Suggested process for reconfirming your charters and reappointing Chairs

Offering guidance on how to comply with requirements to periodically reconfirm your charter and reappoint chair(s).

As reported to members in November 2020 (https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/members/202011/msg00011.html), the TC Process and the OASIS Committee Operations Process include requirements to periodically confirm your charter and appoint or reappoint your chair(s). As always, feel free to contact OASIS TC Administration if you want additional advice or support.

This document offers guidance on meeting these requirements. Feel free to modify these recommendations to suit your committee’s way of working.

Reconfirming your charter

Section 1.10 TC Vitality of the TC Process (https://www.oasis-open.org/policies-guidelines/tc-process-2017-05-26/#tcVitality) states:

… every 4 years from the date of the first meeting of the TC or the first meeting after a recharter, the TC must decide one on the following actions by Full Majority vote:

– Continue the TC with its current charter;
– Continue the TC through a charter clarification (Section 1.8);
– Recharter the TC (Section 1.9); or
– Close the TC.

The purpose of section 1.10 is to “ensure the TC charter continues to align with the activities of the TC.” Basically, it is an effort to encourage TCs to periodically consider whether the charter still reflects the work actually being done.

We recommend making this an agenda item at a regular TC meeting. If your TC does not hold regular meetings then raising it on an email thread on the TC’s mailing list accomplishes the same goal.

The key sections of the charter to review are the statement of purpose, the scope of work, and the deliverables. Note that the IPR Mode cannot be changed so it does not need to be reviewed.

If there is consensus among the members for the course of action, you can address it using a motion in a meeting or via a ballot. Language such as:

“I move that the TC continue its work under the current charter.”

or

“Do you approve having the TC chair request TC Administration hold a Special Majority Vote on clarifying the charter with the edits proposed in xxx?”

will suffice to memorialize the committee’s decision.

If you don’t have consensus, you should hold a ballot using language like:

“With respect to the TC’s charter, do you approve (select 1):

[ ] Continuing with the charter as is.

[ ] Clarifying the charter.

[ ] Rechartering the TC.

[ ] Closing the TC.”

Note that the revisions to the TC Process allow you to run an electronic ballot using the TC’s balloting facility during the meeting. You may open and close the electronic ballot during the meeting. A ballot opened as part of a meeting is not required to remain open for 7 days.

Reappointing your Chair(s)

Sect. 1.4 Chairs of the OASIS Committee Operations Process (https://www.oasis-open.org/policies-guidelines/oasis-committee-operations-process/#chairs) states:

Every two years a Committee must re-appoint its chair(s).

The purpose of the new addition to section 1.4 is to allow committees to reconfirm the desire of the existing Chair(s) to continue in their role or to provide a graceful way for them to step back and allow other members to take on the role.

To reappoint the Chair(s), we suggest the following steps:

  • Notify the committee of the requirement and issue a call for candidates to the committee’s primary mailing list. Note that the current chairs are welcome to indicate their willingness to continue. In the email, indicate whether the committee will handle the election in a meeting or via a ballot. Provide 7 days for members to propose themselves as candidates.
  • If you have one or two candidates, you can handle the reelection via a call for objections. Language such as:

“Are there any objections to appointing and as committee Chairs?”

will suffice to memorialize the committee’s decision.

As always, please feel free to contact TC Administration with any questions that you have or if you need assistance on this topic.