Thank you for your email (and for your WhatsApp message the other day - apologies for not replying, I currently have a very heavy workload).
I completely understand that it’s difficult to take a decision without a clear idea of the responsibilities and time requirements. I want to be as transparent and insightful as possible to help you on this, but I am faced with my own difficulty that 1) the network is new, and will grow and evolve over time, and I can only estimate these responsibilities right now; and 2) it is the first time we are putting in place these governance structures so there is no precedent on which to base the estimation.
In terms of the requirements of the roles, these are set out in the Proposal, but they are envisaged more as covering a maximum of possible tasks and in the perspective of a fully independent, larger organisation. In practice the tasks such as coordinating meetings, preparing notes etc will continue to fall to me.
In terms of hours, I would tentatively say, in addition to any roles as a representative for your individual NL within the NLE network:
- As a member of the Executive Council: 6 hours of meeting time per year (3 meetings are required annually) + perhaps an hour or so per month to support the work of the Executive Board
- As a member of the Executive Board (Pres, VP, Secretary, Treasurer): 6 hours of meeting time per year (3 meetings are required annually) + any additional Executive Board meetings called by the President + perhaps a couple of hours per month in these roles (maybe more for the President role if attending external meetings etc)
And finally in terms of sharing the roles: I don’t see why not in practice, although it would require clear communication and organisation on your side to ensure Germany’s representatives were on the same page/sharing info with regards to Executive Council discussions. However, for the Executive Board roles, I would strongly advise that these are held by single individuals to maximise efficiency and clarity (particularly President as the official/outward representative of the network).
I had a similar question from NL in Austria, and I am copying below my response to them if that is helpful.
Let me know what you think./if you need more?
Take care,
Kate
The Executive Council is responsible for:
● Overall management of the network and implementation of decisions taken by the General Assembly;
● Formulation of policies and priorities of the network in specific fields;
● Coordination of activities between Members;
● Financial management, and the provisional approval of the annual accounts and the budget and their submission to the next General Assembly;
● Preparations of General Assembly meetings;
● Dismissal of any Executive Council member or appointed officer for serious misconduct before the end of their mandate, taken by a Executive Council three-quarters majority vote, after a motivated warning at the previous Executive Council, and a fair hearing;
● Any legal action undertaken in the name of the network. This could in addition include all administrative deeds or financial acts.Basically, I don't anticipate the Executive Council being overwhelmed with work stemming from these 'powers' for the time being (in practice, these functions will continue to be done by me).Otherwise, being a member of the Executive Council would mean taking part in three additional meetings per year as per 4.5.3:4.5.3 Meetings
The President of the Executive Council shall convene at least three meetings, in person or online, of the Executive Council each year. Executive Council members must participate in at least two of these meetings. The President shall also convene an Executive Council meeting if requested by at least one third of its voting members. The Executive Board may also meet in person or online as the President deems necessary. The Coordinator is invited and attends the Executive Council or Board meetings as of right. The Executive Council may invite any outside person to attend if their presence is deemed necessary.As you say, taking on one of the Exec Board roles (Pres, VP, Secretary, Treasurer) means potentially a significant difference in investment required, particularly for President or VP. But there is no obligation for you as a country to do so, and it may well be that until NLE is an independent organisation, the strategic engagement for these roles is also less.And lastly - there is no obligation for an Executive Council member to stay in their office if it is overwhelming. You could also perhaps envisage a rota system for Austrian NL so that the role is shared perhaps on a six month or yearly rotating basis? That is not 'provided for' in the Proposal Report, but it also clearly states that it is up to country blocks to identify their nominees, and not NLE.
