Framework for Co-operation

Fingal Community Forum / Forum 15 / North Fingal Community Forum

Note:

The Fingal Community Forum and each of the Community Networks will identify their individual Mission Statement, Vision, Goals and Objectives.

The Fingal Community Forum and each of the Community Networks will incorporate agreements made in the Framework for Co-operation into their individual Constitutions.

Forum Membership

Applicants must complete a Fingal Community & Voluntary Registration Form to become a member of Fingal Community Forum and its associated Local Community Networks – by affiliating to the Forum, you are automatically affiliated to your local Community Network and vice-versa.

The Executive Board will deal with queries on membership.

Organisations must be in existence for at least six months

Forum Members are non-profit organisations.

Organisations are open to new members.

Member organisations should normally be resident and active in County Fingal.

Member organisations are expected to be non-party political and non-sectarian.

Closing date for receipt of membership registration forms shall be the 31^st of May each year in order to be nominated for and vote at Forum events for the remainder of that calendar year.

The Structure of the Community Forum

The Forum shall be made up of all affiliated Community and Voluntary organisations in Fingal County.

Local Community Networks

There shall be 3 Local Community Networks to facilitate and encourage the involvement of local organisations to Fingal Community Forum – these networks are autonomous, working in partnership with Fingal Forum to achieve common goals.

North Fingal Community Network – Balbriggan/Swords Electoral Areas
Forum 15 Community Network – Castleknock/Mulhuddart Electoral Areas.
East Fingal Community Network – Howth/Malahide Electoral Areas.

The Fingal Community Forum Executive

There shall be a Forum Executive made up of 24 elected representatives drawn from:

Six geographical electoral areas (2 from each)–

Castleknock
Mulhuddart
Swords
Balbriggan
Howth
Malahide

Five thematic groups (2 from each) –

Residents/Tenants/Community Councils,
Social Inclusion/Equality,
Environment/Conservation/Development,
Arts/Culture
Sports/Recreation

Fingal Senior Citizen Network (1)

Youth Sector (1)

The Role of the Fingal Community Forum Executive

To (s) elect representatives to the County Development Board, its permanent committees, its thematic groups, the Strategic Policy Committees, and other local, regional and national bodies as relevant.

To establish and co-ordinate activities of Forum sub-groups

To facilitate the development of Forum policy through its member organisations

Implement Forum Policy

To agree Forum Work Plans

To ensure Forum Work Plans are completed by their agreed deadlines.

To employ staff as required

The Fingal Community Forum Officer Board

The Officer Board positions of Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer will be (s) elected at the first meeting of the Executive Board after the Annual General Meeting.

Development workers may be in attendance at Officer Meetings as required.

The Role of the Officer Board

The Officer Board is responsible for the day to day management of the Forum on behalf of the Executive Board and will:

Organise business and agendas of the Forum and the Executive Board
May provide guidance on policy and work priorities to the development workers.
Facilitate information sharing
Facilitate the evaluation of Forum activities.

Sub-Groups

The Forum Executive Board will establish sub-structures/working groups as identified, through which groups and individuals will have an opportunity to participate in policy development. Sub-groups will include the thematic groupings but will also be established around other specific areas of interest or particular actions as they see fit.

Meetings of the Forum

The whole Forum will meet at least once in a calendar year. This meeting should act as the Annual General Meeting. Where possible the Forum should hold another meeting to co-ordinate Forum Policy. The location of these meetings should consider equality of geographical access.

The attendance list and minutes from the previous Forum meetings will accompany the agenda.

Member organisations can have items tabled for discussion and included in the agenda of the Forum meeting. Items for inclusion in the agenda must be received in the office of the Forum Secretariat at least two weeks before an ordinary meeting and one month before the AGM.

The Agenda for the meeting will be circulated to all registered groups 7 days before on ordinary meeting of the Forum and 21 days before the AGM.

The quorum for a meeting of the Forum shall be 10% of affiliated groups.

It will be the aim of the Forum to arrive at Forum policy by consensus. However, in the event of this not being possible, a policy will require the support of two-thirds of those organisations present at the meeting, provided attendance is at least 10% of Forum membership. If policy is being formed on an area or thematic basis it will be 10% of members from that area or theme.

Organisations may send more than one representative, however, in the event of a vote being called, each organisation will have one vote and one delegate may vote on behalf of one organisation only.

Meetings of the Forum will operate to a timed agenda.

The Forum Executive will meet at least eight times a year.

The quorum for a meeting of the Forum Executive will be nine.

The Forum Executive will strive to make decisions by consensus. Where this is not possible, a decision will require the support of at least two-thirds of those present

The Officer Board will meet as often as necessary but at least ten times a year.

The thematic sub-groups of the Forum will meet on an ad-hoc basis with all relevant organisations being given the opportunity to attend.

Election Procedures & Terms of Office

The Forum Executive term of office shall be two years in line with geographic and thematic elections. Members will have the option to run for re-election. The maximum term of office for a Forum Executive member will be four consecutive years.

Organisations may only have one representative on the Forum Executive. That is organisations with a place on the Executive through the geographic process cannot take another place through the thematic process.

The Officer Board will be elected at the first meeting of the Executive after the AGM and the term of office will be for a period of two years, with the no option to be re-elected for a second consecutive term.

Elections will take place every year arranged as follows: county-wide thematic elections will take place every odd year i.e. 2005, 2007, etc.; geographic elections will take place every even year i.e. 2006, 2008, etc. Each of these elections will be to fill twelve places, making a total of twenty-four places. No person will serve for more than four consecutive years. Seeking re-election by transferring from thematic to geographic positions is not possible without a break of two years.

Members of the Forum and Community Network Committees must stand down, once declared candidates in National or Local elections and must resign their position if elected as a public representative on County Councils or the Dáil.

Elections will take place before November 16^th each year.

Thematic Elections will be organised by the Fingal Community Forum Development Officer with the Forum Officer Board and will take place in a central location, with assistance from the Local Community Networks.

Geographic Elections will be organised by the Community Network Development Officer with the local Management Committees in their local area, with the assistance of the Fingal Community Forum Development Officer.

All organisations will be notified of upcoming elections in September, with a closing date for nominations in October.

The address of an affiliated organisation (not its nominee) will determine what geographical area a member can represent in geographic elections.

The theme that organisations choose in their Registration Form will determine what category that can run for in thematic elections.

This Framework Document is the agreed framework for co-operation between all the stakeholders in the Forum. It is a working document and may be reviewed on an annual basis. The Carnegie Group will meet to review the document annually to ensure that it is a relevant, living document that guides relationships and best practise within all sections of the Forum.

All stakeholders are expected to review the constitutions of their individual organisations to ensure that there is compatibility between these constitutions and the framework document.

It is expected that the constitutions of all stakeholders will be adjusted to ensure compatibility, before the implementation of the framework document. With effect from November 30^th 2004 the framework document will be the working document for co-operation between all stakeholders.

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