Ad Hoc Strategic Coordination Committee on Information and data (SCCID)
Background | Terms of Reference | Membership | Finances | Timetable

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Background

Taking the recommendations from the Priority Area Assessment report[1] (December 2004) as a starting point, as well as the vision of Scientific Data and Information developed in the ICSU Strategic Plan 2006-2011, an ad hoc Strategic Committee on Information and Data (SCID) was established by ICSU (September 2006). This Committee had, as one of its remits to advise ICSU on a coordinated global approach to scientific data and information. The SCID committee produced a report published by ICSU in June 2008.

The key recommendations[2] in the report included the establishment of a new committee that will provide ICSU with broad expertise and advice on a strategic direction in the area of Scientific Data and Information. The 29^th ICSU General Assembly (Maputo, October 2008) decided to establish an ad hoc Strategic Coordinating Committee for Information and Data (SCCID).

The ad hoc Strategic Coordinating Committee for Information and Data (SCCID) is established for an initial period of three years, potentially renewable for a further three-year term upon review by the ICSU Committee for Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR). The committee is appointed by ICSU and shall report to the Executive Board via CSPR. It shall report to the ICSU General assembly in 2011.

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Terms of Reference

1. To establish and assert a visible and effective strategic leadership role, on behalf of the global scientific community, in relation to the policies, management and stewardship of scientific data and information;
2. to provide broad expertise and advice to ICSU and to ensure proper coordination among ICSU activities in the field of scientific data and information;
3. to  advise on the data needs and possible solutions for existing and new ICSU programmes and other international initiatives;
4. to develop a coordinated strategy for training and capacity enhancement in data and information stewardship with a particular focus on least developed countries and involving the activities of CODATA, ICSU WDS and other relevant Interdisciplinary Bodies.
5. to provide strategic advice, where appropriate, to guide the implementation of the new ICSU WDS structure and the continued development of CODATA;
6. to work with relevant ICSU bodies and key partners to promote international discussions on current and evolving key data and information issues including global access.
7. to develop a sustainability plan for maintaining the established strategic coordination and leadership role of ICSU for consideration by the General Assembly in 2011.

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Membership

Members of the Committee are normally appointed for a period of three years, renewable once. Tenure is staggered to ensure both continuity and turnover. The ad hoc SCCID committee shall consist of a Chair and no more than twelve additional members serving in their personal capacity. Membership should include both scientists and data and information professionals from a wide range of disciplines and countries. It shall include an ex-officio member from the ICSU World Data System Scientific Committee (WDS-SC) and one member of the SCCID shall serve as ex-officio on WDS-SC. The committee shall be gender and geographically balanced insofar as possible.

Chair: Harris, Ray (United Kingdom), bio...

Members:

• Andrews, Barbara (United Kingdom / Chile), bio...
• Bel Hassen, Malika (Tunisia), bio...
• Belcher,  Martin  (United Kingdom), bio...
• Broome, John (Canada), bio...
• Chen, Robert (USA), bio...
• Finney, Kim  (Australia), bio...
• Fox, Peter (Australia), bio...
• Gruttemeier, Herbert (Germany / France), bio...
• Pauw, Johan C. (South Africa), bio...
• Ohishi, Masatoshi (Japan), bio...
• Richter, Bernd    (Germany), bio...
• Tan, Tieniu   (China), bio...

Contact:

Mustapha Mokrane
ICSU Science and Information Technology Officer
mustaphaicsu.org

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Finances

This new ad hoc committee shall be directly supported by ICSU.

Timetable