Implementation and Updating of
the Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan is intended to articulate the scientific
and operational policy of IUPAC. The Strategic Thrusts given
in the Plan for the current biennium will provide overall policy
guidance to the Divisions and Standing Committees for assistance
in their development of coordinated programs to advance the Union's
mission. The Plan should not impede or replace initiatives at
all levels within the Union.
Implementation
To ensure that the Strategic Thrusts in the current Plan are
integrated into the Union's programs, the Council, Bureau and
Executive Committee must formulate policies for approving operational
programs and allocating resources within the context of the Plan.
These policies should also ensure that responsibilities will
be assigned for implementation of programs and that outcomes
will be evaluated. This paper proposes procedures [for approval
by the Bureau] for obtaining information from IUPAC bodies that
will be needed by the Executive Committee, the Bureau and the
Council.
General Procedures. Each Division and Standing Committee
within the Union should be asked by the Secretary General to
examine the Strategic Plan and to submit a report indicating
how its activities fit in with the Plan and what additional efforts
are envisaged to conform to the Plan. The Secretary General and
Secretariat staff should analyze the report for the Bureau and
the Executive Committee and should assist in optimizing the submission.
The Bureau will approve the plan of action or request modifications.
This submission need not be lengthy, and the process should not
be very time-consuming.
Each Division or Standing Committee report submitted to Council
in 1999 and thereafter should contain a section that indicates
the relation of that body's programs to the Strategic Plan.
The Secretariat should prepare at the end of each biennium
an overall report of IUPAC accomplishments that can be organized
around the Goals and Strategic Thrusts. This report will be valuable
for the National Adhering Organizations, for the annual submission
to ICSU, for circulation to Company Associates and Associated
Organizations, and for other external dissemination of information
about the Union.
Interim procedures. To gain some experience and to
provide examples for other IUPAC bodies, the following procedure
has been approved by the Executive Committee:
- The Executive Committee will examine its own activities in
terms of the responsibilities of the individual Officers and
the anticipated initiatives of the EC.
- The Secretary General will ask two Standing Committees and
one Division to serve as "pilot projects" in preparing
submissions.
- The results of the above exercises will be reported to the
Bureau in requesting its approval in September 1998 for formalizing
the entire process.
- Following Bureau approval, the remaining Divisions and Standing
Committees will submit plans, as indicated above.
- For the current biennium, the EC will act for the Bureau
in approving these plans. However, as the process is gradually
implemented, it should be possible to arrange schedules so that
the Bureau can handle final approvals at the General Assembly.
Updating
The Strategic Plan is intended to be a "living"
document that will be updated to reflect changing needs. The
Plan for 1998-99 has been approved by the Executive Committee
and placed into operation as an initial step. Each biennium the
Strategic Thrusts should be analyzed and modified as needed.
The long-range Goals should also be revised when appropriate,
but on a longer timeframe. To the extent that a sound Plan has
been prepared for one biennium, there may be very few modifications
needed. Nevertheless, it is important to seek input from all
bodies within IUPAC, from the National Adhering Organizations
(NAOs) and from the worldwide chemistry community. This document
provides proposed procedures for updating the Strategic Thrusts
for consideration by the Bureau.
To ensure wide input, the following schedule is proposed for
updating the current Plan:
- January, 1999: NAOs will be asked for recommendations for
modifications to the Plan, with proposals to be submitted by
June 1, 1999 (about 60 days before the next General Assembly).
Conclusions and recommendations from the draft Vice-President's
Critical Assessment (VPCA) may provide useful points to be brought
to the attention of the NAOs.
- January, 1999: Divisions, Commissions and Standing Committees
will be asked for proposals for modifications to the Plan, also
to be submitted by June 1, 1999, but with additional recommendations
to be presented if necessary as a result of discussions by these
groups at the General Assembly.
- January-June, 1999: Informal advice will be solicited as
widely as feasible from Observer Countries, Associated Organizations
and other representatives of the chemistry community.
- April - June 1999: The Executive Committee will provide initial
recommendations to the Bureau, based partly on the VPCA. After
receipt of comments and proposals from Bureau Members by e-mail,
the EC will approve final recommendations for Bureau and Council
Agendas.
- August, 1999: At its meeting, the Bureau will consider all
material submitted and provide any additional comments and recommendations
as needed to Council. Council will discuss the Strategic Plan
and provide guidance for updating the Plan.
- November, 1999: The Executive Committee, with the assistance
of the Secretariat, will prepare the Strategic Plan (2000-2001)
for final approval by the Bureau by e-mail before the end of
the year.
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Page last modified 10 November 1998.
Copyright © 1997, 98 International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry.