Working Procedures of the Clearinghouse for Public Statements

Statements can originate from the Clearinghouse, from IAMCR entities (Executive Board, International Council, Committees, Task Forces, Sections, or Working Groups), and from individual members. Anyone requesting consideration of a statement must be a paid-up member of IAMCR.

On receipt of a request to endorse or distribute a statement, the Clearinghouse Chair will assess whether an issue should be discussed –

• If no, applicable to a small minority of cases, the Chair will notify members of the decision and why, but will not launch a discussion and members will express their view of that decision. The Chair will inform the President who will notify the requester of the decision and the reason.
• If Yes, the clearinghouse process will begin as follows.

The Clearinghouse mandate and these working procedures are published at the IAMCR website. Members are notified of the existence of the Clearinghouse via the IAMCR Newsletter and email lists, annually.

On receipt of a request to endorse or distribute a statement which is deemed appropriate:

• The Clearinghouse invites the proposer to prepare a short paragraph explaining why a statement should be endorsed if it has not been submitted with the request or it invites the proposer to prepare a short paragraph relating the request to IAMCR’s remit.

• Clearinghouse members discuss the requested endorsement and/or draft text.
• If further information or elaboration is required, the Clearinghouse invites proposer to supply additional information, which is then discussed.
• A Clearinghouse member may be invited by the Chair or may volunteer to take ownership of a possible statement, supplying additional information or drafting a text.

• Clearinghouse members decide on case-by-case basis the stage at which to alert the Executive Board that an endorsement or distribution of a statement is under discussion.  Members will advise the Chair on this and Chair will consult members as appropriate.
• When a statement is agreed (by consensus or simple majority), the chair will inform the Executive Board and recommend that a statement should be endorsed or distributed. No endorsement or distribution of a statement will be made without the agreement of the Executive Board.
• It is the Executive Board’s decision in consultation with the Clearinghouse Chair/Members as to whether any endorsement or statement for distribution needs to be discussed by the International Council and/or other office holders in the Association (or the whole membership) on a case-by-case basis.
• If an endorsement or statement needs to be discussed beyond the Executive Board, the Clearinghouse manages this process which will involve a time-limited online voting procedure.
• If agreement is reached, the endorsement or distribution will be deemed to have the collective support of IAMCR.
• If no agreement is reached, the endorsement will not be made or the statement will not be distributed.

• Endorsement:
• If agreed, the President/Executive Board may sign an online petition or invite the Clearinghouse Chair to make the endorsement
• Statement Distribution:
  Clearinghouse Members decide on a case-by-case basis where a statement should be published. Options include, but are not limited to:
• IAMCR newsletter – a section of the IAMCR newsletter should also contain a report of any ensuing discussion or action.
• IAMCR website
• Websites of relevant organizations.
• On case-by-case basis, it may be appropriate to launch a wider IAMCR email listserve discussion without necessarily aiming to launch a formal statement or to formally endorse one from another organization.

Note: Some requests for statements may be time critical. The Clearinghouse will work as quickly as it can without compromising its commitment to check the validity and quality of statements it recommends for release.

Language of Statements Distributed by IAMCR

Translations will be prepared voluntarily (Spanish, French, English) as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

Accountability

The Chair will maintain a record of endorsements and statements – proposed, agreed/not agreed. The Chair will make this information available annually in the form of an annual report to the International Council.