Effective IHMM committees unify, represent, motivate, coordinate, consolidate, and communicate. They function best when each committee has appropriately selected members, clearly defined objectives, established a work plan, and secured strong leadership and competent staff assistance.

Parliamentary procedure. Committees are not required to operate using parliamentary procedure, however, the objectives and principles of parliamentary procedure should be employed. The objectives of parliamentary procedure include expediting business, maintaining order, ensuring equity for all and accomplishing the objectives for the committee. The principals of parliamentary procedure include courtesy, rule of the majority while respecting the rights of the minority, partiality to none, and taking one item of business at a time.

Committee scope. Each committee will develop a scope of work approved by the members of the committee. The committee scope will be reviewed at each meeting to ensure its relevance.

Committee member responsibilities. Committee members are expected to fully participate in committee activities by attending meetings and conducting business by telephone and written communications. Members are expected to do the following:

  • Act in good faith in all matters to assure the ongoing administration of credible credentialing programs.
  • Execute responsibilities in conformance with the Institute Bylaws, established IHMM policies and procedures, the Code of Ethics, and the Committee Volunteer Service Commitment.
  • Discharge their responsibilities diligently and not delegate them to other committee members and staff.
  • Disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest and not vote on such committee matters.

Chair responsibilities. The Chair shall attend all committee meetings and shall plan the committee meetings and agenda with the committee staff liaison. The chair shall facilitate meetings to encourage a discussion of ideas, keep discussions on track, and monitor committee participation.
The Chair is encouraged to allow the committee to move toward a decision, not to validate the thinking of the Chair or staff.

Chair and staff liaison. The committee chair and staff liaison, working in partnership, are responsible for facilitating the work of the committee, providing oversight, and ensuring timely communications within the committee and between the committee and the other components of the association. Staff will coordinate committee communications and staff will copy the Chair on all communications from committee members. The staff liaison also provides logistical support for the committee’s work.

Committee Procedures

The Board of Directors (BOD) is empowered to establish standing and ad hoc committees, henceforth know as committees, of whatever size appropriate to promote, approve and supervise desirable activities of the Institute. Such committees will operate within procedures established by the Board of Directors. The Board may at its discretion establish additional standing or ad hoc committees of IHMM.

Membership on Board of Directors. The IHMM Bylaws govern the composition of the Board of Directors.

Membership on Standing Committee. All standing committees shall have Chairs appointed by a majority of the BOD. Chairs of standing committees shall appoint their committee members according to the IHMM Bylaws. All approved committee members shall have full voting rights within their committee. Chairs and committee members shall serve terms according to the IHMM Bylaws.

Membership on Ad Hoc Committees. Members of Ad Hoc committees shall be selected to serve for the duration of the particular project or subject. Membership on Ad Hoc committees shall not necessarily be limited to IHMM certificants. Any IHMM certificant may suggest persons with special expertise in a committee’s sphere of activity serve on an Ad Hoc committee. The Chair of each Ad Hoc committee shall be subject to the majority approval of the Board of Directors. All ad hoc committees shall have members appointed by a majority of the BOD. All approved committee members shall have full voting rights within their committee. The Chair shall serve indefinitely until a Chair resignation is submitted, removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, or when the committee has completed its work.

Membership on Subcommittees and task groups. A committee may form subcommittees or task groups as are necessary to fulfill its purpose and may request persons with the needed knowledge to serve on such subcommittees and task groups without the necessity of IHMM certificant. The governing committee shall appoint subcommittee and task group members and shall appoint a subcommittee and task group chair.

Guests at Committee Meetings. Committee meetings are open to sponsored or unsponsored guests who have an interest in activities of the committee and they may participate with committee business with no vote on committee decisions. All committee guests shall be approved by the Committee chair in advance of a committee meeting. Committee members sponsor guests by request of attendance to the committee chair with a copy to the IHMM staff no later than 5 days before any committee meeting. Unsponsored guests whose request is not coordinated through a committee member shall request attendance at a committee meeting in writing to the committee chair with a copy to the IHMM staff 5 days before the meeting. Guests not complying with the above may be denied access to a committee meeting.

Removal from Service. Any committee member may be removed from service at any time, with or without cause, by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Committee chairs may remove committee members from service for committee member’s inactivity. A committee member is designated as inactive for missing three consecutive committee interactions; either a meeting, teleconference, or committee electronic vote.

Voting. Members of committees, ad hoc committees, subcommittees and task groups shall have one vote. Committee member votes are untaken at either meetings or teleconferences and need majority rule for an approved vote.

Electronic Voting. Committees can take action via electronic votes, or evotes. Evotes are obtained using survey methods, usually solicited by email. Emails soliciting electronic votes must have subject lines as “ACTION REQUIRED – evote on insert subject at hand.” Unanimous consent on BOD electronic voting is required. Majority consent is allowed for any other committee electronic voting.

Proxy. Proxy voting is not allowed

Control of Committees

Meetings. Committees, ad hoc committees, subcommittees, and task groups can meet either physically or via teleconference as appropriate. IHMM Staff will initiate all meeting communications and material development. Every meeting shall have an agenda developed by staff in cooperation with the Chair. The first order of business of every meeting will be consideration of the IHMM’s Committee Volunteer Service Commitment statement. The second order of business will be consideration and approval of the meeting agenda. The third order of business will be taking of the role, recording the presence of a quorum, and consideration of the particular committee membership and scope. The business at hand will then follow with each agenda item being considered in turn, unless modified when the agenda was approved.

Minutes. Minutes will be developed after each meeting by staff and approved for distribution by the chair. Minutes will list meeting attendees. The minutes will record the business of the committees, subcommittees, and task groups following the order of items according to the approved agenda. The minutes will list all motions along with the parties who moved and seconded the item. All vote tallies will be recorded and minority positions will be recorded. Minutes will be distributed promptly.

Quorum. A committee, subcommittee, or task group quorum is defined as two-thirds of the voting members of that committee, ad hoc committee, subcommittee, or task group.

Committee reports. Staff liaisons will develop a quarterly committee report to be presented at the quarterly IHMM Board of Directors meetings. Committee reports include a summary of committee interactions and any needed BOD action. Committees are encouraged to meet every quarter before quarterly BOD meetings.

Implementation of Committee decisions. Each committee member will have one vote. All committee decisions will be reported as motions in committee minutes. Staff will guide whether a committee decision needs to be presented to the BOD for approval. Each committee will report both the majority decision and any minority positions. Committee motions presented to the BOD shall either be an action or advisory item.

Action Item. An action item is a committee’s new recommendation, proposal or request that affects the allocation of unbudgeted funds, modification of previously budgeted funds, proposes a significant change in scope or direction from an approved program; makes a change to any existing IHMM written or unwritten policy or procedure; or approves a publication, document, or materials for public dissemination. Final determination of any action item rests with the IHMM BOD.

A quorum is not required for a committee to forward an action item to the BOD. However, the action item submitted from a committee without quorum must be titled, “Action Item — Absent Committee Quorum.” It should be indicated on such an action item both the number of committee members present and the number required for a quorum as well as the recorded vote on the issue in question. An action item from a subcommittee, task group or task force not reporting directly to the board must be brought before the BOD through its governing committee.

Action items are to be submitted to the BOD for consideration, and the BOD will vote to either have approved or not-approved on each action item. Also, the BOD may recommend amending the action item in scope, budget, or any other committee recommended item.

Advisory Item. An advisory item is the committee’s communicating tool in making the BOD aware of the committee’s intention, progress or direction with items or programs already determined as being within their scope and mission. Advisory items provide information to the BOD on actions within the committee’s authority. When a committee makes recommendations to another committee, it is considered an advisory item. Advisory items will follow the same quorum and voting as described under “action item.”