Terms of Reference RAG Underlag till styrelsemöte 12-14 juni 2014

Regional Advisory Group: Terms of Reference

  1. Purpose

The purpose of the RAG is to provide strategic advice to Regional Offices and sections and structures (in this document this term is used to also cover National Offices) on regional alignment with and smooth implementation of Amnesty International’s global and regional strategies in order to achieve a strong, coherent and integrated Amnesty International voice in the region and globally for greater human rights impact. The RAG is neither a decision making body nor will it be involved in day to day operations or governance of the Regional Offices or sections and structures.

  1. RAG reemit

    1. Strategy:

  • Review and make recommendations in regard to regional strategies including regional research, advocacy, media, campaigning, movement building, activism and regional growth plans and division of labour between regional offices and sections. (ORG 30/018/2013)

  • Within the framework of the ISP, country prioritization frameworks, Critical Pathways and global campaigns, provide strategic advice for decision making with regards to:

    • Regional trends

    • Priority countries for AI work

    • Priority human rights issues for AI work

    • Resource allocation

    • Integrated global, and regional human rights and growth strategies including for countries without section or structure presence

    • Balance between locally relevant and global work

 

  1. Planning

  • Review and advice with regards to the Regional Office portfolio of globally, regionally and continentally relevant work, proposed for Operational Planning before it is submitted to SLT for approval

  • Review and advice on the portfolio of planned Critical Pathway work for the continent, including local relevance work and research and action projects. before it is submitted to SLT for approval

  • Facilitate consultation on Regional Operational Plans with sections and structures and Regional Offices

  • Advise and support the RAM process to identify opportunities for investment in the region within conflict of interest policy

  • Reflect on the delivery of strategies and plans as a contribution to monitoring and evaluation in the region and share best practices and experiences to promote continuous learning and development

 

  1. General

  • Function as a important interface between sections and structure in the region, the Regional Offices and the wider movement

  • Share best practices and experiences for integrated capacity building

  • Provide leadership and strategic oversight towards coherent implementation of regional strategies

 

 

 

  1. Skills of the RAG Members

Members of the RAG will be appropriately skilled and have regional experience (ORG 30/018/2013), exercising one or more of the skills below. The overall skill set in the RAG will comprise of at least all the skills listed below:

  • Human Rights knowledge and experience

  • Strategic planning and development

  • Leadership

  • Decision-making

  • Fundraising

  • Developing partnerships and opportunities

  • Movement growth

  • Gender expertise

  • Monitoring, evaluation and learning

  • Media expertise

 

  1. Structure

The RAG will be constituted by the Senior Director for Global Operations (SD GO), in consultation with the Regional Office Directors, and the GMT. Initially, there will be one RAG for each continent, starting with Africa and Asia and led by the SD GO

 

The following will be the composition of the RAG:

  • All Regional Office Directors from the region

  • The regional Research and Advocacy Director

  • Three section/structure Directors

  • At least one section/structure Director from outside the region/continent ( ORG 30/018/2013)

  • Up to two regional stakeholders

 

The section and structure Directors will be rotated in a staggered approach every two years1.

 

In cases, section and structure Directors from outside the region will be invited to join the Regional Advisory Group, the criteria could include:

  • Involved in organizational development with other sections and structures in the region

  • Have shared plans with sections and structures in the region, or have significant strategic partnerships pursued by regional offices in the region

  • Are significantly involved in a global or regional campaign or  are critical to global advocacy on a priority country from the region

 

The SD GO will seek input from relevant staff from each directorate at the global level responsible for region.

 

In the beginning, until all Regional Directors are recruited in a region, SD GO can invite relevant IS managers to RAG meetings. This could include relevant Research Program Director, Regional Planning Leads, relevant Deputy Programme Directors, or any other relevant staff.

 

Members are not permitted to delegate their RAG responsibilities.

 

Section and structure Directors (including national entities) may be reappointed for a second term if needed. If this is necessary, only one of such Directors will be reappointed to ensure membership is reasonably rotated.

 

  1. Meetings and Resources

The RAG will normally meet twice a year: once by telephone/video conference and once at a face to face meeting. Efforts will be made to hold the face to face RAG meeting in tandem with another regional meeting that brings sections and structures and Regional Office Directors together.

 

The RAG meetings will be chaired by a section/structure Director with support from the Research and Advocacy Director, responsible for the continent.

 

Administrative support to the RAG will be provided by the Administrative Assistant of the Regional Office where the RAG meeting is taking place.

 

RAG members must commit to prepare for and attend all meetings, but collectively guard against lengthy pre-reading or other intensive preparation requirements in recognition of the members commitments outside the RAG.

 

  1. Vacancy

In the case of a vacancy in the RAG due to departure of a section or structure Director, a new appointment will be made by the SD GO. The other RAG members will be consulted before making this appointment. The new incoming Director of the particular section where vacancy occurred will not automatically become a member of RAG2.

 

  1. Code of Conduct

Any conflict of interest must be declared before accepting membership of the RAG. If any agenda item presented a conflict of interest for a RAG member they should declare that conflict of interest at the start of the meeting.

 

All RAG members are expected to act in the best interests of the Amnesty International movement globally and in the region and not in the interests of their country, entity or particular interest group.

 

Any conflicts within the RAG will be resolved by the SD GO while a conflict of interest policy is being developed to cover issues such us involvement of RAG members in a RAM advisory role ( ORG 30/018/2013).

 





  1. RAG and Global Management Team

The SD GO will ensure coordination between the RAGs and GMT and resolve any discordance that may emerges between the two. Coordination between the two bodies may be supported where RAG members are also members of the GMT.

 

  1. Reviewing the Terms of Reference

The RAG Terms of Reference will be reviewed by the SD GO after one year of RAG operations and every two years thereafter. This review will be done in consultation with all RAGs. The report of this review will be provided to Secretary General and GMT and necessary adjustments or modifications will be made in the ToR if needed.

 

 

Note on the implementation of RAGs

 

Throughout OP3 (2014-2015), some flexibility in the application of the RAG ToR will be required to respond to the interim situation and changes until the Regional Offices and RAGs are fully established and operational.

 

The following are some suggestions and suggested modifications to ToR of RAG in the beginning:

  • The RAGs in Africa and Asia will be formally launched by April 2013, and July 2014 respectively.

  • The term of the first RAG in Asia and Africa should be two years (2014 and 2015)

  • Formation of RAGs in other regions and their first term period will be decided upon closer to the dates of Regional office Opening.

  • Directors of sections and structures located in the same country as the Regional Offices may be appointed as the section/structure members of the RAG for the first term. This will apply for Asia and Africa. In the case of other regions, as number of ROs planned is not three, a separate decision will be made about the composition closer to the date of regional office’s Opening.

  • If the above section or structure Director(s) resign during their first term in the RAG, the new Director of that same section or structure will become a member of the RAG, although their term will end with the other section or structure Directors (not two years from their joining the RAG)

 

 

 

1

See attached Note on the implementation of RAGs in Year 1

 

 

2

See attached Note on the implementation of RAGs in Year 1