CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE CITIZENS NETWORK (CEE CN) INTERNAL RULES AND REGULATIONS Year 2005 I - GENERAL PROVISIONS This document shall determine: membership in Civic Association Central and Eastern Europe Citizens Network (abbreviation: CEE CN); duties and responsibilities of the Director and Coordinator and other issues of importance for Association CEE CN operating bodies. II - CONSTITUENCY 1) Membership The membership in the Association is voluntary. Membership of the Association consists initially of 24 organizations from 16 countries. These members agreed that Slovakia would be the headquarters of the Network. Future membership is open to any legal entity actively promoting citizens participation in Central and Eastern Europe and demonstrating agreement with the mission and objectives. If the member of Association is a legal entity, they will be asked to designate someone who is authorized to act on their behalf and represent them. Future membership is also available for natural persons who are older than 18, capable of conducting their own legal matters, without criminal record for capital offenses, who have been active in promoting citizen participation in Central and Eastern Europe and demonstrate agreement with the mission and objectives. 2) Process of nominating As it is mentioned in the By-laws, the Coordinating Team approves members based on a written application. The form of the written application is a part of the internal documents. III – ORGANIZATIONAL BODIES a) Representative Team (RT) There are several different forms in which Representatives are selected: One member organization from a country. The approved member organization will be asked to designate someone who is authorized to act on their behalf on the Representative Team. Two member organizations from a country. When there are two member organizations, they will be encouraged to determine their own method of determining who will serve as the country representative. In the case where there is a problem in resolving this, the Coordinator will be asked to oversee a solution. More than two organizations from a country. When there are more than two organizations that are members from a country, they can request that the Coordinating Team approve a second representative. They will be asked to determine their own method of determining who will serve as the country representative. In the case where there is a problem in resolving this, the Coordinator will be asked to oversee a solution. Individuals can also be asked in special circumstances to serve on the Representative Team. This normally would occur in the situation where someone has agreed to take on a special assignment for the Association such as overseeing the web site or managing the e-newsletter. In this situation, the Representative Team must approve their selection to the Representative team. Rights and duties of liabilities of the RT are as follows: To determine bodies of the CEE CN and to be selected to participate on them To give proposals, opinions and suggestions To follow up on work of the CEE CN and to raise initiatives of interest for the Network To be regularly updated on work and work results To participate in all activities of the CEE CN To perform awarded jobs and assignments that relate to work and activities of the CEE CN conscientiously and in a responsible manner To promote the activity of the Network and especially the importance of its program goals To perform regularly assumed responsibilities toward the Network as well as to implement decisions, suggestions and conclusions Discipline of RT members will be as follows: Public critique for non-fulfillment of duties by which the reputation of the CEE CN is not disturbed Warning before expulsion for recurring non-fulfillment of duties and liabilities Expulsion from the CEE CN in case a member more seriously violates statutory provisions or jeopardizes the reputation of the Network b) Coordinating Team (CT) Membership in CT The Coordinating Team (CT) of CEE Citizens Network has 6 members. Membership in the CT is on a voluntarily basis. Three of these members are elected and the other three are designated positions: director of CEE Citizens Network, upcoming Conference Coordinator and the CEE Citizens Network Coordinator. Elected membership is based on a professional and personal profile of the potential candidate as well as the organization (NGO) – member of CEE Citizens Network, to which the potential candidate belongs. Geographic criteria (regional coverage of NGO – member of the Network) when selecting members of CT are also taken into consideration. Process of nominating a candidate for membership of the Coordinating Team The process of nominating potential candidate means direct involvement of NGOs – members of CEE Citizens Network from specific countries, as well as current members of the CT. NGOs – members and the Representative Team’s members of CEE Citizens Network are responsible for identification and nomination of potential candidates from their countries by following the concrete application process of CEE Citizens Network. The following should be included with each nomination: A letter of intention to become a member of CT of CEE Citizens Network (the letter is created by a candidate); a written statement by the candidate describing why she/he is interested in becoming a member of CT of CEE Citizens Network; how the candidate plans to contribute to promotion of CEE Citizens Network as a member of CT relating to his/her professional or personal background Personal CV Completed form of nomination for a concrete person – the form is completed by NGO member of CEE Citizens Network or current member of CT. The form is a part of these internal documents. The nomination period should be completed at least two months prior to annual Representative Team (RT) meeting in order for a decision about new members of CT to be made at their regular meeting. CEE Citizens Network’s Coordinator will receive application forms and this person is responsible for processing nominations to the RT within the process of selecting CT’s members. This responsibility includes providing his/her opinion about each candidate individually (together with application documents), based on accessible information and previously defined criteria. This information should be delivered to RT’s members of CEE Citizens Network at least one month before holding an annual meeting. A Representative Team (RT) of CEE Citizens Network will adopt a candidate for a member of CT by consensus, and if it’s not possible then by a twothirds majority out of the total number of members of RT present. Membership period in the Coordination Team A mandate of CT’s member of CEE Citizens Network lasts for 3 (three) years, with the possibility of re-election for an addition 3 (three) year period. A rotation of membership in CT will be implemented over the first three years so that no more than 1/3 of the total number of CT’s members will be change. Members of the CT are elected on the personal basis and will serve the term of election regardless of their continued employment with the organization that nominated them. A profile of potential member of CT Potential candidate for membership in CT of CEE Citizens Network should: Show determination toward democratic processes and human rights respecting Demonstrate dedication to work of NGOs and strengthening the role of citizens in making decisions; understanding of main goals of CEE Citizens Network as well as individual responsibilities of organizations and people inside the Network Prove respecting his/her work or his/her NGO’s work inside NGO community in the country he/she comes from Understand concepts and articulate new ideas Present personal experience in work with NGOs (with and accent on the CEE Region) Be ready for standing and voluntarily work as a member of CT of CEE Citizens Network Job description of CT’s member Job description of CT’s member is important because it specifies CT’s expectations regarding its members. Job description presents obligations, responsibilities and expectations, so that potential candidate can estimate if she/he will be able to meet the expectations or not. Responsibilities: - contribute to creating, reviewing and adopting CEE CN mission as well as estimating whether the mission is accomplished through the activities or not participate in an annual evaluation of environment in which the network acts as well as creating and adopting the network’s work strategy participate in creating and implementing of the strategy for the network’s fundraising work on improvement of the process of communication and cooperation within the network through creating concrete processes and /or activities contribute to strengthening of the image of CEE CN and its visibility for both the users (citizens’ activists), and partners organizations and NGO networks Organization: - participate in selection, support, monitoring and evaluation of the network coordinator - contribute to identifying of perspective future CT’s members of the network as well as support new members in orientation and understanding of CT’s activities - participate in an annual evaluation of CT’s work (including structure, responsibilities and organization) as well as in identification of the steps for eventual improvement of CT’ work Operations: - support the network’s members, in an appropriate way, in the implementation of the activities of the network (conferences, training sessions, research, etc.) - participation in evaluating of the work of CEE Citizens Network through comparison with the mission and long-term objectives - contribute to ensuring creation of different reports which will reflect results of the work adequately as well as the other effects of the network’s functioning (finances, etc.) c) Director The Director of the CEE Citizens Network is initially a voluntary position. The Coordinating Team (CT) selects a director of the Association and CT can propose with RT approval, that the director position can become a paid one. Director of the CEE CN is responsible to the CT for his/her work. Director of the CEE CN is obliged to conduct operations of the Network according to standards of law, provisions of the By-laws. Director of the CEE CN is obliged to submit a written activity report of his/her work for adoption at the CT at least once a year. Director of the CEE CN has rights, duties and liabilities to: Represent the Association Stipulate agreements and contracts on behalf of the CEE CN Convene ordinary and extraordinary meetings of CT and RT Give form and supervise media identity and promotion of the Association Submit activity report of the CEE CN to the CT Ensure the financial stability of the CEE CN and take care about proper use of the CEE CN assets Prepare and propose decision-making of all documents that are competence of the CT and RT Introduce possible changes of the By-laws as well as the internal documents Execute decisions made by the CT and RT Ensure implementation of annual plans Build strategies of the CEE CN development d) Coordinator The Coordinator of the CEE Citizens Network is a full time paid position. The Coordinating Team (CT) elects Coordinator of the Association. Coordinator of the CEE CN is responsible to the Director for his/her work. Coordinator of the CEE CN assists to the Director to conduct operations of the Network according to standards of law, provisions of the By-laws. Coordinator of the CEE CN is obliged to submit a written activity report of his/her work to the director every two month. The CEE CN Coordinator’s other responsibilities: Insure that Network is existing and real Stipulate agreements and contracts on behalf of the CEE CN Assist with building strategies of the CEE CN development Represent the Association Oversee preparations for ordinary and extraordinary meetings of CT and RT Assist with the financial stability of the CEE CN and take care about proper use of the CEE CN assets Assist with the execution of decisions made by the CT and RT Assist with the implementation of annual plans Assist in giving form and substance to the media identity and promotion of the Association Bring suggestions how to connect our Network to the different organizations and events in the region Gather, summarize and analyze what is going on in our members’ organizations IV – MEETINGS ORGANIZATION Invitation for holding the meetings is to be sent at least 30 days before its holding and together with formulated agenda. Director of the CEE CN convenes the meetings. Director of the CEE CN is obliged to convene the extraordinary meeting session upon request of one third of members of the CEE CN The extraordinary meeting is convened on the basis of written request, which outlines the reason for the meeting. The decisions are valid when a meeting is attended by more that half of its members. Decisions and conclusions are made by majority vote of members that attend a meeting. Voting in a meeting is generally open. The organizational body however can decide to conduct a secret ballot for special circumstances, e.g. voting of CT new member. V - OTHER ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE FOR ORGANIZATION AND WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION a) Business Secret Business secrets of the CEE CN represent documents and data which when reported to an unauthorized person would be harmful to the interests and reputation of the CEE CN Association as well as organizations to which the association is linked to, its sponsors and donors. All members of the CEE CN are obliged to keep business secrets as well as persons that came to know about a document or data that is considered as business secrets. b) Branch office The CEE CN can constitute a branch office or office outside its headquarters.