Meetings are not intended for information-sharing or activity reporting. Following SOPs, information-sharing and updating will occur prior to the meeting via digital means (email or online).
Reporting back during the meeting will be limited to Working Groups and Subcommittees working on cross-sector issues, and not on individual agency actions. Working Groups and Subcommittees should include recommendations for action by the NEPC in their reports.
Meetings are meant to be avenues for joint decision-making, resulting in a Policy Statement or other Decision Item (in the Minutes).
A Meeting Agenda with decision items will be set at least four (4) days prior to a Full Meeting, based on information reporting processes.
Schedule
The Full NEPC shall meet at least twice (2x) per year for a regularly scheduled meeting.
These meetings will be on or as close as possible to the second Tuesday of January and second Tuesday of July.
Members shall commit four (4) hours to each Full Meeting, plus an additional four (4) hours to a mini-retreat.
The meeting in July shall consist of a full NEPC meeting PLUS a mini-retreat during which time the NEPC prepares its Joint Strategic Plan dividing up National Priorities.
Special Meetings of the full NEPC may be called by the Chair, Vice Chair, or Secretariat with at least one week notice. Requests for Special Meetings may be made by any Member.
Meetings of Working Groups and Subcommittees should occur at least twice per year.
Quorum
Members should make every effort to attend Full NEPC meetings.
Full NEPC Meetings will not commence without a quorum of 50%+1 (in 2018 this was 11 Members and/or Proxies), plus at least one Officer.
If a Member is not present physically, but is present using digital means (e.g. via Skype or Teleconference), this shall count towards the quorum.
If a quorum for a regularly scheduled meeting is not achieved, this will be noted in the Minutes (including absences) and a special Memo to the Office of the President, and the remaining members will break into Working Groups. Policy Statements may still be issued with the appropriate signatures.
The Quorum for a Special Meeting shall be set at 8, plus at least one Officer.
If a meeting starts with a Quorum, but then Members leave and a quorum is lost, the meeting will continue.
Transparency and Record-keeping
NEPC meetings are NOT open to the public.
Meeting Minutes and Policy Statements are Public Documents.
All Full NEPC Meetings are to have a complete record of the minutes (with exemptions for sensitive financial and personnel matters)
A non-NEPC Member may attend a NEPC Meeting as a Facilitator, with the approval of the Officers and Secretariat. The Facilitator shall not act as a Decision-Maker.
Meeting Agendas may include invited special guests and experts, but these guests may be asked to leave before Decision-making begins.
Public Records of the NEPC are to be shared with the public (via email, printed document, or online) within one month of their creation.
Within reasonable limits, the NEPC shall endeavor to be transparent about any funding or financing that impacts the NEPC or Secretariat. Any grants or contracts that are specific to the NEPC and/or the Secretariat should be reported on during meetings or in annual reports.
Decision-Making
The NEPC shall operate via consensus. Voting is to be avoided but is ultimately the decision of the Chair or Vice Chair.
Minutes shall include the final decision and any notable dissension, but need not include all details (including proponents or detractors) of making the decision.
In the case of a vote, how each member voted shall be recorded.
Internal Conflicts of Interest (within NEPC)
The NEPC shall self-police to remove conflicts of interest. Proponents should make recommendations and then refrain from making decisions. In the case of any financial decisions, proponents MUST remove themselves from the decision-making process.
Conflicts of Interest should be documented internally and tracked. If necessary, processes to reduce Conflicts of Interest should be included in revised By Laws or Strategic Plans.