OTN Draft Council ToR

Draft text for editing by restructuring group.

Mandate

The Council will provide independent, external stewardship of the OTN on behalf of Dalhousie University and all other OTN stakeholders. The Council has responsibility for :

• Strategic direction - Approve the strategic direction and annual management plans  for the OTN.
• Strategic positioning - Advise on the OTN’s identity, its image, and the way it needs to position itself for success, including the provision of advice on new funding opportunities.
• Financial - Recommend to the OTN Executive and the Liaison Committee the annual budget and the budgets for any major upgrades.
• Oversight of performance - Monitor the deployment and performance of the OTN platform, the extent of international collaboration and the scientific output.
• Risk management - Ensure that there are procedures and controls in place to effectively monitor and manage risks.
• Linkages:
• ensure that the OTN is coordinating and collaborating in its activities with appropriate initiatives, both nationally and internationally.
• facilitate interactions between  OTN stakeholders and receptors and end-users of knowledge products
• Advice - Provide feedback on new ideas and proposed developments
• Approvals of:
• the recommendations of the Deployment Committee and International Scientific Advisory Committee, as appropriate
• the Terms of Reference for the OTN Council, and its associated committees

The Council will typically meet three times a year, either in person or by teleconference.

Membership

The members of the Council are appointed by the President of Dalhousie University, and serve a three year term (renewable).

The Council will consist of 12 members with relevant skills and experience, drawn from academia, government, and industry.

Chair

The Chair of the Council is appointed by the President of Dalhousie University.

The Chair will preside at  meetings of the Council, make sure that decisions taken by the Council are consistent with applicable OTN and Dalhousie University Policies, work with the Principal Investigator and Executive Director to provide a bridge between the OTN Council and staff, and monitor the implementation of OTN Council decisions. The term of the Chair is three years (renewable).