It is a good idea that each committee of an organisation (AKA team, working group or sub-group) be clearly defined in writing. This promotes understanding of who is in the group, what they aim to achieve, and how they intend to go about doing it. Below is a basic template of what such a committee charter or definition sheet might include for you to customise.
Committee Terms of Reference
Name:
[Official name of the committee or working group]
Members:
- [Name, Roles / Responsibilities (e.g. chair, secretary, treasurer, report to the board) – Contact Information]
Goals:
- [primary]
- [secondary]
Deliverables
- [Specific outputs required/requested from the committee]
Scope / Jurisdiction
[What are the bounds of responsibility and authority of the this sub-group? What do they need to address and what is outside their area of concern? What can they decide on and what needs higher authority approval?]
Guidance from the Board / Lead Group
[Initial direction and suggestions from the board and/or larger group]
Resources and Budget
[E.g. equipment, materials, rooms, funds available to the committee]
Governance
[Decision-making technique, e.g. consensus, 2/3 or majority vote, chair’s authority, etc. Relationships of authority within the group and with the greater organisation.]
Additional Notes
- Relationships to other committees
- How communications outside of meetings will be conducted, e.g. email list, Skype, Slack
- Where shared information, such as plans and contact information, will be stored
- Related policies / by-laws
- How reporting back to the organization will be conducted
- History of the committee
- Schedule or meetings and/or other important timelines
- Information about specific committee projects
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