The PPOCIR initiative is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council through a Partnership Development Grant.
Canadian Partnership for Public Policy-Oriented Consumer Interest Research (PPOCIR)
Executive Committee
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Introduction
The Canadian Partnership for Public Policy-Oriented Consumer Interest Research (PPOCIR) (herein referred to as “the Partnership”) has received
support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHC) in the form of a Partnership Development Grant. The Partnership’s Executive Committee (herein referred to as “the EC”) is the main governance component of the Partnership.
Responsibilities
The EC’s main responsibility is to oversee the implementation of the Partnership work plan. Work pertaining to the SSHRC grant will be approved through the EC, with the principal investigator retaining a veto right over any decisions that
could contravene the SSHRC funding agreement.
The EC’s work will include the following:
- Determine the Partnership’s overall strategic direction and priorities;
- Make operational decisions regarding the Partnership budget, research projects, agreements on student research supervision by universities and assignments with Partners;
- Monitor and report on the Partnership’s progress and outcomes;
- Assist in the organization of annual Partnership workshops and contribute to other Partnership dissemination activities;
- Ratify annual reports and other official Partnership documents.
Composition
The EC is co-chaired by the academic lead, Principal Investigator Dr. Robert Kerton, and a representative of the formal academic partner at the organizational level, Ryerson University (represented by Dr. Kernaghan Webb).
In addition, the EC will be comprised of the five (5) other academic co-applicants in the SSRHC grant; a representative from Industry Canada (ex officio); a representative from another government partner organization (ex officio, with yearly rotation); and a representative from a non-governmental organization (ex officio, with yearly rotation).
As the Partnership work evolves, the EC may establish sub-committees to provide assistance with the development of specific work plan items.
Meetings
The EC will meet at the call of the call of one of the co-chairs. It is anticipated that there will be quarterly teleconference calls, as well as face-to-face work in the context of the annual Partnership workshops. Emailing and the forthcoming Partnership website functionalities will also be used for inter-sessional discussions and exchanges of documents (drafting, commenting, etc.). This will also apply to any project-specific sub-groups that may be formed.
Quorum for the meetings will consist of participation from one of the co-chairs, three (3) academic co-applicants, one government member, and one non-governmental member.
Secretariat Support
As per the budget plan submitted to SSHRC, a PhD student will be hired as a project management assistant to provide secretariat support to the lead applicant and the EC. Until such arrangements are finalized, Industry Canada will continue with the provision of secretariat support similar to the assistance that it provides to the expert group on Consumer Interest Research (which acts as an advisory group to the EC).
Decision-Making
Full discussion of Partnership work plan activities will be promoted. Every effort will be made to ensure that decisions by the EC are made by consensus, with leadership from the co-chairs and all EC members’ good faith commitment to trust the prevailing view and permit consensus to be identified. If an EC member is unable to support a consensus on a particular meeting item, their concerns will be documented.
The EC will provide ongoing communications of work-in-progress with the Partnership’s advisory group, such as meeting agendas and minutes.
The Partnership’s Principal Investigator assumes administrative responsibility for the SSHRC Partnership Development grant will ensure that the related expenditures respect SSHRC regulations.
Created June 17, 2014
Discussed by the EC on July 9, 2014 and revisions considered on September 4, 2014
To be reviewed by the CIR Expert Group on September 30, 2014
To be ratified by the EC on October 14, 2014
To be posted on the Partnership website in October, 2014