Regional Management Board (RMB) Scheme of Delegation and Terms of Reference as agreed by Board of Trustees on 03 February 2021.
This scheme of delegation replaces all rules and regulations issued hitherto and comes into effect from 3 February 2021.
1. Remit
1.1 The Regional Management Board (RMB) will take delegated responsibility on behalf of the RTPI Board of Trustees (the Board) for managing the affairs of the Region in accordance with the RTPI Regulations.
1.2 The RMB receives its duties and responsibilities from the Board. Responsibilities can be delegated to subordinate bodies but the RMB is ultimately responsible for how these duties are discharged.
1.3 An RTPI member of staff shall act as an advisor, sharing advice, guidance and recommendations.
2. Composition and support
2.1 The RMB shall be elected annually by members in the Region.
2.2. The RMB positions are elected through the elections process. The RMB’s composition shall be determined as per the provisions mentioned under subsequent section 2.3.
2.3 The RMB composition shall include:
- Minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 8
- Up to 2 non-chartered members depending on the size of RMB (i.e. 5-6 members, then 1 non-chartered, 7-8 members two non-chartered allowed)
Of which the following roles are mandatory:
- Chair (chartered member)
- Vice Chair (chartered member)
- General Assembly (GA) Regional Representative (stand-alone role or delegated to another post holder)
- Nations and Regions Panel Representative (stand-alone role, or delegated to another post holder)
Additionally Regional Management Boards may choose to appoint:
- Junior Vice Chair (may be working toward Chartership but cannot progress to Vice Chair until chartered)
- Regional Secretary
- Regional Treasurer (or finance lead)
- Up to 4 non-designated positions (to a maximum RMB membership of 8)
2.4 Positions on the RMB are for a one or two-year term, as referenced in the role descriptions.
2.5 Members of the RMB are members of the Regional Activities Committee by virtue of their membership of the RMB.
2.6 The maximum term on a RMB is 6 years, after which there must be a break of at least one year.
2.7 Casual vacancies to the RMB can be co-opted and remain in term until such point as an election takes place.
2.8 If an appointed member is absent from three consecutive meetings of the RMB, the RMB may resolve that his/her office be vacated.
3. Quorum
3.1 At every RMB, a minimum of three (one which must be the Chair or (Vice Chair) shall constitute a quorum.
3.2 In the event of a tied vote, the chair of the RMB (or deputy in his/her lieu) shall exercise a casting vote as well as a first vote.
4. Conduct of Business
4.1 The RMB shall meet a minimum of three times a year. Meetings should be conducted electronically or face-to-face (providing remote access for those that cannot attend in person
4.2 Meetings of the RMB shall be called by the regional secretary or the regional co-ordinator, and in agreement with the RMB chair.
4.3 Unless otherwise agreed, notice of each meeting confirming the type of meeting venue, time and date, together with an agenda of items to be discussed, shall be forwarded to each member of the RMB and any other person required to attend no later than 5 working days before the date of the meeting. Supporting papers shall be sent to standing committee members and to other attendees as appropriate, at the same time.
4.4 Items of a confidential nature shall be marked as confidential and dealt with by the RMB at a separate meeting to that of the RAC.
4.5 Dates of meetings will be agreed and circulated to members prior to 1st January of each year.
5. Minutes
5.1 The chair will ascertain, at the beginning of each meeting, the existence of any conflicts of interest and ensure that these are minuted.
5.2 A designated minute taker shall minute the proceedings and resolutions of all meetings, including the names of those present and in attendance.
5.3. Draft Minutes of RMB meetings shall be circulated promptly to all members of the RMB, the Head of English Regions and the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Institute’s service standards.
5.4 Items or minutes which contain commercially sensitive information, contractual issues, issues relating to employment, legal proceedings, information provided in confidence or which identify an individual shall be marked as confidential. These items shall be redacted if published online.
5.5 Minutes and papers for the RMB shall be prepared and circulated in accordance with the Institute’s service standards.
6. Reporting responsibilities
6.1. The RMB’s delegated representative shall report informally to the Nations and Regions Panel on matters within its duties and responsibilities.
6.2. The chair of the RMB shall review budgets with the Head of English Regions and Head of Finance at mid-year and end of year through the business planning process.
6.3 The General Assembly representative will liaise between RMB’s and the Board, reporting from GA meetings and representing and reporting RMB’s views to GA.
7. Elections
7.1 The RMB shall adopt the RTPI’s standard online nominations/elections platform.
7.2 The election shall take place by way of ballot of regional members, in which every member entitled to vote shall have one vote. The provisions for the casting and counting of votes and declaration of the results shall be the same as for elections across the Institute. Members will be elected by a simple majority of votes cast in accordance with the ‘first past the post’ system. If there is a tie between candidates, the post shall be selected by drawing lots between them.
7.3 AGMs are not required to be held by Regions to discharge any legal responsibilities of the Institute however Regions can, if they so wish, hold an annual meeting of the Region’s members. Notification of any such meeting should be conducted electronically.
8. Decisions delegated to the RMB by the Board of Trustees
8.1 For determination
- Undertaking of membership activities and services in line with the Region’s approved business plan and budget and the Institute’s identified corporate objectives.
- Determination of the RMB composition adopted as outlined in 2.3 and notified to Board.
- Ratification of the Regional Activities Committees (RAC) members (in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation).
- Determination of election/nomination procedures in accordance with RTPI’s elections guidance.
- The establishment or disestablishment of subordinate bodies, excluding the RAC (in accordance with approved Scheme of Delegation or Terms of Reference).
- Filling casual vacancies among the RMB, RAC including Regional Representative on the General Assembly and appointing a Nations and Regions Representative.
8.2 For consideration and recommendation back to the Board of Trustees for decision
- Preparation of the Region’s draft annual budget and business plan.
- Proposals to change Regional structures or boundaries.
- Comments on Board recommendations and decisions, which are likely to impact on regional activities.
8.3 Decisions delegated to Officers by the Board of Trustees
8.4 For determination by Senior Executive Team based on recommendation by the Head of Finance:
- Permission for any increase in regional expenditure outside of the annual budgeting and mid-year review timetable that is not fully matched by an increase in regional income.
- Approval to spend additional amounts of regional reserves outside of the annual budgeting and mid-year review timetable.
8.5 For determination by the Head of English Regions:
- Sign off of the Region’s Annual Review.
8.6 For consideration and recommendation back to the Head of English Regions
- Requests to change existing resourcing, in advance of preparing the Regional Business Plan.
9. Decisions delegated to subordinate bodies by the RMB
9.1 For determination
- The RMB may delegate any of its responsibilities to the RAC, or any other committee or subcommittee it may establish, except that it must carry out items provided for in 7.1 and 7.2.
- In delegating responsibilities to the RAC or any other committee, the RMB shall:
- Seek approval of the Board of Trustees for the establishment of any body upon which non-RTPI members are to be invited to serve. Such a body shall not be able to make decisions or consider the formulation of RTPI policy.
- Have an agreed terms of reference, replaced in due course by a Scheme of Delegation.
- Share details of membership of the body on an annual basis.
- Where the body addresses issues within the remit of an RTPI standing committee to report their activities to that committee no less than annually.
10. Decisions delegated to the RMB by the Policy, Practice and Research Committee (PPRC)
10.1 For determination
- Identification of regional policy and research initiatives identified as part of the business planning process and developed in consultation with the Head of Policy and Research.
- Proposals for an RTPI response to regional (including sub-regional, pan-regional) policy issues identified as part of the business planning process and developed in consultation with the Head of Policy and Research.
10.2 For consideration and recommendation back to the Chief Executive
- Responses to UK Government consultations