Committee

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For other uses, see Committee (disambiguation).
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Committee room, designed 1901, in Halifax Town Hall

A committee (or "commission") is a body of one or more persons that is subordinate to a

deliberative assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore
them more fully than would be possible if the assembly itself were considering them.
Committees may have different functions and their type of work differ depending on the type of
the organization and its needs.

Contents
 1 Purpose
o 1.1 Functions
o 1.2 Power and authority
 2 Procedures
o 2.1 Commit (motion)
o 2.2 Recommit
o 2.3 Variations for full assembly consideration
o 2.4 Discharge a committee
 3 Types
o 3.1 Executive committee
o 3.2 Conference committee
 3.2.1 Different use of term
o 3.3 Standing committee
 3.3.1 Legislatures
  3.3.2 Examples in organizations
o 3.4 Nominating committee
o 3.5 Steering committee
o 3.6 Special committee
o 3.7 Subcommittee
o 3.8 Committee of the whole
o 3.9 Central Committee
 4 See also
 5 References

Purpose
A deliberative assembly may form a committee (or "commission") consisting of one or more
persons to assist with the work of the assembly.[1] For larger organizations, much work is done in
committees.[2] Committees can be a way to formally draw together people of relevant expertise
from different parts of an organization who otherwise would not have a good way to share
information and coordinate actions. They may have the advantage of widening viewpoints and
sharing out responsibilities. They can also be appointed with experts to recommend actions in
matters that require specialized knowledge or technical judgment.

Functions

Committees can serve several different functions:

Governance
In organizations considered too large for all the members to participate in decisions
affecting the organization as a whole, a smaller body, such as a board of directors, is
given the power to make decisions, spend money, or take actions. A governance
committee is formed as a separate committee to review the performance of the board and
board policy as well as nominate candidates for the board.[3]
Coordination and administration
A large body may have smaller committees with more specialized functions. Examples
are an audit committee, an elections committee, a finance committee, a fundraising
committee, and a program committee. Large conventions or academic conferences are
usually organized by a coordinating committee drawn from the membership of the
organization.
Research and recommendations
Committees may be formed to do research and make recommendations on a potential or
planned project or change. For example, an organization considering a major capital
investment might create a temporary working committee of several people to review
options and make recommendations to upper management or the board of directors.
Discipline
A committee on discipline may be used to handle disciplinary procedures on members of
the organization.[4]
As a tactic for indecision
 As a means of public relations by sending sensitive, inconvenient, or irrelevant matters to
committees, organizations may bypass, stall, or disacknowledge matters without
declaring a formal policy of inaction or indifference. However, this could be considered a
dilatory tactic.[5]

Power and authority

Generally, committees are required to report to their parent body. Committees do not usually
have the power to act independently unless the body that created it gives it such power.[2]

Procedures
When a committee is formed, a chairman (or "chair" or "chairperson") is designated for the
committee.[6] Sometimes a vice-chairman (or similar name) is also appointed.[7] It is common for
the committee chairman to organize its meetings. Sometimes these meetings are held through
videoconferencing or other means if committee members are not able to attend in person, as may
be the case if they are in different parts of the country or the world.

The chairman is responsible for running meetings. Duties include keeping the discussion on the
appropriate subject, recognizing members to speak, and confirming what the committee has
decided (through voting or by unanimous consent). Using Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised
(RONR), committees may follow informal procedures (such as not requiring motions if it's clear
what is being discussed).[8] The level of formality depends on the size and type of committee, in
which sometimes larger committees considering crucial issues may require more formal
processes.

Minutes are a record of the decisions at meetings. They can be taken by a person designated as
the secretary. For most organizations, committees are not required to keep formal minutes.[8]
However, some bodies require that committees take minutes, especially if the committees are
public ones subject to open meeting laws.

Committees may meet on a regular basis, such as weekly or more often, or meetings may be
called irregularly as the need arises. The frequency of the meetings depend on the work of the
committee and the needs of the parent body.

When the committee completes its work, it provides the results in a report to its parent body. The
report may include the methods used, the facts uncovered, the conclusions reached, and any
recommendations.[9] If the committee is not ready to report, it may provide a partial report or the
assembly may discharge the committee of the matter so that the assembly can handle it. Also, if
members of the committee are not performing their duties, they may be removed or replaced by
the appointing power.[10] Whether the committee continues to exist after presenting its report
depends on the type of committee. Generally, committees established by the bylaws or the
organization's rules continue to exist, while committees formed for a particular purpose go out of
existence after the final report.

Commit (motion)
 Commit (RONR)
Class Subsidiary motion
In order when
another has the No
floor?
Requires
Yes
second?
Yes, although debate on the motion
must be confined to its merits only,
and cannot go into the main
Debatable?
question except as necessary for
debate of the immediately pending
question.
Yes, if committee has not begun
consideration of the question. A
negative vote on this motion can be
May be
reconsidered only until such time
reconsidered?
as progress in business or debate
has made it essentially a new
question.
Amendable? Yes
Vote required Majority

In parliamentary procedure, the motion to commit (or refer) is used to refer another motion—
usually a main motion—to a committee.

A motion to commit should specify to which committee the matter is to be referred, and if the
committee is a special committee appointed specifically for purposes of the referred motion, it
should also specify the number of committee members and the method of their selection, unless
that is specified in the bylaws.[11]

Any proposed amendments to the main motion that are pending at the time the motion is referred
to a committee go to the committee as well.[10]

Once referred, but before the committee reports its recommendations back to the assembly, the
referred motion may be removed from the committee's consideration by the motion to discharge
a committee.

Recommit

In the United States House of Representatives, a motion to recommit can be made with or
without instructions. If the motion is made without instructions, the bill or resolution is simply
sent back to the committee. If the motion is made with instructions and the motion is agreed to,
the chairman of the committee in question will immediately report the bill or resolution back to
the whole House with the new language. In this sense, a motion to recommit with instructions is
effectively an amendment.[12]

Variations for full assembly consideration

In Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), the motion to commit has three variations
which do not turn a question over to a smaller group, but simply permit the assembly's full
meeting body to consider it with the greater freedom of debate that is allowed to committees.
These forms are to go into a committee of the whole, to go into a quasi committee of the whole,
and to consider informally. Passing any of these motions removes the limitations on the number
of times a member can speak.[13] The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure has informal
consideration, but does not have "committee of the whole" and "quasi committee of the
whole".[14]

Discharge a committee

Discharge a committee (RONR)

Motion that brings a
Class question again before the
assembly
In order when another
No
has the floor?
Requires second? Yes
Yes; debate can go into
Debatable? question in hands of the
committee
May be reconsidered? Negative vote only
Amendable? Yes

In Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, the motion to discharge a committee is used to take a
matter out of a committee's hands before the committee has made a final report on it. A
committee can use this motion to discharge a subcommittee.[15]

The vote required is a majority vote if the committee has failed to report at the prescribed time or
if the assembly is considering a partial report of the committee.[16] Otherwise, it requires a
majority vote with previous notice; or a two-thirds vote; or a majority of the entire
membership.[16]

Under The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, the assembly that has referred a motion
or a matter to a committee may, by a majority vote, withdraw it at any time from the committee,
refer it to another committee, or decide the question itself.[17]

Types
Executive committee

Organizations with a large board of directors (such as international labor unions, large
corporations with thousands of stock holders or national and international organizations) may
have a smaller body of the board, called an executive committee, handle its business. The
executive committee may function more like a board than an actual committee.[18][19] In any case,
an executive committee can only be established through a specific provision in the charter or
bylaws of the entity (i.e. a board cannot appoint an executive committee without authorization to
do so).[18] Members of the executive committee may be elected by the overall franchised
membership or by the board, depending on the rules of the organization. However formed, an
executive committee only has such powers and authority that the governing documents of the
organization give it. In some cases, it may be empowered to act on behalf of the board or
organization, while in others, it may only be able to make recommendations.[18]

Conference committee

Governments at the national level may have a conference committee. A conference committee in
a bicameral legislature is responsible for creating a compromise version of a particular bill when
each house has passed a different version.

A conference committee in the United States Congress is a temporary panel of negotiators from
the House of Representatives and the Senate. Unless one chamber decides to accept the other's
original bill, the compromise version must pass both chambers after leaving the conference
committee. The committee is usually composed of the senior members of the standing
committees that originally considered the legislation in each chamber.

Other countries that use conference committees include France, Germany, Japan, and
Switzerland.[20] In Canada, conference committees have been unused since 1947.[21]

Different use of term

In organizations, the term "conference committee" may have a different meaning. This meaning
may be associated with the conferences, or conventions, that the organization puts together. The
committees that are responsible for organizing such events may be called "conference
committees".

Standing committee

A standing committee is a subunit of a political or deliberative body established in a permanent

fashion to aid the parent assembly in accomplishing its duties. A standing committee is granted
its scope and powers over a particular area of business by the governing documents.[22] Standing
committees meet on a regular or irregular basis depending on their function, and retain any
power or oversight originally given them until subsequent official actions of the governing body
(through changes to law or by-laws) disbands the committee.

Legislatures
Most governmental legislative committees are standing committees. The phrase is used in the
legislatures of the following countries:

 Australia
o Australian House of Representatives committees
o Australian Senate committees
 Canada
o List of committees of the Canadian House of Commons
o Standing committee (Canada)
 China
o Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
 Iceland
o List of standing committees of the Icelandic parliament
 India
o Standing committee (India)
 Malaysia
o Dewan Rakyat committees
o Dewan Negara committees
 United Kingdom
o Public bill committee
 United States
o Standing committee (United States Congress)

Under the laws of the United States of America, a standing committee is a Congressional
committee permanently authorized by United States House of Representatives and United States
Senate rules. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 greatly reduced the number of
committees, and set up the legislative committee structure still in use today, as modified by
authorized changes via the orderly mechanism of rules changes.

Examples in organizations

Examples of standing committees in organizations are an audit committee, an elections

committee, a finance committee, a fundraising committee, a governance committee, and a
program committee. Typically, the standing committees perform their work throughout the year
and present their reports at an annual meeting of the organization.[23] These committees continue
to exist after presenting their reports, although the membership in the committees may change.

Nominating committee

A nominating committee (or nominations committee) is a group formed for the purpose of
nominating candidates for office or the board in an organization.[24] It may consist of members
from inside the organization. Sometimes a governance committee takes the role of a nominating
committee. Depending on the organization, this committee may be empowered to actively seek
out candidates or may only have the power to receive nominations from members and verify that
the candidates are eligible.
A nominating committee works similarly to an electoral college, the main difference being that
the available candidates, either nominated or "written in" outside of the committee's choices, are
then voted into office by the membership. It is a part of governance methods often employed by
corporate bodies, business entities, and social and sporting groups, especially clubs. The
intention is that they be made up of qualified and knowledgeable people representing the best
interests of the membership. In the case of business entities, their directors will often be brought
in from outside, and receive a benefit for their expertise.

In the context of nominations for awards, a nominating committee can also be formed for the
purpose of nominating persons or things held up for judgment by others as to their comparative
quality or value, especially for the purpose of bestowing awards in the arts, or in application to
industry's products and services. The objective being to update, set, and maintain high and
possibly new standards.

Steering committee

A steering committee is a committee that provides guidance, direction and control to a project
within an organization.[25] The term is derived from the steering mechanism that changes the
steering angle of a vehicle's wheels.

Project steering committees are frequently used for guiding and monitoring IT projects in large
organizations, as part of project governance. The functions of the committee might include
building a business case for the project, planning, providing assistance and guidance, monitoring
the progress, controlling the project scope and resolving conflicts.

As with other committees, the specific duties and role of the steering committee vary among
organizations.

Special committee

See also: Select committee

A special committee (or working, select, or ad hoc committee) is established to accomplish a

particular task or to oversee a specific area in need of control or oversight.[26] Many are research
or coordination committees in type or purpose, and are temporary. Some are a sub-group of a
larger society with a particular area of interest which are organized to meet and discuss matters
pertaining to their interests. For example, a group of astronomers might be organized to discuss
how to get the larger society to address near earth objects. A subgroup of engineers and scientists
of a large project's development team could be organized to solve some particular issue with
offsetting considerations and trade-offs. Once the committee makes its final report to its parent
body, the special committee ceases to exist.[26]

Subcommittee
A committee that is a subset of a larger committee is called a subcommittee. Committees that
have a large workload may form subcommittees to further divide the work. Subcommittees
report to the parent committee and not to the general assembly.[8][27]

Committee of the whole

Main article: Committee of the whole

When the entire assembly meets as a committee to discuss or debate, this is called a "committee
of the whole". This is not an actual committee but a procedural device that is more commonly
used in legislative bodies.

Central Committee

Main article: Central Committee

Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of

communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the 20th
century and of surviving communist states in the 21st century. In such party organizations the
committee would typically be made up of delegates elected at a party congress. In those states
where it constituted the state power, the Central Committee made decisions for the party between
congresses, and usually was (at least nominally) responsible for electing the Politburo. In non-
ruling Communist parties, the Central Committee is usually understood by the party membership
to be the ultimate decision-making authority between Congresses once the process of democratic
centralism has led to an agreed-upon position

See also
 Caucus
 Parliamentary Committees of the United Kingdom
 List of IEC technical committees
 List of the Czech Republic Senate committees
 Standing Committees of the European Parliament
 United States congressional committee
 Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Saudi Arabia)
 Revolutionary committee (disambiguation)
 Popular Committees (disambiguation)

References
1.

 Robert, Henry M.; et al. (2011). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 489. ISBN 978-0-306-82020-5.
  Robert 2011, p. 490
  Walker, Dick; Bauser, John (April 2012). "So You Need (to Improve) a Governance
Committee?". guidestar.org. GuideStar. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  Robert 2011, p. 669
  Robert 2011, p. 172
  Robert 2011, p. 175
  Robert 2011, p. 176
  Robert III, Henry M.; et al. (2011). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief (2nd
ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-306-82019-9. Archived from the
original on 2017-08-11.
  Robert III 2011, p. 164
  Robert 2011, p. 177
  Robert 2011, p. 171
  Lynch, Megan S. (January 6, 2016). The Motion to Recommit in the House of
Representatives (PDF). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 31
January 2018.
  Robert 2011, p. 168
  Sturgis, Alice (2001). The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th ed., p. 232, 233,
236
  Robert 2011, pp. 310–311
  Robert 2011, p. 312
  Sturgis, Alice (2001). The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th ed., p. 57
  Robert 2011, p. 485
  Robert III 2011, p. 157
  Tsebelis, George; Money, Jeannette (1997). Bicameralism. Cambridge, United Kingdom:
Cambridge University Press. pp. 178–179. ISBN 9780521589727.
  Hays, Hon. Dan (Autumn 2008). "Reviving Conference Committees". revparl.ca. Canadian
Parliamentary Review. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  Robert 2011, p. 491
  Robert 2011, p. 502
  Robert 2011, p. 433
  Mcleod (2008). Management Information Systems (10 ed.). Pearson Education. p. 201.
ISBN 978-81-317-1949-7.
  Robert 2011, p. 492
 Robert 2011, p. 497
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee