International Relations Committee--Practices

PAM International Membership Award (PAM-IMA) Procedures and Timeline

The Chair of PAM acts as the coordinator, with help from other PAM staff as designated, particularly the Treasurer and the International Relations Committee Chair.

1. Nomination and selection process
   • IRC Chair makes announcement soliciting nominations (via PAMnet, PAM Bulletin, SLA International Information Exchange Caucus, other avenues) well in advance of Oct. 31 deadline; base announcement on IMA Guidelines; may seek assistance from Public Relations Chair; may need to issue follow-up calls for nominations as deadline approaches.
   • Nominations are to be sent to IRC Chair, who corresponds with applicants (answers queries, asks for further documentation if necessary, etc.); IRC Chair sends copies of all applications to Executive Board. (Consider for the next go-around, based on the quality of application materials, replacing the requirement for resume/CV with a form specifying the information to be provided.)
   • Executive Board and IRC Chair evaluate nominees based on the official award criteria and other considerations such as English proficiency and ability to benefit from PAM activities. It is consistent with the intent of the award to choose either the person who is most in need of the professional network PAM provides (e.g., an isolated professional with no other supporting resources) or the person who is best positioned to contribute to PAM through his/her established network and leadership opportunities.
   • IRC Chair notifies the winner, confirms acceptance, and notifies other candidates.
   • IRC Chair announces award to PAM membership (via PAMnet, PAM Bulletin) and SLA leadership (press release to Information Outlook; may seek assistance from Public Relations Chair).
   • Chair sends awardee official notification letter, including conference invitation and financial particulars, suitable for sharing with employer or supporting travel visa application (get sample from previous Chair; this letter can be crucial in obtaining a travel visa, so it must contain the key elements).
2. First-year Logistics
   • Chair finds a translator within PAM as necessary.
   • Chair invites awardee to sign up for PAMnet and initiates awardee's participation in mentor program.
   • Chair apprises awardee of duties: Report on the state of scientific information/libraries in their country, to be delivered at the conference; Participation in IRC; Final report to Board and IRC at the end of the two-year membership term.
   • Awardee joins IRC (IRC Chair contacts him/her) and, if appropriate, PAM Asia-Pacific Forum (APF); Chair and IRC Chair encourage awardee to take a leadership role.
   • Chair arranges appropriate conference venue for awardee's initial report; possibilities include PAMwide RT (at which awardee should be introduced even if not speaking) or PAM business meeting (at which award certificate will be presented and photos taken).
   • Treasurer facilitates awardee enrolling in SLA, pays membership fee.
   • Treasurer handles conference travel logistics: registers awardee for conference (Chair may ask HQ (event planner or exec. Director) for complimentary registration); makes or advises awardee on travel arrangements; books room, possibly arranges roommate (e.g., conference buddy); wires funds for travel ticket if necessary (otherwise, reimburse from receipt afterwards); provides cash for per diem expenses as soon as possible after awardee's arrival; pays hotel directly (e.g., with PAM debit card); collects receipts from awardee and reconciles expenses.
   • Chair monitors travel plans, including acquisition of visa/travel papers.
   • Secretary provides award (e.g., easily transportable framed certificate) for presentation at business meeting.
   • Travel funding provided as regular part of PAM's budget; Chair-elect offers this sponsorship opportunity when soliciting sponsors.
3. Conference strategies
   • Chair arranges help with arrival, departure (possible resource: Hospitality Committee).
   • Chair, in consultation with Mentoring Subcommittee, designates conference buddy (possibility: previous IMA winner; offer translation help as needed). Buddy or other PAM designee escorts awardee to various receptions, vendor events, open houses.
   • Awardee expected/encouraged to attend PAM early-bird dinner, PAM-wide RT, PAM newcomers' lunch, PAM annual business meeting/breakfast, PAM open house, SLA 1st timers reception, SLA international reception.
   • Chair arranges photo opportunity and/or other interaction between awardee and sponsor, if any.
4. Second-year Logistics
   • Since the award will be made each year, the terms of the award winners will overlap.
   • Treasurer pays for second year of awardee's membership (at same time as enrolling new awardee).
   • Chair considers appointing awardee as IRC Chair; otherwise, IRC Chair facilitates awardee's continued involvement in IRC (as new awardee also joins).
   • Since the IMA term is longer than and out of sync with Board members' terms of office, the Chair must make a special effort to follow up with awardees during the second year of their award, checking the awardee's progress occasionally and reminding him/her (if necessary) about the final report.
   • Possiblities for generating the report: the awardee may be asked to respond to specific questions; the Chair or other PAM officer may conduct an exit interview with the awardee by phone.
   • Board and IRC discuss implications of awardee's final report for future improvement of the program.
   • Chair sends official letter to awardee at end of 2-year term, expressing thanks for his/her contributions and encouraging further involvement in PAM (e.g., offer continued participation in mentoring program or other activities as appropriate; KIIE's twinning program?).

   PAM Practices Manual Editor: Kristine Fowler, fowler@math.umn.edu

   Copyright protected.

Page last updated: July 26, 2005