Just like any good functional team, the IM Team needs to set a purpose and goals, determine the terms of the members of the team, decide how they will track data and make decisions and then how they will share their information and data to everyone else. The Terms of Reference process can aid IM teams with this process.

What is it?

• TOR can define the purpose and structures of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal

Why have it?

• to provide goal clarity about the work of the team, guide the team to stay ‘on mission’ and orient new members, and define deliverables.

As a team, consider using the TOR to determine the functions of your IM team.

• Here is an example of a completed TOR

• Here is a blank TOR template

For more information about the TOR please visit NIRN