meetings are effectively chaired.

.Maintain a mailing list and keep the NR team aware of any changes.

.Give support to new members by welcoming them to the meeting and meeting them one to one, perhaps with the Chair to provide background information and an introduction to the items on the agenda.

.Develop a display about the group and its work for Partnership AGM and open meetings (4 times a year) and organise people to be at the stall.

Role of Chair & Deputy Chair (in many cases this will be the CB link person)

Developing skills to enable local people to take more control and responsibility
in the Partnership is a key part of securing the sustainability and success of
the Partnership. Whilst many groups may not feel the need for a Deputy Chair
it is important to provide continuity when the Chair is absent but it
also provides a good opportunity for a Task Group member or the Link Person
who does not feel confident enough to take on the Chairs role at this point in
time.

.Elect a Chair and Deputy Chair at the first meeting.

.To ensure meetings are chaired effectively.

.Plan the agenda with the Coordinator and the Link person.

.Speak for the Task Group at other Partnership meetings and when the Partnership is organising press releases.

.Welcome new people to the group and make sure they understand what is happening and are encouraged to return.

.Support the group to work within the code of conduct.

.Summarise and clarify all decisions that are made and agree who will take them forward.

.Start and finish the meetings on time.

.The Deputy Chair will deputise for the Chair.

Coordinating Body link person

In many cases the Link Person will also be the Chair or Deputy Chair in which case the following tasks become part of the Chairs role.

.To represent the interests of the TG at the Coordinating Body
.To keep the TG updated about the work of the CB and wider Partnership issues.
.To develop specialist knowledge in the area covered by the TG in order to advise the CB and residents.

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