For a list of all teams and project/standing groups at the Alliance, see Team Overview.

Teams

Alliance Teams are charged with specific tasks determined by the Board and Council. Teams associated with a program also serve in an advisory capacity to the Program Manager.

• Small Teams (generally 5-7 members) communicating with Representatives appointed by each member institution (39). Team members:
  • Are appointed by the Board, with staggered terms
  • Do not represent their institution but rather use their background and experience to inform the team’s efforts to work for the good of the entire membership.
  • Manage workload at their member institution so that the work of chairs and committee members is not seen as “extra,” “volunteer,” or “as time allows,” but rather an important formal assignment. Thus, local member work should be adjusted by their institution so that consortial work is not an infringement on personal time.
  • Work with Council Liaisons.
• Chaired by member library staff appointed by the Board; with annual introduction to role and annual designation of Chair-elect.
• Program Manager serves as staff liaison.
• Work with Representatives, who are appointed by members to work with the Team.
  • Representatives speak for their institution on matters related to the program and are consulted by the program manager and Team as needed.
• Teams provide short status reports for each in-person Board meeting (i.e., three times a year).
• Teams are assessed by the Board on an annual basis.
• Common Criteria for Team Members: Nominations for Team Members are considered and chosen using the following criteria over their term:
  • Be different. Provide diverse perspectives among team members. Diversity for team members includes, but is not limited to, professional experience or expertise, institution type, geographic distribution, and personal diversity.
  • Have some experience in the Team’s area. The individual should have relevant experience and/or expertise in functional areas associated with the team and program prior to appointment. However, the individual need not be an expert, and people new to Alliance work are welcome.
  • Be available and committed. The individual must be available for and interested in serving on the Team. This is confirmed directly with the individual unless they self-nominate. The Team chair and Program Manager may also eliminate candidates if they are known to have current limitations on their ability to be active participants. Chairs spend up to 8 hours a week on their duties; other members 4 hours per week.
  • Be a strategic thinker. The individual must be able to think big picture and long-term, in addition to addressing the present day.
  • Know the Alliance. The individual must understand the Alliance’s strategic agenda and the Team’s goals.
  • Be willing to represent the whole membership. The individual must use their background and experience to inform the team’s efforts to work for the good of the entire membership rather than represent their own institution.
  • Enable equitable participation in the Alliance. To enable a Collaborative Workforce, we must monitor member participation in the Alliance and support the service of qualified members when their participation is otherwise below expectations.

Groups

Teams form and create charges for groups to achieve Alliance goals. Teams issue calls one or more times a year to staff groups. Criteria for choosing members are similar to those for Teams (above), plus specific skills and expertise identified by the Team.

These have been known as “Working Groups” but the Council adopted a new, more detailed approach for FY18:

• Standing Groups: These groups serve a similar function each year and members would be appointed each year. (e.g. E-Book Working Group; Norm Rules).
• Project Groups: These groups serve for fewer than 6 months, and conduct specific, limited tasks. (e.g. NZ Manager Support Group)

This chart should help identify the differences between Teams, Standing Groups and Project Groups.

	Team	Standing Group	Project Group
Scope	Advise Program Area Set and manage strategic priorities within Alliance framework Set annual tasks	Perform ongoing tasks that support a program area but that do not meet criteria for W1 work	Complete a time-limited discrete project in support of a program area
Number of Members	5-7	6-8	Varies according to need
Expertise Level of Members	Interested and have some experience, but not experts	Interested and have some experience, but not experts	Varies according to need
How are members recruited?	Posted on announce list	Posted on announce list and relevant community lists	Discretion of Sponsor
How Appointments are Approved	Board	Team	Sponsor determines
Member Term	2 year; Chair-elect may serve longer	1 year, up to 3 consecutive terms	Length of group
Sponsor	Board	Team	Team(s), Standing Group(s), PM(s), ED
Who do they report to?	Council / Board	Team	Sponsor
Level of Authority (on scale of Operational / Functional; Recommend; Set Policy; Enforce Policy)	All levels	All levels	Operational / Functional OR Recommend only
Role of Council	Liaison appointed by Board Chair	No formal role	No formal role

Criteria for Serving on Groups

• Groups are formed and appointed by Teams.
• Group members do not represent their institution but rather use their background and experience to inform the team’s efforts to work for the good of the entire membership.
• Group members are expected to manage workload at their member institution so that the group work is not seen as “extra,” “volunteer,” or “as time allows,” but rather an important formal assignment. Thus, local member work should be adjusted by their institution so that consortial work is not an infringement on personal time.