Global Steering Committee

The Global Steering Committee (GSC) is delegated by members to further transform SuSanA from its current version into a so called SuSanA 2.0 and to govern SuSanA 2.0 on their behalf during the periods between triennial elections (every three year). As such, it is the principal decision-making body and governance vehicle during this period. It is responsible and accountable to members, primarily through the Annual Assembly, for ensuring sound strategic and financial functioning of SuSanA 2.0.

SuSanA in its current form is not itself an organisation or a legal entity but an informal network hosted by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Bonn, Germany. More information here.

Purpose

The GSC is responsible for governing SuSanA 2.0 between elections with prudence and wisdom, in the interests of the members and their priorities, and within the boundaries of the Host Organisation’s legal and fiscal responsibilities.

The GSC can form a smaller Executive Committee that can be more agile in making quicker decisions on behalf of the GSC. These decisions are expected to be routine and not major decisions that need deliberation and vote of the entire GSC. The scope of the Executive Committee’s responsibilities will be defined by the GSC. Any decisions of the Executive Committee can be reviewed by the entire GSC.

The positions of the GSC are voluntary and unpaid and each GSC member is expected to commit 3 to 4 hours per month.

Composition

The GSC will be composed of elected regional representatives and representatives from the host organization. The regional representatives will be elected by the registered members in each region and will sit for a maximum of two 3-year terms, re-electable once only. The maximum term of office for regional representative is therefore 6 years. The election of the GSC strives for a balanced representation of gender, age and geographic origin, as well as sectoral diversity.

First Global Steering Committee (elected October 2022)

• Sub-Saharan Africa - Prof. Charles Niwagaba (Uganda)
• Europe & Central Asia - Dorothee Spuhler (Switzerland)
• Latin America & Caribbean - Carla Liera (Mexico)
• North America - Kartik Chandran (USA)
• South Asia - Rohini Pradeep (India)
• East Asia & Pacific - Gina Itchon (Philippines)
• Middle East & North Africa - Dr. Arwa Abelhay (Jordan)

The election results & recording of the Official Announcement of the GSC can be found here.

Functions

SuSanA is not an organisation or a legal entity, but an informal network of Partners and individual Members. All Partners and Members contribute resources to SuSanA under their own responsibility. If and when to transform SuSanA into a legal entity is a key question to be addressed as part of the change process towards SuSanA 2.0. The role of the GSC described below is to prepare and lead the way to SuSanA 2.0.

Governance Oversight

• Ensure an agreement with a Host Organisation that ensures members’ ability to govern the strategic direction of SuSanA 2.0 while enabling the Host Organisation to fulfil its legal and fiscal obligations
• Ensure that all structures of SuSanA 2.0 function in the interests of the alliance’s strategic priorities and within the policies of the Host Organisation
• Oversee the work and performance of the Head of Secretariat
• Regularly review risks for SuSanA 2.0

Financial Oversight

• Ensure and approve long-term resourcing strategies for SuSanA 2.0
• Approve annual budgets in line with annual work plans
• Review management accounts regularly through the financial year, and require the Head of Secretariat to adjust work plans as necessary to ensure prudent and efficient use of resources
• Review and approve annual accounts prepared by the Host Organisation, for presentation to the Annual Assembly

Resource Mobilisation

• In line with approved long-term resourcing strategies, ensure and actively support the resource-raising activities of the Secretariat
• Approve and regularly review policies on resources to be raised from members, if any
• Approve and regularly review policies on income generation from the sale of knowledge products of SuSanA 2.0, if any
• Approve and regularly review policies on potential sources of grants for SuSanA 2.0
• Support grant applications by the Secretariat, and SuSanA 2.0’s donor relations, by building on the knowledge on, and relationships with, potential and current grant-makers already held by individual GSC members

Meetings and commitments

• Monthly 45-minutes online meeting with the secretariat to exchange on the status quo
• The equivalent of 1 to 2-hours communication with the other GSC members (meetings/email exchange) to consult and make decisions
• Annual 1 to 2-hours General Assembly to inform and report on the main decisions taken to the SuSanA members

Election

The election will be announced by the SuSanA secretariat on the homepage and via e-mail to all active SuSanA members. Voting will be online and ONLY for members that are registered. The vote will be anonymous, meaning SuSanA will only know if someone has voted but SuSanA will not have the information who voted for whom. To cater for all different time zones the election will have 4 voting days. During these days members will be able to vote after logging into their SuSanA account. The login assures that only registered SuSanA members are able to vote.

More information on the election 2022 can be found here.