Conference committee chairman need not be a Council member
The Council has accepted a recommendation of the Corporate Governance Steering Group that the chairman of the Conference Committee need not necessarily be a Council member.
Christine Glover, chairman of the steering group) told the December
Council meeting that, at the request of the Appointments Panel, the Corporate
Governance Steering Group had reviewed the requirement that the Conference
Committee must be chaired by a Council member. The steering group supported
the panel’s view that the role required specific skills and abilities
to deliver a successful and profitable conference, along with a high
profile in the wider pharmacy community. The steering group had agreed
a person specification for the role (see Panel).
Person specification
for the chairman of the Conference Committee
· Ability to understand and manage the balance between the science
and practice elements of the event
· Experience of complex events with significant budget implications
· Understanding of the problems of working with volunteers
and stakeholders
· Ability to enthuse others in order to deliver the conference
programme
· Understanding of sponsorship
· Ability to work with tact and diplomacy, firmly and fairly
· Good communication skills, especially when dealing with politically
sensitive issues
· Ability to chair meetings and encourage active participation
in the meeting
· Ability to work closely with senior staff, the conference team,
external administrators and contributors to deliver all aspects
of the conference
· Credibility with external bodies |
The steering group recommended:
(i) that the specification be agreed and subsequently incorporated
into the Council Governance Handbook; (ii)
that the requirement that a Council member fill the role be changed
so that any appropriate person might apply, including Council members;
and
(iii) that the steering group develop and recommend a procedure for
filling the position in future.
Patricia Hoare asked how the chairman would report into Council and
whether he or she would be invited to attend a Council meeting to report
in.
Mrs Glover suggested that something should be incorporated into the
note in the Council Governance Handbook.
Clive Jackson expressed concern about possible conflict or confusion
between the role of the committee chairman and that of the Conference
Science Chairman.
Douglas Simpson said that the British Pharmaceutical Conference was
one of the biggest institutions within the Society. It was an important
event
socially, politically and scientifically. The Council should be reviewing
the whole of the governance of the conference, rather than making piecemeal
decisions of this sort. He saw no need for an immediate rushed decision.
Linda Stone said that there seemed to be some confusion about the role
of committee chairman and other involved with the conference. The Conference
Science Chairman presided over the scientific content of the conference
and a proposed Practice Chairman would preside over the practice content.
Their role was behind the scenes until the conference, when they would
chair the sessions. The post under discussion was that of the chairman
of the Conference Committee, which pulled the conference together and
made sure it happened. The role required the best person for the job,
and it had in the past been a struggle to find somebody with the right
balance of skills within the Council.
Sultan Dajani said that although the Conference Committee needed the
skills and abilities that had been set out they did not all have to
lie with the chairman. He still believed that a Council member should
chair
the committee because it was also about accountability and responsibility.
Members of Council tended to have more responsibility because of their
elected position.
The President then put the three recommendations, which were carried.
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal