National Path.Finder Consortium Framework
Below is a complete transcript of the current consortium framework. This
document outlines the working practices and conditions of membership for
The National Path.Finder Consortium
Also included in the transcript is the Interim Consortium Framework.
This provides the constitutional means whereby the Executive Steering
Group may progress from it's present position, as of 27th January 1999,
to the adoption of the Consortium Framework (including the conditions
of membership) by the 1st of April 2002.
Path.Finder Project
Consortium Framework
- The Executive Steering Group (ESG) will normally consist of a total
of twelve voting members but in any case will consist of no less than
ten and no more than sixteen voting members. Two members of the ESG
will be elected to the posts of Chair and Vice Chair as described in
paragraphs five, six, seven and eight below.
- Each year one third of ESG members will retire. The members to retire
by rotation will those who have been longest in office since their last
appointment or reappointment. Where members who became or who were last
reappointed members of the ESG on the same day are concerned, those
to retire will (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined
by lot. Members whose term of office has expired may offer themselves
for re-election.
- Membership of the ESG will be determined by a ballot of all Consortium
members. The term of office will be three years and will commence on
the 1st April following election.
- Consortium members who wish to be considered for election to the
ESG in the annual elections must be a member of the Consortium as of
the 31st December of the preceding year.
- The Chair will be elected by members of the ESG. The period of office
will be for two years.
- The Vice Chair will be elected by members of the ESG. The period of
office will be for one year.
- A member of the ESG who is elected Vice Chair in the second year of
the Chair’s period of office will, in effect, become Chair Elect
and will automatically succeed to the office of Chair at the end of
the Chair’s period of office.
- Members who are elected Chair, Vice Chair or Chair Elect will have
their membership of the ESG extended by a length of time equal to their
period of office.
- The Chair of the ESG will have a vote and casting vote where needed.
The Vice-Chair will deputise for the Chair in the absence of the Chair.
- Each Consortium member will identify a lead clinician and a coordinator.
Members of the ESG will normally be the lead clinician. Each member
of the ESG will have one vote. In the event of a member of the ESG being
unable to attend an ESG meeting a nominated deputy will be acceptable
and may vote on behalf of the Consortium member.
- The meeting of the ESG will be quorate and valid providing that the
Chair or Vice Chair and four other voting members are present. All decisions
will be based on a simple majority of those present at a quorate meeting.
The agreed minutes of the ESG meetings will form the record of any such
decisions. Papers must be circulated to all members, two weeks in advance
of ESG meetings.
- If, within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting, the
Chair or Vice Chair are not present, the members of the ESG present
at the meeting will elect one of their number to be Chair for the meeting.
All decisions taken must be ratified at the next ESG meeting.
- If a quorum is not present, or if during a meeting a quorum ceases
to be present, the meeting will continue but all decisions must be ratified
at the next ESG meeting
- The ESG will hold an annual general meeting each year in addition
to any other meetings in that year and will specify the meeting as such
in the notices calling it. Not more than fifteen months will elapse
between the date of one annual general meeting and that of the next.
All general meetings other than annual general meetings will be called
extraordinary general meetings.
- The ESG may call general meetings which will be notified to all members.
The notice will specify the time and place of the meeting and the general
nature of the business to be transacted and, in the case of an annual
general meeting, will specify the meeting as such.
- Consortium members, following a simple majority decision of all voting
Consortium members, may instruct the ESG to convene an extra ordinary
general meeting. The ESG on receipt of such an instruction will proceed
to convene an extra ordinary general meeting for a date not later than
eight weeks after the receipt of the instruction. The notice, which
will be given to all members, will specify the time and place of the
meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted
- The ESG will establish such advisory groups that it feels helpful
and necessary. Specifically it will establish a research group, which
will consist of three ESG members one of whom will act as Chair. In
addition the advisory groups may coopt up to two consortium members
who are not members of the ESG.
- The ESG will meet as often necessary but no less than three times
per annum.
- Any changes to the Consortium Framework must be agreed by a two-thirds
majority of all Consortium members. If less than two thirds of Consortium
members, who are entitled to vote, are present at a general meeting
then a postal vote will be required. Consortium members who do not respond
within 30 days of the date of the postal vote will be deemed to have
voted in favour of the proposed change.
- The ESG will review the joining fee and the annual fee each year prior
to the end of the financial year (31 March).
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Path.Finder Project
Conditions of Membership
15 May 1998
- Each new Consortium member will pay a joining fee as determined by
the Executive Steering Group (ESG) which provides three years membership.
This entitles members to:
- Access to the information contained in the National Path.Finder
data set. The Wirral data set will continue to remain the starter
pack but increasingly access to other information sets will be available
and coordinated by the National Office.
- Consortium members are encouraged to participate in research and
are entitled to bid for research funds from the Consortium, for research
projects relevant to the work of the Consortium.
- Consortium members are entitled to stand for election for the ESG
providing they meet the criteria as laid down by paragraph four of
the Consortium Framework.
- All services provided by the National Office as may be determined
by the ESG from time to time.
- Members are therefore free to choose the software most appropriate
to their local needs.
- Following three full years of membership an annual fee will be payable
by each Consortium member. The joining fee and the annual fee will be
reviewed by the ESG on an annual basis prior to the end of the financial
year (31st March). All fees will be payable on the 1st April.
- The opportunity to withdraw is available to individual members, but
the ESG will determine whether this results in any refund of fees.
- A condition of membership is that all Consortium members must freely
share information generated as part of the Path.Finder project with
the National Office and all other Consortium members when requested
to do so.
- All consortium members must inform the National Office of information
held within their Path.Finder data sets by the 1st August and the 1st
February each year. The National Office will circulate a matrix of member’s
activity within one month of these dates.
- Access to Consortium information, that is information generated by
members of the Path.Finder Consortium, is a right of membership. But
any information used on individual member’s systems must be altered
so that source or authorship of each page/section acknowledges local
ownership. This will ensure that information is owned locally.
- Responsibility for the development and maintenance of clinical guidelines,
protocols or any other clinical management information and any liabilities
resultant from their use rests with local clinicians.
- Information within each Consortium members system will remain the
property of the Consortium member and therefore the copyright rests
locally. Consortium members are free to share locally developed information
with other interested parties but are requested to advise the ESG of
their actions.
- Consortium members will, wherever possible, refer any requests from
outside parties for information that is not locally owned, to the ESG
for advice.
- All papers generated by research must recognise the Path.Finder Consortium
and must acknowledge the local authors involved.
- It is expected that all Consortium members will be prepared to support
the National Project at the request of the ESG and the National Office.
- All applications for membership must be supported by an existing Consortium
member.
- The ESG reserves the right to refuse or to renew membership but the
proposed or existing member has the right of appeal to the annual general
meeting
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Appendix 1
Path.Finder Project
Interim Consortium Framework
The purpose of the interim framework is to provide the constitutional
means whereby the Executive Steering Group (ESG) may progress from its
present position, as of the 30th January 1998, to the adoption of the
Consortium Framework (including the Conditions of Membership) by the 1st
April 2002. It details the steps required and should be viewed as part
of, and supplementary to, the Consortium Framework and Conditions of Membership
- All Consortium members as at 30th January 1998 will remain, as of
right, members of the Executive Steering Group (ESG) until the 31st
March 2000. Membership of the Consortium as of the 30th January 1998
is detailed in appendix 2.
- Two members of the ESG will be elected by the ESG to the posts of
Chair and Vice Chair.
- The first Chair (to be elected on the 15th May 1998) will be elected
by members of the ESG and will be entitled to remain Chair until 31st
March 2002.
- The first Vice Chair (to be elected on the 15th May 1998) will be
elected by members of the ESG and will be entitled to remain as Vice
Chair until 31st March 1999. Thereafter the Vice Chair will be elected
by members of the ESG on an annual basis.
- A member of the ESG who is elected to serve as Vice Chair from the
1st April 2001 will, in effect, become Chair Elect and will automatically
succeed to the office of Chair on the 1st April 2002.
- From the 30th January 1998 to the 31st March 2000 membership of the
ESG will be confined to those Consortium members detailed in appendix
2. On the 1st April 2000, three members of the ESG will retire and
four seats will be contested. The retiring members will (unless they
agree among themselves) be determined by lot.
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