5.8.6Restructure/Finance/Processes   - approved 0505/updates 0606 -(BoG 0505 Motions –Approved for M&C)

IEEE ComSoc Conference Support Policy – Priority Order approved 0505

05:02 "that to assure cost-effective and high quality conference support, conference committees are required to use qualified resources in the following priority order: 1) unpaid volunteers, 2) paid IEEE and/or ComSoc staff and 3) contracted support. Conference budgets for conferences having greater than 50% financial interest by ComSoc shall clearly identify these items, with such budgets being approved by the Director of M&C as a condition for overall conference approval by IEEE. Contract support may only be used under special circumstances, such as cost savings compared to staff, unavailability of staff, or unique qualifications. In such cases, concurrence is needed by the VP Membership Services in consultation with the Executive Director.”

Per 27 March 2006 IEEE ComSoc Executive Order: 

• Site selection process - Staff is responsible for all initial site (hotel, convention center, service provider) contact and subsequent negotiations in prep for committee/Society leadership review and decision purposes.  Note:  Staff is held accountable for the contract negotiations and signatures obligating IEEE and the IEEE Communications Society.
• M&C Registration – IEEE CMS Registration Services are required for all IEEE ComSoc meeting & conference events; exceptions will be considered in extreme cases only.  In such cases, concurrence is needed by the VP Membership Services in consultation with the Executive Director. 
  

Conference Direct Cost Recovery approved 0505

05:03 “that the BoG resolve that direct cost recovery of Meetings & Conferences staff time and other expenses incurred in support of a given conference, if requested by the conference general chair, shall be budgeted as conference expense in our events and included in the determination of the surplus margin requirements.”

Conference F&A Co-Treasurer approved 0505

05:06 “that the BoG resolve that all ComSoc greater-than-50%-financially sponsored conferences held on or after January 1, 2006, shall have the ComSoc Finance & Administration Manager as a co-treasurer of the conference in accordance with the following responsibilities:

The staff co-treasurer is responsible for:

• Budget review
• Checkbook custody and management of the principle conference account (IEEE concentration banking)

Conferences held outside the USA shall be entitled to hold one additional local bank account under the custody of the volunteer co-treasurer. Conferences held within the United States may have a local account. Local accounts, whenever needed, will be opened with the approval of the ComSoc M&C Director in consultation with the ComSoc Treasurer.

• Transaction recording
• Closing conference books including official financial reporting

The volunteer co-treasurer is responsible for:

• Budget compilation and management, including pricing, revenue and spending decisions
• Managing expenses, including all approvals before disbursement
• Submission of budgets and forecasts to organizing/steering committee
• Whenever necessary, open and manage local currency bank account (upon approval by ComSoc M&C Director)
• Manage on site transactions (consistent with budget, contract, and payment terms).

If the conference organization so desires the ComSoc F&A manager can act as a sole treasurer or absorb one or more of the volunteer co-treasurer responsibilities.

Restructure approved 0505

05:15 “that the ComSoc BoG resolves the following:

• effective 1 September 2005 that IEEE GLOBECOM/ICC Technical Content Committee (GITC) be created responsible for the strategy and management of the technical content of IEEE GLOBECOM and IEEE ICC
• effective January 1, 2006, that GLOBECOM/ICC Conference Committee (GICC) be replaced by the IEEE GLOBECOM/ICC Management and Strategy Committee (GIMS) responsible for managing the operations and strategic planning of IEEE ICC and IEEE GLOBECOM, two annual technical conferences on telecommunications research, technology and applications.
  

Event Location approved 0606

Considered factors affecting an M&C event location decision must include the following:

• ComSoc strategic interests e.g. membership development: India, China, etc.
• Event specifications & scope; topical focus
• Venue attractiveness, drawing power & accessibility
• Concentrations of regional membership & market audience bases
• Venue facilities and meeting space availability
• Potential, synergistic industry support and patronage
• Security Issues: Government, economic & regional stability