Inter-Agency Science Management Group

 

The Inter-Agency Science Management Group (IASMG) has been formed to act as advisors to the Chief Scientists on inter-agency science issues – focus and priorities, including emerging issues; quality assurance; resource requirements, delivery mechanisms and workplans; and reporting on progress. The Group also supports the various inter-agency groups, facilitating communication to and from the Chief Scientists’ Group, and steering their work programmes. The IASMG seeks to (1) provide direction on behalf of the Joint Committee, and (2) direction on behalf of the country agencies collectively, on matters solely of interest to the country agencies.

 

The IASMG has been formed from representatives of the JNCC Support Company and three of the four country conservation bodies (Northern Ireland is not formally represented, but the NIEA receives papers), as follows:

 

Phil Boon                     SNH

Catherine Duigan      CCW

Richard Ferris            JNCC Support Company

Richard Wright            NE

 

The IASMG meets four times per year, one month in advance of meetings of the Chief Scientists’ Group.

 

Terms of Reference

 

1   The IASMG will be responsible for managing Lead Coordination Networks, Lead Agencies and inter-agency scientific working groups on behalf of the Chief Scientists’ Group (CSG).

 

2  The IASMG will be responsible for enabling CSG to deliver on its twin mandates of:

 

2.1 Direction on behalf of the Joint Committee (to Lead Coordination Networks, Lead Agencies, and some work of the inter-agency scientific working groups) in association with the Executive Management Board of the JNCC Support Company, as this will enable the Support Company to deliver its obligations to Joint Committee (ensuring that Joint Committee work is delivered irrespective of the body doing it); and

 

2.2 Direction on behalf of the country agencies collectively on matters solely of interest to the country agencies (some work of the Lead Coordination Networks, Lead Agencies and much of the work of the inter-agency scientific working groups), as this recognises that some inter-agency collaborative work is outside JNCC’s remit.

 

3   To achieve 2.1 CSG will provide annual guidance to the IASMG, based upon the Joint Committee review of matters that require collaboration/delivery by the country conservation agencies and the high-level principles for how this should be done.

 

4  To achieve 2.2 CSG will provide annual guidance to the IASMG, based upon the Chief Executives’ review of inter-agency work that is outside the remit of the JNCC.

 

5  The IASMG will undertake its management of the groups by:

 

5.1 identifying priorities for delivery by these groups and agreeing work plans at appropriate scales;

5.2 maintaining regular contact with inter-agency groups to:

  • assess progress of work plans and steer the work
  • identify bottlenecks in delivery and promote solutions
  • advise on resource issues
  • support/engage with specific pieces of work, as appropriate
  • interpret CSG actions for the inter-agency groups, and oversee responses

5.3 maintaining regular contact with the CSG:

  • to provide regular updates on progress of work plans, formally as a standing item on CSG meeting agendas
  • to negotiate in relation to resourcing issues (staff, budgets)
  • identifying any emerging common science issues (e.g. horizon scanning needs)
  • ensuring that strategy/corporate plan developments are communicated to and, where appropriate, addressed by inter-agency groups
  • most communication with CSG will be written, but at least one joint CSG/IASMG meeting will take place each year
  • the IASMG will submit a paper on the progress of inter-agency working to each CSG meeting
  • quarterly papers will also be required to JNCC Support Company’s Executive Management Board

 

6   The IASMG will meet quarterly

 

7   Membership shall be one representative from each of JNCC Support Company, CCW, NE, NIEA and SNH, with specific candidates to be nominated by the respective Chief Scientists, bearing in mind the skills necessary for the effective functioning of the IASMG.  The members of the IASMG shall rotate chair and secretary roles amongst themselves as they see fit.