Report of the Technical

Committee Working Group

Chair: Valerie Cockerell

ISTA Annual Meeting, Sapporo, 14 June 2018

Members of the Working

Group

Name Position

Valerie Cockerell Chair

Chair of Method Validation Sub Group

Leena Pietilä Member

Chair of TCOM Functioning Sub Group

Craig McGill ISTA President

Andreas Wais Secretary General

Nadine Ettel TCOM Co-ordinator

Andrea Militaru Administrator

Technical Commitees

ISTA’s technical committees are at the heart

of the Association providing:

• the majority of Rules development

• extension of technical knowledge through

workshops, training courses, seminars and

symposia, and

• publication activity through Handbooks.

TCOM Challenges

TCOM work can be challenging and across the Committees each deals with its own issues or similar issues to other TCOMs.

A few examples:

– Resources (including funding)

– Too reliant on too few people

– High workload

– Communications/processes

Purpose and Aims of TCOM

Working Group

Purpose

• Define Technical Committee policy

Aims

• To identify ways in which the Technical

Committees can operate more effectively,

• and identify the means needed to enable

this.

Facilitated Workshop TCOM

Chairs & ECOM

• 15 February 2017, Zurich

• Questionnaire sent to all TCOM members

• Focus on question

What could we do differently?

• Key questions from suggestions

in answer to this question were

explored at the workshop

ECOM Decisions

• ECOM agreed to action a range of

proposals at the end of the workshop

• Action plan for the TCOM Working

Group

Triennium 2016 -2019

TCOM Working Group

TCOM Function

Sub Working Group

Method Validation

Sub Working Group

TCOM Support

TCOM Support

• TCOM Budget Framework

• TCOM Special Projects

TCOM Budget Framework

• 3000 CHF (Annual)

• More flexibility in how to spend allocated

money

• Removes need for ECOM approval

• Also applies to any surplus from

committee planned events e.g. workshops

TCOM Budget Framework

Process

TCOM identifies funding proposal (s) that

meet work programme needs

discuss and vote on proposal (s)

TCOM Chair

Checks proposal within Budget

Framework scope

(TCOM D-01)

Informs TCOM co-ordinator of

decision

(Form F-22)

TCOM co-ordinator

Checks no ECOM approval required

Records TCOM vote and tracks budget spend

TCOM Special Project Fund (1)

• 100,000 CHF (Annual)

• Allows TCOMs to access additional funds

to take forward projects that add value for

ISTA and its stakeholders.

• Open call for project proposals

• Expectation spend spread across more

than one project

TCOM Special Project Fund (2)

• Project proposal must align with current

ISTA Strategy

• Project length, 1 year up to 2 years

maximum

• Encourages collaborations across multiple

TCOM’s and co-funding with external

organisations

TCOM Special Project Fund (3)

• Start 2019

• Applications requested by 15 January

2019

• ECOM discuss at February Meeting

• Decision by end of February

Thank You

for your Attention!