JBIC Regional Chairs Policy

Division: Global Relations

1. Introduction

The JBI Collaboration (JBIC) Regional Chair is a voluntary leadership position. Regional Chairs work closely with Entities across each of the five JBC regions and in coordination with the JBI Global Engagement Office in Adelaide to coordinate regional communication and activity/events and to foster regional collaboration. Regional Chairs serve for a term of one year and are remunerated for their investment in this role (see JBI Collaboration Handbook). 

There are currently five JBIC Regions, each with their own Standing Committee: 

• Americas Region (North and South America)

• Asian Region 

• Australasian Region (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands)

• African Region 

• European Region 

2.    Responsibilities

JBIC Regional Chairs are voluntary positions, however it is essential that those considering assuming a Regional Chair’s position are able to devote enough time to the essential duties outlined below. Regional Chairs are responsible for:

• Driving the development and monitoring the implementation of the regional operational plan; 

• Promoting a culture of sharing, learning and best practice across the region and enhancing the regional capacity to work towards its regional operational plan;

• Facilitating one annual face-to-face or teleconference meeting per year (in addition to the annual face-to-face JBIC Meeting) with all Centre of Excellence Directors and Affiliated Group Convenors invited to attend (dates/agenda/minutes to be provided as evidence with the annual report);

• Participating in JBI working groups and facilitating regional feedback and a coordinated regional response to policy, framework and institute matters as required by JBI Adelaide; and

• Producing an Annual Review Report to JBI documenting regional collaborative activities undertaken in the preceding 12 months (including, but not limited to, regional meetings/events, teleconferences, collaborative work in relation to evidence synthesis, transfer or implementation).

3.    Policy

3.1 Election

Regional Chairs are nominated and elected by Entities within the Region and must be situated within a JBI Centre of Excellence. Eligibility requires that nominated individuals must be:

• A core staff member of a Centre of Excellence;

• Available to attend all online and face-to-face meetings for the year they are accepting a nomination; and

• Able to dedicate sufficient time to fulfil the roles and responsibilities as outlined in 3.3 of this document

The standing Regional Chair must facilitate the nomination and election process within its own region during the face-to-face JBIC Meeting each year. The incoming Regional Chairs will be announced following that meeting. Regional Chairs may select their own democratic process for nominations and elections. 

3.2   Co-Chair or Chair-Elect

Co-Chair or Chair-Elect nominations are encouraged. These positions however are not remunerated. A Co-Chair or a Chair-Elect may be considered a proxy for regional meetings. In the event that a Co-Chair or a Chair-Elect undertakes significant duties as a proxy for the Regional Chair, division of remuneration and JBIC Matrix Activity Points allocation must be decided upon between the relevant parties. In the event that both a Regional Chair and a Co-Chair/ Chair-Elect are in attendance at regional or international meetings, they will only have one vote per region. 

3.3 Remuneration

Regional chairs are remunerated for their position, eligible to receive $1,000AUD in March of each year following the timely and complete submission of reports and supporting evidence as detailed in the JBI Collaboration Handbook, Activity Matrix.

3.4 Successive terms

Regional chairs serve a term of one calendar year. They may be re-nominated for a further one-year term, after which they will have to stand down for at least one term.

4.    Procedures

4.1   Election

The Global Engagement Office will send a reminder email to Regional Chairs at least one (1) month prior to the face-to-face JBIC Meeting regarding the nomination and election of Regional Chairs for the following year. Regional Chairs will be required to notify the Global Engagement Office via email jbic@adelaide.edu.au of the incoming Regional Chair within two weeks following the annual face-to-face meeting. There must be a Regional Chair from each region who has been duly elected in attendance at the face-to-face meeting each year. No region may have an ‘empty’ chair.

4.2   Regional Operational Plan

Regional Chairs will collaborate with the Entities in their region to complete the Regional Operational Plan for the following year and submit to the Global Engagement Office via email jbic@adelaide.edu.au no later than 31 January of each year.

4.3 Annual Review Report

Regional Chairs will collaborate with the Entities in their region to complete the Regional Annual Review Report documenting regional collaborative activities undertaken in the preceding 12 months and submit to the Global Engagement Office via email jbic@adelaide.edu.au no later than 31 January of each year.

4.4 Regional Meetings 

Regional Chairs will facilitate one annual face-to-face or teleconference meeting per year, at times convenient to the Directors and Convenors of the region. The Global Engagement Office will ensure that adequate time is allowed in the program of the annual face-to-face HBIC Meeting to enable face-to-face regional meetings to be held. Regional Chairs must submit a report with the dates, agenda and minutes of the face-to-face meeting as evidence to the Global Engagement Office via email jbic@adelaide.edu.au no later than 31 January of each year. 

4.5 Remuneration

The Global Engagement Office will email Entities their Annual Review Report by the beginning of March each year. This report will detail the amount of funding that each Centre of Excellence is eligible to receive for the successful completion of eligible activities in the preceding year, including serving as a Regional Chair. 

The Centre Director is required to raise an invoice in AUD for the amount detailed in their Entity Annual Review Report and email a copy to the Global Engagement Office at jbic@adelaide.edu.au.

The GEO Administrative Officer will then facilitate the invoice payment by the University of Adelaide Central Finance Office.