Elections Committee Bylaws | World Youth Parliament for Water

Purpose
1. Select new board members appointed to the WYPW board.
2. Create a shortlist of eligible President and Vice President candidates
Composition and Appointment
1. The committee will consist of ten individuals who have represented WYPW either as a member, working group leader, Chapter president, and/or General Assembly member.
2. The committee is chosen by the current President and Vice-President.
3. The committee will be advised by a senior neutral advisor who will oversee the entire process.
4. The committee must have a regional balance as well as gender balance.
Obligations
1. All members of the committee must dedicate ample time to complete the nomination process in due course.
2. The composition of the committee should remain unaltered for the duration of the nominations procedure.
3. Members of the committee are bound to observe the principles of equal treatment and sound management.
4. The committee is independent, and may not consider information outside the application materials submitted by each applicant.
Conflict of Interests
1. Prior to the selection procedure, each Committee Member must sign this document as a declaration that they do not possess a conflict of interest and will treat each application with confidentiality.
2. Where there is a conflict of interest, Committee Members must declare it at the earliest opportunity no matter the circumstances, and remove themselves from nomination processes specifically involving the relevant candidate.
3. Members of the committee are not eligible to submit their candidacy for a role as President, Vice-President or as a board member.
4. The principles which guide the Committee are as follows:
  - Transparency in all actions through thorough monitoring and reporting
  - Uniform and strict application of the essential qualifications stated in the call for applications to determine the eligibility of candidates;
  - Equality of treatment of all candidates, which includes:
    1. equal treatment of male and female candidates
    2. proper consideration of differences in educational systems
    3. mutual recognition of degrees or other qualifications and
    4. an exact and clear understanding of the intrinsic value of professional experience.
Operations
1. Committee members have equal rights and obligations. The neutral advisor should take the leading role in steering the Elections Committee in its work through the procedure towards a successful conclusion. The neutral advisor fixes the schedule of meetings and the venue. The neutral advisor ensures that the necessary decisions are taken and provides Committee members with all relevant information, details about the candidates, arrangements for interviews and the final results. They ensure that proper minutes are prepared and are assisted in this by the other Committee Members. The minutes should explain the procedure followed, the number of cases reviewed, the number of candidates admitted to the procedure and the decision-making basis leading to the placement of successful candidates on the reserve list.
Confidentiality
1. The deliberations of the Committee are strictly confidential and may not be disclosed to anyone.
2. The Committee may consult or review all documentation pertaining to a Procedure for which they have responsibility, e.g., candidate files, correspondence issued, reports etc. All documents provided to the Committee are strictly confidential and must be treated as such by the Committee members. They are returned to the board, which deals with their further storage.
Assessment of Applications
1. The Committee may not apply criteria not included in the vacancy notice, but it must specify the scope of the criteria laid down in that notice.
2. The minimum professional experience is stated in the vacancy notice. The qualitative comparison of professional experience in relation to the duties of the post advertised is the more difficult exercise. The reasons for excluding candidates due to insufficient/inadequate professional experience must be carefully considered and formulated with great care. Where the Committee cannot make a reasoned and exact decision it is preferable to give the candidate the benefit of the doubt.
3. Scoring of each element is done by consensus of the members and experts. In the rare event that discussion does not achieve a consensus then a vote may be taken. Only members of a Selection Committee may vote.
Duties of the GA Working Group
1. Processing electronic applications and corresponding with the candidates at all stages of the procedure
2. Copying the candidates’ application forms responses for the Committee
3. Preparation of evaluation forms required by the Committee to assess admission eligibility and screening for essential requirements
4. Registration of full applications, including registration of supporting documents before candidate is placed on reserve list
5. Filing and archiving
6. Where a member of the Elections Committee receives any query from a candidate the candidate must be referred to the GA working group which will respond.
Data Protection
1. Application files are kept by the Board for two years from the establishment date of the reserve list after which time they are destroyed. Application files for candidates on the reserve list are kept for five years from the establishment date of the reserve list, after which time they are destroyed.