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Silicon Valley SPIN Charter and By Laws
Word Document
I. ESTABLISHMENT
The Silicon Valley chapter of the Software Process Improvement Network,
hereafter referred to as the Silicon Valley SPIN, was established on 25 May
1994 as a non-profit organization.
II. MISSION
The Silicon Valley SPIN is a forum for the free and open exchange of software
process improvement experiences and ideas. The organization will serve as a
source of educational and scientific information for its members, other SPIN
organizations, and the general software community. We promote achieving higher
levels of process maturity, software quality, and mutual respect. Our goal is
to help sustain commitment and enhance skills through an active program of
networking, publications, recognition of excellence, and mutual support.
III. OBJECTIVES
In carrying out its mission, the Silicon Valley SPIN organization will promote
the accomplishments of the following objective goals:
- Advance the quality of software.
- Improve software productivity.
- Promote software process maturity.
- Transfer software improvement knowledge and innovation to all participants.
- Share lesson learned among participants and other SPIN organization.
- Promote cooperation between industry, academia, and government with respect to software process improvement technology.
III. MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Silicon Valley SPIN is open, without discrimination, to all
individuals, companies, universities, and government organizations that are
interested in furthering objectives of the Silicon Valley SPIN. There are no
membership dues.
IV. ORGANIZATION
The Silicon Valley SPIN will consist of a steering committee with officers and
working group chairs. The Steering Committee consists of those SPIN
participants who have committed to actively take on the roles and
responsibilities of the various functions necessary to run the Silicon Valley
SPIN. The Steering Committee operates as a consensus-based decision-making
team with the following specific roles. One or more individuals may fulfill a
specific role. This is not a hierarchically organized team; all roles have
equal voice in the decision making process. The Steering Committee will
consist of the following members and will meet as needed.
- President
- Vice-President
- Program Chair
- Publicity Chair
- Membership Chair
- Job Bank Chair
The responsibilities of the steering committee will be, as follows:
- Manage the affairs of the Silicon Valley SPIN organization.
- Generate the operating budget (if any).
- Maintain coordination with other SPIN organizations.
- Approve topics and speakers for SPIN meetings.
- Make appointments to vacancies in elected committee positions (or less formally, identify program coordinators for the SPIN meetings).
- Appoint standing committees chairpersons as needed
- Approve the establishment, charter and disbandment of working groups, and selection of working group chairs.
- Establish and disband committees and working groups.
- Periodically review the operation of the SPIN to determine improvements in its operation. This includes reviewing the charter at lest annually and reviewing the budget (if any) at least bi-annually.
1. Responsibilities of President (or Committee Leader)
The President will preside at regular meetings of the Silicon Valley SPIN and
at meetings of the Steering Committee, will be responsible for the duties of
other officers in the event of their absence or incapacity, until they are
replaced by the steering committee, and will be the point of contact for other
organizations, and SPINs.
The President is responsible for arrangement of the meeting and for reviewing
the meeting planning activities with the Steering Committee as necessary to
ensure the quality of the meeting. The President introduces each speaker and
acts as a timekeeper to ensure that the meeting runs according to schedule.
The President ensures that adequate copies of the presentation material are
available in a timely manner.
2. Responsibilities of Vice-President
The Vice-President will perform the duties of the President when the President
is not available.
3. Responsibility of Working Groups
Working groups are established by the Steering Committee for the conduct of
specific, special interest activities. The chair is approved by the Steering
Committee. The chair of each working group is responsible for approving all
members of the working group and for ensuring that meeting minutes are
forwarded to the secretary (recorder). The working group is responsible for
developing a charter that is approved by the Steering Committee. The chair or
designee is required to give periodic status reports to the Steering Committee.
The following standing working groups have been established:
1.Programs
- Arrange for speakers for each meeting.
- Provides complete information about each presentation (abstract and speaker biography) to the Publicity Chair at least one month in advance of the meeting.
2.Publicity
- Develop publicity for each SPIN event.
- Maintain the SPIN website.
3.Membership
- Maintain membership database.
- Distribute pertinent information to the membership (e.g., meeting announcements, relevant conference information, relevant training information, etc.)
4.Job Bank
- Maintain a list of open positions submitted by members and their associates.
V. TERMS OF ROLE ASSIGNMENTS
Role assignments must be reviewed at least on an annual basis coinciding with
the Silicon Valley calendar year.
Any appointment can be rescinded by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the
Steering Committee at a meeting where a majority of the Steering Committee
members are present.
VI. PARTICIPANT FEES
Any fees for meetings or special events are determined by the Silicon Valley
Steering Committee.
VII. SILICON VALLEY SPIN CALENDAR YEAR
The Silicon Valley SPIN calendar year will run from January 1 to December 31.
VIII. MEETINGS
Meetings of the Silicon Valley SPIN will normally take place on the last
Wednesday of each month at the site of the sponsoring company or organization.
An announcement for each meeting will be disseminated to all current
participants at least one week in advance of the meeting.
IX. CHARTER REVISIONS
Proposed charter revisions are distributed and announced in advance of a
general SPIN meeting. Charter revisions must be approved at a subsequent
Steering Committee meetings, where approval has been identified as agenda item,
by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the participants in the vote. At least
fifty (50) percent of the Steering Committee must participate in the vote to be
valid.
X. DISSOLUTION OF ORGANIZATION
Dissolution of the Silicon Valley SPIN organization shall consist of unanimous
agreement of all Steering Committee members, together with a majority vote at a
meeting that has been publicized in advance to all current participants of the
Silicon Valley SPIN for the purpose of taking this vote.
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