Sitka Business Function Group
Business Function Groups comprise members subscribed to a particular product or service. These groups provide members with a fair and equitable process for reviewing and prioritizing requests for changes/enhancements, making recommendations for annual improvement budgets and work plans, discussing issues and solutions, and reporting back to members about use of the product or service.
Sitka Business Function Group Terms of Reference
Adopted: 2017-05-09
Background:
One of the main purposes of the BC Libraries Cooperative is to provide a collaborative procurement, distribution and management framework for the provision of library goods, materials and services for members. The Cooperative is built around the core philosophy of community-managed business solutions organized in discrete units.
Under the Cooperative’s Service Management Agreement, Business Function Groups are authorized by the Board to represent the interests of subscribers of specific Optional Services.
Sitka Business Function Group Mandate:
The Sitka Business Function Group (Sitka BFG) is a community of practice and a forum for knowledge transfer. It is also an advisory group for the Cooperative’s Sitka staff regarding the community’s priorities for Sitka services, support and Evergreen software development.
The Sitka BFG will advocate on behalf of BC Libraries Cooperative Members for services that:
- are cost-effective
- are suitable and sustainable
- reflect the priorities and concerns of its members, such as privacy, accessibility and authentication and that may also:
- capture Member input into feature developments and related priorities
- provide flexible solutions
- be based on readily available, standards-based, cost-effective software and hardware
Meetings
Meetings will be conducted via teleconference, hosted by the Cooperative, and may be held 3 times per year, usually in the first, second and fourth quarters. The Chair, with support from Sitka staff, will:
- poll members at least one month in advance of a call to identify the time and date that allows the most members to participate,
- send a request for agenda topics at least two weeks in advance of a scheduled call,
- send the agenda to all members at least one week in advance of a call,
- issue draft meeting minutes within two weeks of the meeting.
Communication and Information Sharing
All communication and information sharing outside of meetings will be sent via the Sitka Group on the Cooperative’s website. (Note that members control the frequency of emails sent via the Sitka Group, i.e. immediate, daily, weekly digest). Follow-up on action items in Sitka BFG meetings will also be sent via the Sitka Group on the Cooperative’s website. The Sitka Group forums may be used by members to solicit feedback from other members on Sitka and Evergreen related topics.
Scope of Authority:
As per Article 2.3.2 of the Service Management Agreement of the BC Libraries Cooperative, the responsibilities of the Sitka Business Function Group include:
- representing the interests of the users of Sitka’s Evergreen; serving as a community of practice and a forum for knowledge transfer.
- working with the Executive Director’s Office to:
- continuously improve the Sitka service,
- review and prioritize substantive requests for changes to the Sitka service or the Evergreen software,
- develop recommendations for inclusion in annual Cooperative improvement budgets and work plans,
- evaluate the Sitka Business Function Group’s activities annually and report back to the Board and the users of the designated services.
Membership:
Membership in the Sitka Business Function Group is open to any Cooperative member that has signed an Expression of Interest or is a consumer of the Sitka service. Other key community members, such as BC library federation coordinators, or Manitoba’s Spruce coordinator are welcome to participate in Sitka BFG teleconferences and to receive and send communications via the Sitka Website Group and Forums, but are not eligible to vote on Sitka BFG matters
Definitions:
“Business Function Group” means a standing committee established by the Members Council to assist in the management of, and continuous improvements to, specific software and service solutions.
“Optional Services” refers to those services defined in the Service Schedules to which a Member may choose to subscribe, (i.e. Sitka, with respect to this document).
“Participant” or “Subscriber” means a Member Organization that has executed an Expression of Interest for an Optional Service and signed a Membership Agreement with the Cooperative.
“Service Management Agreement” or “SMA” means the written agreement of that name governing the Subscribed Services of the BC Libraries Cooperative 2009, all attached Appendices and all documents incorporated by reference therein, together with all amendments or supplements made in accordance with the provisions thereof.
