Bylaws

Bylaws of the Association for Information Systems (AIS)
Special Interest Group on ICT in Global Development

Adopted: August, 15, 2019 at SIGGlobDev board meeting at AMCIS in Cancun, Mexico


Article 1. Aims and Scope

(a) This organization will be called: The Special Interest Group on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Global Development and is referred to by the acronym “SIGGlobDev”. It is a Special Interest Group of the Association for Information Systems.
SIGGlobDev
(b) The scope of SIGGlobDev is: Research and education related to the use of ICT for sustainable social and economic  development globally .

Article 2. Mission and Purpose
The mission and purpose of SIGGlobDev is as follows:
1.    Contribute significantly to tackling the problems of poverty and the digital divide through educational and research activities;
2.    Provide stimulating intellectual and professional challenges to its members through scientific inquiry, to create a better world
3.    Show the relevance of the information systems discipline by facilitating AIS members to play a leading role in alleviating  global development problems.

 

Article 3. Charter

SIGGlobDev will exist until dissolved as provided in Bylaw 8 of the AIS, in which case its assets will be supervised by the SIG Advisory Board.

Article 4. Members

(a) All members of the Association of Information Systems are eligible to become SIGGlobDev members.
(b) To become a member of SIGGlobDev, one does not have to be a member of AIS. Membership in SIG GlobDev is open to all.apply for SIGGlobDev membership through the AIS website. 
(c) Membership in SIGGlobDev is freefor all Ph.D. students (from any country) and for AIS members who permanently reside in a country NOT on the "high income" list of the World Bank. 
(d) The annual dues paid by academic and non-academic members from high income countries is determined by the majority of the SIGGlobDev Officers and cannot conflict with AIS guidelines.
(d) A current member list is provided via AIS and kept by the Membership Chair.
(e) A member holds one vote in ballots conducted by SIGGlobDev.
(f) All members are eligible to serve as SIGGlobDev Officers. Officers consist of both elected and appointed positions. Officers of this SIG should be members of AIS and SIGGlobDev

Article 5.  SIGGlobDev Organization Structure 

The organization structure consists of the Executive Committee of elected and appointed officers. The officers also include immediate past- President(s).

Officers of SIGGlobDev as elected by the membership are:

  • President
  • VP Research
  • VP Education

Additional officers appointed by the current President are:

  • VP Membership
  • VP Communications
  • VP Publications
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer

Other officers may be appointed as needed by the current President.  All VPs can appoint committees in their areas.

The SIGGlobDev Board of Advisors consists of: 
Members of the AIS Executive Board, AIS Publications Chair, AIS Meetings Chair, an Industry Liaison, an IFIP 9.4 Liaison, the AIS Web Master, plus the meetings chairs of major AIS/SIGGlobDev meetings including the: Pre-ICIS Workshop, the ICIS Global ICT and eCommerce Track, and the SIGGlobDev AMCIS Track: ICT in Global Development.  

Article 6.  Elected Officers and Terms

(a) There will be three elected officers of SIGGlobDev. They each will serve 3 year terms.

(b): The elected Officers are: President, Vice President for Research, and Vice President for Education..
(c) The President is the principal officer, responsible for leading SIGGlobDev and managing its activities. The duties of the President are:
1. Calling and presiding at SIGGlobDev Executive Committee (defined in Article 5) and business meetings;
2. Conducting SIGGlobDev activities in accordance with the policies of AIS and the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board; and
3. Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized in these Bylaws.

(d) The duties of the immediate Past President are:
1. Assisting the President-Elect as needed in running the SIGGlobDev activities to ensure smooth transition, run the SIGGlobDev Workshops , SIGGlobDev Annual Report, meetings and any other activities;
2.  Helping the President-Elect ensure that the ballots for elected officers have at least two candidates;
3. Overseeing the annual election process according to Article 6 of the Bylaws.

(e) The duties of the Vice President for Research Chair and Vice President for Education Chair are:
1.  Executing the mission of their respective committees as set out in the Appendix to this document or as may be amended from time to time by a vote of the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board; 

  1. Presenting a report detailing the activities of their respective committees at the annual SIGGlobDev Business Meeting.
  2. Assisting the President in leading and managing SIGGlobDev;
    4. Presiding at meetings when the President is absent; and
    5.  Recruiting/appointing regional chairs of their committees as mentioned in Section 5 above. 


Article 7. Appointed Officers are:

(a) Secretary; Treasurer; Vice President for Grants/Fundraising; Vice President for Membership; Vice President for Publications, and Webmaster. These Officers are appointed by the SIGGlobDev President, the SIGGlobDev Executive Committee and the current chairs for the Pre-ICIS Workshop, the ICIS Track, the AMCIS Track and other major SIGGlobDev meetings.  

(b) These appointments are for up to three years with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

(c) The duties of the Vice President for Membership, and Vice President for Grants/Fundraising are:
1.  Executing the mission of their respective committees as set out in the Appendix to this document or as may be amended from time to time by a vote of the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board; 
2.  Recruiting/appointing regional chairs of their committees (see section 5); 
3.  Presenting a report detailing the activities of their committees at the annual SIGGlobDev Business Meeting.

(d) The duties of the Secretary are:
1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGGlobDev;

  1. Working with the Executive Committee to review the Bylaws in their 2nd year (and 4th year when applicable) in office and make necessary revisions for approval at the upcoming AMCIS conference; and 3. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee
    meetings.

(d) The duties of the Treasurer are:

  1. Planning, administering and monitoring the financial affairs of SIGGlobDev in accordance with section 8.8 of the AIS bylaws;
    2. In consultation with the immediate President and President-Elect: Preparing the annual budget for adoption by the SIGGlobDev at the regular annual meeting;
    3. Providing the membership with access to the financial reports within three (3) months after the close of the fiscal year.
    4. Signing checks and withdrawal slips for SIGGlobDev for all disbursements above an amount specified by the executive committee; and
    5. Assessing the financial implications of proposed programs, activities, projects, policies, and other practices in the light of the financial resources of SIGGlobDev

    (e) The duties of the Vice President for Publications are:
    1. Developing and maintaining relationships with major peer reviewed journals in ICT for global development;
    2. Facilitating special issues of peer reviewed journals associated with the Pre-ICIS workshop and other SIGGlobDev meetings; and
    3. Presenting a report at the SIGGlobDev annual business meeting.

    (f) The duties of the Web master are:
    1. Maintaining the SIGGlobDev website as directed by the President of SIGGlobDev;
  2. Working with AIS directives to keep SIGGlobDev website professional looking and user friendly.

    Article 8. Election Procedure

(a) By December 15 of each year, the President will appoint a nominating committee consisting of three members of the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board. The nominating committee will propose two candidates for each open position. 

(b)  The Nominating Committee will validate that each candidate is a SIGGlobDev member in good standing and contact the potential candidate to ensure interest. If two willing members cannot be found to run for a vacant office from Nominating Committee efforts, then the membership at large will be solicited via e-mail for additional nominees. If no additional members are nominated, the nominating committee will still send a ballot to the membership for the position to ensure that the membership-at-large approves of the sole candidate. The nominating committee shall complete its slate and announce the names of the nominees by March 1.

(c) A petition from at least 10 of the voting members of SIGGlobDev may be used to place other consenting candidates on the ballot. The nominating committee will provide a call for these petitions by February 1. Petitions must be received by the Secretary of SIGGlobDev no later than March 31.

(d) The ballot of candidates selected by the nominating committee and by petition must be e-mailed (by blind copy) by the Secretary to all SIGGlobDev members by April 15.

(e) The election will take place on or about April 30 and will follow the election procedures of the AIS unless different procedures have been approved by the SIGGlobDev Board. For each position, the candidate receiving the largest numbers of valid votes wins the election. The SIGGlobDev Advisory Board will resolve ties by majority vote.  The Secretary of SIGGlobDev will email the results of the election to all SIGGlobDev members within 15 days of the close of voting.

(f) In special cases as approved by the SIGGlobDev Board, the election related dates could be adjusted.

(g) The elected officers will take office on January 1 of the year following the election. 

Article 9. Vacancies and Appointments

(a) Should an elected officer leave office before his/her term expires, the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board may elect to appoint a person as interim replacement until the vacancy can be filled according to the procedures for making the original appointments as provided above.
 (b) Should a vacancy be unfilled for any other reason, the SIGGlobDev President may fill it, by appointment, with approval of the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board.
(c) Should an appointed officer not fulfill the officer responsibilities as specified by these by-laws and/or by the SIGGlobDev President, the President may ask the officer to step down and appoint another individual to fill this position, with approval of the SIGGlobDev Advisory Board.

Article 10. Amendments

(a) All amendments must be in accordance with AIS by-laws.
(b) Any member of SIGGlobDev may propose an amendment to the by-laws.
(c) The Executive Board and Appointed Officers will collectively form a By-law/Amendment Committee. Proposals to amend the by-laws may be passed by a minimum of a two-thirds majority of SIGGlobDev Officers.
(e) Amendments are effective from the moment the voting process is closed.
(f) Amendments may also result from a petition from at least 25% of the voting members of SIGGlobDev. Members proposing amendments via petition should direct their petition to the SIGGlobDev President. Amendments with 25% membership signature are automatically ratified.
(g) The President shall officially update the bylaws and publish all amendment changes to members (via the web site or in an email) within two weeks of their ratification.

Article 11. Annual Business Meeting

 
(a) SIGGlobDev will conduct at least one in-person business meeting each year in conjunction with ICIS or another major AIS Conference. 
(b) All members will be invited to attend the annual meeting and contribute to the agenda.
(c) Candidates to fill upcoming open elected officer positions will be introduced at the annual meeting.
(d) Notice for the annual meeting shall be sent by the President at least one month prior to the meeting date.

Article 12. Consistency

Any events using the name of SIG GlobDev must be formally approved by the executive committee.


The Constitution, Bylaws, and policies of the AIS and of the SIG Board take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or internal policies of SIGGlobDev.

13 Record:
Approved by the SIGGlobDev Board August 15th 2019 

APPENDIX: COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENTS

Responsibilities of VPs and their committees
Research Committee 

Membership: 
Vice-President for Research and members appointed by the VP;
Three-year staggered appointments.

Vision: 
Promote the highest standards and relevance of ICT/Global Development Research by supporting the research of SIG members and by developing a closely-knit world-wide community of IS scholars.

Mission and Suggested Activities:
1.    Promote field research in developing countries by involving and supporting local Ph.D. students and faculty members in funded research.
2.    Develop directions for the ICT in Global Development field through white papers, meta-analytic studies, etc.
3.    Collaborate with the SIG’s Fund-raising Committee to identify funded research opportunities and RFP’s and promulgate these opportunities to SIG researchers. 
4.    Oversee annual workshop associated with ICIS conference. Coordinate with Meeting Chair for the annual Workshop, and the SIGGlobDev Track chairs for AMCIS, ICIS and other conferences. Help develop guidelines and ensure the appointment of annual Workshop Committees. Develop this workshop into a leading international forum for ICT in global development research and practice.
5.    Oversee AMCIS Track on ICT in Global Development. Coordinate with Meetings Chair (see below). Ensure the appointment of annual AMCIS Track Committees. 
6.    Collaborate with IFIP and promote IFIP 9.4 conferences to SIG members. Coordinate with Meetings Chair (see below).
7.    Contribute to and promote the Journal of Information Technology for Development (ITD) and other peer reviewed journals associated with the SIG. 
8.    Disseminate research achievements and promote discussions (blogs) of ICT in global development research.
9.    Develop other activities as needed.

Education Committee 

Membership: 
Vice-President for Education and members appointed by the VP ;
Three-year staggered appointments

Vision: 
Develop educational programs to advance the skills of IS academics and professionals in the developing world.  Promote a world-wide community of IS scholars interested in education research and practice aimed at narrowing the digital divide.

Mission and Suggested Activities
1.    Develop educational programs for IS academics and IS professionals in the developing world: These educational programs could consist of short workshops located in universities in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and other parts of the developing world.
2.    Develop directions for education in ICT in Global Development field through white papers, meta-analytic studies, etc.
3.    Collaborate with the SIG’s Fund-raising Committee to identify funded research opportunities and RFP’s and promulgate these opportunities to SIG educators. 
 

Communications Committee

Membership:
Vice-President for Communication and members appointed by the VP
Three-year staggered appointments

Vision:
Identify and communicate  events for teams of SIG members to engage in research and education activities in the developing world. Advise SIG members on possible opportunities their educational and research ideas. 

Mission and Suggested Activities:
1.    Develop relationships with funding agencies such as UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank and corporate foundations. Identify similar corporate and government agencies in developing countries. 
2.    Disseminate information on RFPs via SIG mailing list 
3.    Develop a web page of funding opportunities on the SIG’s website.

Membership Committee

Membership:
Vice-President for Membership and members appointed by the VPThree-year staggered appointments

Vision:
Promote SIGGlobDev and recruit academic and non-academic members from both the developed and developing world. 

Mission and Suggested Activities:
1.    Collaborate with the AIS Membership Chair to promote membership in SIGGlobDev through AIS activities and to obtain the latest information on currently registered SIGGlobDev members.
2.    Maintain the list of SIGGlobDev members and other contacts in a format that is accessible by SIGGlobDev officers.
3.    Act through the regional vice-chairs to recruit academic and non-academic members from developing and non-developing economies in order to develop a worldwide network of scholars and industry professionals interested in furthering the mission of SIGGlobDev.
4.    As needed, contact persons whose SIGGlobDev membership has lapsed.


Publications Committee

Membership:
Vice-President for Publications  and members appointed by the VP

Three-year staggered appointments

Vision:
Promote SIGGlobDev scholarship and publications.


Mission and Suggested Activities:
The duties of the Publications committee are:
1. Developing and maintaining relationships with major peer reviewed journals in ICT for global development;
2. Facilitating special issues of peer reviewed journals associated with the Pre-ICIS workshop and other SIGGlobDev meetings; and
3. Preparing a report at the SIGGlobDev annual business meeting.