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Notes from the SCAR President, number 4 (24 October 2008)
SCAR 2009 Review
Colleagues
I am pleased to announce that the SCAR Review of 2009, as agreed at XXX SCAR, has now been organized and will be completed by March 2009.
SCAR can only achieve its mission and objectives through continuous improvement and honest assessment of its performance.The 2009 review is a critical part of a coordinated process of strategic planning and implementation. The objective, independent and expert advice that will flow from this review, will be critical in planning SCAR's future.
A preferred mechanism for review is to assemble a team of mostly external experts to comment on the organization's performance. The review of SCAR in 2000 produced a series of recommendations that were used to restructure and reorganize SCAR. The current review is a "check-up" and will be completed as a prelude to updating SCAR's Strategic Plan in 2010. The review is intended to identify aspects of the organization that would benefit from improvement, to judge the success of implementing previous review recommendations, and assess adherence to strategic plans, goals, and objectives.
It was agreed at XXX SCAR that the Review Committee is to:
- report on the extent to which SCAR has, since 2004, achieved its objectives;
- provide advice about what SCAR must do to achieve those objectives that were not achieved; and
- provide advice about the operation and management of SCAR, as it sees fit, for the improvement of SCAR.
The Review Panel will:
- be provided access to all SCAR planning documents, previous reviews and updates on progress toward prior recommendations, meeting reports and any other documents and material deemed necessary by the Committee;
- receive reports on SCAR's five Scientific Research Programs; three Standing Scientific Groups; other science groups, programs, projects, and activities and any other reports deemed necessary by the Committee;
- participate in a two day on-site meeting at SCAR in Cambridge (2-3 February 2009); and
- provide a written report in March 2009.
I am very pleased to announce that Phil Smith, the Chair of the 1999 SCAR Review Committee, has once again agreed to assist SCAR by chairing the 2009 Review Committee. Phil is highly respected, brings great expertise in the functioning and operation of international scientific organizations, and has the perspective of the previous review. SCAR's review could not be in better hands!
The Review Committee membership is:
Philip M. Smith (Chair)
Science Policy & Management
767 Acequia Madre # 2
Santa Fe, NM 87505
USA
Prof. Dr. Christoph Scheidegger
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL
Zürcherstr. 111
CH-8903 Birmensdorf
Switzerland
Prof. Andrew P. Roberts
Head, School of Ocean and Earth Science
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
University of Southampton
European Way
Southampton SO14 3ZH
UK
Ms Kim Finney
Manager, Australian Antarctic Data Centre
Australian Antarctic Division
Department of Environment & Heritage
203 Channel Highway Kingston
Tasmania 7050
Australia
Prof. Antonio Navarra
Director
Centre for Mediterranean Climate Change
Via Augusto Imperatore 16
73100 Lecce
Italy
I encourage you to respond to requests for information by the committee. I also encourage you to provide the Committee with your opinions, perceptions, observations, recommendation and/or concerns about SCAR and how it is performing. It is important that the Committee develop an unfiltered, accurate and complete picture of SCAR to inform its deliberations and ultimately its recommendations.
I thank the Committee members for undertaking this important service to the Antarctic science community and wish them luck in their work. I look forward to the recommendations and implementing them in a judicious and timely manner.
Chuck K.
President of SCAR
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