Working Methods and Procedures to be applied - Resolution 4 (Rev. Istanbul, 2002)

SECTION 1 - Study groups and other groups

1. Creation of study groups and other groups

2. Chairmen

3. Rapporteurs

4. Powers of the study groups

5. Meetings

6. Participation in meetings

7. Frequency of meetings

8. Establishment of work programmes and preparation of meetings

9. Study group management teams

10. Preparation of reports

11. Study group reports to WTDC

SECTION 2 - Submission, processing and presentation of contributions

12. Submission of contributions

13. Processing of contributions

14. Presentation of contributions

SECTION 3 - Proposals and adoption of Questions

15. Proposal of Questions

16. Adoption of Questions by WTDC

17. Adoption of proposed Questions between two WTDCs

SECTION 4 - Deletion of Questions

18. 18.1 Deletion of a Question by the WTDC

19. 18.2 Deletion of a Question between WTDCs

SECTION 5 - Approval of new or revised recommendations

19. Introduction

20. Reservations

SECTION 6 - Support to the study groups and other groups

Annex 1: Model recommendation for guidance when drafting recommendations

Annex 2: Document for submission of contributions for action/for information

Annex 3: Template/outline for proposed Questions and issues for study and consideration by the ITU-D

Annex 4: Template for liaison statements

Annex 5: Rapporteur's checklist

Annex 6: Focus groups

Annex 7: Framework for project groups

1 Creation of study groups and other groups

1.1 In accordance with the provisions of Article 16 of the Convention, WTDC may establish study groups for

        a) studying a series of Questions falling within the terms of reference set by the conference;

        b) elaborating draft recommendations or guidelines to foster telecommunication development in developing countries leading to a more balanced worldwide development of telecommunications.

1.2 To facilitate their work, the study groups may set up working parties, rapporteur groups, focus groups, project groups and joint rapporteur groups to deal with specific Questions or parts of thereof.

As an alternative, study groups may identify specific questions or parts thereof that would more appropriately be responded to by BDT using its own experts, or using external experts when BDT does not have the necessary expertise.

1.3 The study group may establish one or more focus groups to which it may assign the studies of those urgent Questions and the preparation of those urgent recommendations that cannot reasonably be carried out by the other groups (see Annex 6).

1.4 In addition, in the case of an urgent Question or topic arising between study group meetings, such that it cannot reasonably be considered at a scheduled study group meeting, the chairman, in consultation with the vice‑chairmen, the chairman of TDAG and the Director of BDT, may take action to establish a focus group, in a decision indicating the urgent Question or topic to be studied. Following this decision, the details will be notified with a circular letter and posted on ITU-D website.

Following the posting, the focus group may proceed.

The establishment of the focus group shall be confirmed by the next meeting of the study group. Details on the establishment and terms of reference of a focus group and on its financing are mentioned in Annex 6.

1.5        Study groups may also establish one or more project groups to address any topic within a Question (see Annex 7).

1.6        Where appropriate, regional groups may be set up to study Questions or problems, the specific nature of which makes it desirable that they be studied within the framework of one or more regions of the Union.

Regional and subregional meetings offer a valuable opportunity for information exchange and the development of management and technical experience and expertise. Every opportunity should be taken to provide additional opportunities for experts from developing countries to gain experience by participating in regional and subregional meetings, which deal with study group work.

The establishment of regional groups should not give rise to duplication of work being carried out at the global level by the corresponding study group or its other groups.

1.7             Joint rapporteur groups (JRGs) may be established for the study of those Questions requiring the participation of experts from more than one study group. JRGs between study groups in ITU‑D may be governed by these procedures. It is preferable to identify such procedures when creating such joint groups, with the terms of reference, with clear identification to whom they should report and where the final decisions will be taken.

1.8             Chairmen and vice-chairmen of ITU-D study groups are designated by WTDC. Subject to the decision of the next plenipotentiary conference, TDAG is authorized to appoint study group chairmen and vice-chairmen, when the need arises, during the period between WTDCs.

1.9             Subject to the decision of the next plenipotentiary conference,TDAG is authorized to approve changes which are appropriate in the structure and working methods of the ITU-D study groups, during the period between world telecommunication development conferences.

2 Chairmen

2.1 Appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen shall be primarily based upon proven competence both in technical content of the study group concerned, and the management skills required. Candidates should represent a broad range of Member States and Sector Members.

2.2 The mandate of the vice-chairman shall be to assist the chairman in matters relating to the management of the study group including substitution for the chairman at official ITU-D meetings or replacement of the chairman should he or she be unable to continue with study group duties. Each working party and each focus group chairman provides technical and administrative leadership and should be recognized as having a role of equal importance to that of the study group vice-chairman.

2.3 Vice-chairmen shall not be automatically selected as working party or focus group chairmen but shall not be excluded from consideration along with other qualified members of the study group.

2.4 In principle, a working party or a focus group chairman, on accepting this role, is expected to have the support necessary to fulfil this commitment throughout the study period, or as long as a focus group exists.

2.5 Focus group chairman and vice-chairman are initially appointed by the parent study group. If required, subsequent management appointments will be made by the focus group.

3 Rapporteurs (also see Annex 5: Rapporteur's checklist)

3.1 Rapporteurs are appointed by a study group in order to progress the study of a Question and to develop new and revised reports, opinions and recommendations. Rapporteurs may have responsibility for one or more Questions or topics.

3.2 Because of the nature of the studies, rapporteur appointments should be based both on expertise of the subject to be studied, and the ability to coordinate the work. Elements of the expected work done by the rapporteurs are described in Annex 5.

3.3 Clear terms of reference for the work of the rapporteur should be added to the defined Question by the study group, if so needed.

3.4 One rapporteur and one or more vice-rapporteurs are appointed as appropriate by a study group for each Question. The vice-rapporteur automatically takes over chairmanship when the rapporteur is not available. Vice-rapporteurs may be representatives from Member States, Sector Members and other duly authorized entities or organizations.

4 Powers of the study groups

4.1        Each study group may develop draft recommendations for approval either by WTDC or pursuant to Section 5 below. Recommendations approved in accordance with either procedure shall have the same status.

4.2        Each study group may also adopt draft Questions for approval by WTDC or in accordance with the procedure described in 15.2 of Section 3.

4.3        In addition to the above, each study group shall be competent to adopt guidelines, handbooks and reports.

4.4        In cases where the implementation of the results obtained is through BDT activities, these activities should be reflected in the annual operational plan.

5 Meetings

5.1 The study groups or other groups shall normally meet at ITU headquarters.

5.2 The meetings of the study groups or other groups studying Questions should take place, to the extent possible, in the ITU-D regions, when invited by Member States or Sector Members, in order to facilitate the attendance of developing countries. Such invitations shall normally be considered only if they are submitted to a WTDC, TDAG or an ITU-D study group meeting. They shall be finally accepted after consultation with the Director of BDT if they are compatible with the resources allocated to ITU-D by the Council.

5.3 The invitations referred to in 5.2 above shall be issued and accepted and the corresponding meetings outside Geneva organized only if the conditions laid down in Resolution 5 (Kyoto, 1994) and ITU Council Decision 304 are met.

5.4 The conditions for meetings of focus groups, joint rapporteur groups, rapporteur groups and project groups shall be mutually agreed by the participants of those groups.

5.5 The scheduling of focus group, joint rapporteur group, rapporteur group and project group meetings is subject to the approval of the study group chairman.

6 Participation in meetings

6.1 Member States, Sector Members and other entities duly authorized to participate in ITU-D activities shall be represented in the study groups and other groups in whose work they wish to take part, by participants registered by name and chosen by them as experts qualified to make an effective contribution to the study of the Questions entrusted to those study groups. Chairmen of meetings may invite individual experts as appropriate.

6.2 The Director of BDT shall keep up to date a list of the Member States, Sector Members and other entities participating in each study group.

7 Frequency of meetings

7.1 The study groups shall in principle meet at least once a year during the interval between two WTDCs. However, additional meetings may take place with the approval of the Director of BDT, having regard to the priorities laid down by the preceding WTDC and the resources of ITU-D itself.

7.2 To ensure the best possible use of the resources of ITU-D and of those participating in its work, the Director, in collaboration with the study group chairmen, shall establish and publish a timetable of meetings well in advance. The timetable shall take account of such factors as the
capacity of the ITU common services, document requirements for meetings and the need for close coordination with the activities of the other Sectors and other international or regional organizations.

7.3 In the establishment of the work programme, the timetable of meetings must take into account the time required for participating bodies to prepare contributions and documentation.

7.4 All study groups shall meet sufficiently in advance of WTDC in order to enable the final reports and draft recommendations to be disseminated within the required deadlines.

8 Establishment of work programmes and preparation of meetings

8.1 After each WTDC, a work programme shall be proposed by each study group chairman, with the assistance of BDT. The work programme shall take account of the programme of activities and priorities adopted by WTDC.

The implementation of the work programme will, however, depend to a large extent on the contributions received from ITU-D Member States, Sector Members, duly authorized entities or organizations, and the BDT secretariat, as well as on the opinions expressed by participants in the meetings.

8.2 An administrative circular with an agenda of the meeting, a draft work plan and a list of the Questions to be studied shall be prepared by the BDT secretariat with the help of the chairman of the study group concerned.

The administrative circular must reach the bodies participating in the work of the study group concerned at least three months before the opening of the meeting.

A registration form shall be appended to the administrative circular so that the bodies concerned can announce their intention to participate in the meeting. The form must then be returned to the BDT secretariat so as to arrive at least three weeks before the meeting. It shall contain the names and addresses of intended participants or at least the number of participants expected if their names could not be provided. This information will facilitate the registration process and the timely preparation of registration materials.

9           Study group management teams

9.1 Each ITU-D study group has a management team composed of the chairman, the vice-chairmen, the rapporteurs and vice-rapporteurs as well as the chairmen and the vice-chairmen of any group emanating from this study group.

9.2 Study group management teams should maintain contact among themselves and with BDT by electronic means to the extent practicable. Appropriate liaison meetings should be arranged, as necessary, with study group chairmen from the other Sectors.

9.3 A joint management team will be established, chaired by the Director of BDT, composed of the ITU-D study group management teams.

9.4 The role of the joint management team of the ITU-D study groups is to

• advise BDT management on the estimation of the budget requirements of the study groups;

• coordinate issues common to different Questions;

• prepare joint proposals to TDAG or other relevant bodies in ITU-D;

• finalize the dates of the study group meetings;

• deal with any other issue that may arise.

9.5 The ITU-D study group management team should meet once a year, preferably one or two days prior to the second TDAG meeting in the last quarter of the year.

10 Preparation of reports

10.1 Reports of the study group's work can be of four major types:

• Progress reports

• Meeting reports

• Output reports

• Study group reports to WTDC (see Section 8)

10.2 Progress reports

The following list of items is suggested for inclusion in progress reports:

1. brief summary of the status and expected contents of the output report;

2. conclusions or titles of reports or recommendations sought to be endorsed;

3. status of work with reference to the work programme, including baseline document, if available;

4. draft new or revised reports or recommendations, or reference to source documents containing the recommendations;

5. draft liaisons in response to or requesting action by other study groups or organizations;

6. reference to normal or delayed contributions considered part of assigned study and a summary of contributions considered;

7. reference to submissions attributed to collaborators of other organizations;

8. major issues remaining for resolution and draft agenda of future approved meetings, if any;

9. list of attendees at meetings held since the last progress report;

10. list of normal contributions or temporary documents containing the reports of all rapporteur's group meetings since the last progress report.

                                    NOTE:  The progress report may make reference to the meeting reports in order to avoid duplication of information.

Progress reports by rapporteurs shall be submitted to the relevant group for approval.

10.3 Meeting reports

Prepared by the study group chairman or the rapporteur, assisted by the BDT secretariat, the report shall contain a synopsis of the outcome of the work and emerging trends. It must also indicate items, which require further study at the next meeting. The report should also refer to contributions and/or documents issued during a meeting, main results (including recommendations and guidelines), directive for future work, planned meetings of working parties, focus groups and rapporteur groups, and liaison statements endorsed at the study group or working party level. A template for liaison statements is in Annex 4.

The report of a study group's first meeting in the study period shall include a list of the chairmen and vice-chairmen of any other groups that may have been created and the rapporteur and vice‑rapporteurs appointed. This list shall be updated, as required, in subsequent reports.

10.4 Output reports

Such reports represent the expected deliverable, i.e. the principal results of a study. The items to be covered are indicated in the expected output of the Question concerned.

 

11 Study group reports to WTDC

11.1 The final report of each study group to the WTDC shall be the responsibility of the chairman of the study group concerned and shall contain:

• a summary of the results achieved by the study group during the study period in question, describing the work of the study group and the outcome which resulted;

• reference to any new or revised recommendations approved by correspondence by Member States during the study period;

• the text of recommendations submitted to the WTDC for approval;

• a list of any new or revised Questions proposed for study during the next study period;

• a list of Questions proposed for deletion.

11.2 The preparation of recommendations should follow the general practice of the Union. Examples include the recommendations and resolutions of WTDCs, and of the regional telecommunication development conferences. A recommendation should stand alone. Information may be annexed to the recommendations, in order to accomplish this. A model recommendation is given in Annex 1.

12 Submission of contributions

12.1 Member States, Sector Members, duly authorized entities and organizations, and the chairmen and vice-chairmen of study groups or other groups should submit their contributions to current studies to the Director of BDT.

12.2 Such contributions should, inter alia, deal with the results of experience gained in telecommunication development, describe case studies and/or contain proposals for promoting balanced worldwide and regional telecommunication development. To the extent possible, contributions should be submitted in a convenient electronic form.

12.3 In order to facilitate the study of certain Questions, the BDT secretariat may submit consolidated documents or the results of case studies. Such documents will be treated as contributions.

12.4 In principle, documents submitted to the study groups as contributions should not exceed five pages. For existing texts, cross-references should henceforth be used instead of repeating material in extenso. Information material can be placed in annexes or supplied on request as background documentation. A form for submission of documents is in Annex 2.

13 Processing of contributions

a) Documents for action

13.1 Contributions requiring action from the meeting under the terms of its agenda received at least two months before a meeting shall be published and distributed in time for the said meeting.

The Director shall assemble the documentation and arrange, for those contributions received before the deadline, any translation needed as well as disseminate this documentation to participants in the requested working language before the date set for the meeting of a study group or other group.

When a document is large, and after consultation with the chairman of the study group or other group involved, it may be agreed that the Director shall send out the document without having it translated.

13.2 Documents originating from rapporteurs which go to the study group meetings, and which are received not later than one month before the meeting, will be treated according to point 13.1 above.

13.3 Contributions requiring action from the meeting under the terms of its agenda received by the Director less than two months, but at least seven days before the opening of a meeting, will not be processed in accordance with the procedure outlined in 13.1 above and shall be published as "delayed contributions" in the original language only (and in any other working language into which they may have been translated by the originator). In addition, contributions, which are not available to participants at the opening of the meeting, shall not be considered.

13.4 Contributions requiring action from the meeting under the terms of its agenda received by the Director less than seven days before the opening of a meeting shall not be entered on the agenda. They shall not be distributed but will be held for the next meeting. Contributions judged to be of extreme importance might be admitted by the Director at shorter notice, provided that these contributions are available to participants at the opening of the meeting.

13.5 BDT shall not reissue delayed contributions as normal contributions unless the relevant group concerned decides otherwise in cases of special interest and importance. Delayed contributions shall not be incorporated in reports as annexes.

b) Documents for information

13.6 Documents submitted to the meeting for information only and not requiring any specific action under the agenda (e.g. descriptive documents submitted by Member States, Sector Members or duly authorized entities and organizations, general policy statements, etc.) should be published, in the original language only, in a limited number of copies, for consultation. Delegates may ask the BDT Secretariat to provide them with a copy.

Information documents judged to be of extreme importance might be translated if requested by the meeting concerned.

13.7 A list of information documents comprising summaries should be translated to the extent possible.

c) Background documents

13.8 Reference documents containing only background information relating to issues addressed at the meeting (data, statistics, detailed reports of other organizations, etc.) should be available upon request in the original language only and, if available, also in electronic format.

d) Temporary documents

13.9 Temporary documents are documents produced during the meeting to assist in the development of the work.

13.10 Electronic access

BDT will post electronically all input and output documents (e.g. contributions, draft recommendations, liaison statements and reports) as soon as electronic versions of these documents are available.

Paper versions are to be dispatched as soon as printed to countries that will have requested a paper copy; and a dedicated, constantly updated web page shall be established as far as practicable for the meeting concerned.

14 Presentation of contributions

A. Contributions shall be relevant, clear, concise and comprehensive.

14.2 A cover page shall be prepared indicating the relevant Question(s), agenda item, date, source (originating country and/or organization, address, telephone number, fax number, and possible email address of author or contact person), as well as the title of the contribution. Indication should also be made as to whether the document is for action or for information, the action required, if any, and the abstract. A model of a sheet for submission of a document can be found in Annex 2.

14.3 If existing text needs to be revised, adequate indications should be given to identify the changes proposed.

14.4 Contributions submitted to the meeting for information only (see 13.6 above) should include a summary prepared by the contributor.

15 Proposal of Questions

15.1 Proposed new Questions for the Development Sector shall be submitted at least four months prior to a WTDC by Member States and Sector Members authorized to participate in the activities of the Sector.

15.2 However, an ITU-D study group may also propose new or revised Questions at the initiative of a member of that study group if there is sufficient consensus on the subject.

15.3 Each proposed Question should state the reasons for the proposal, the precise objective of the tasks to be performed, the urgency of the study and any contacts to be established with the other two Sectors and/or other international or regional bodies. Originators of Questions should use the template/outline provided in Annex 3 to ensure that all relevant information is included.

16 Adoption of Questions by WTDC

16.1 At least two months before a WTDC, TDAG shall meet to examine proposed new Questions and, if necessary, recommend amendments to take account of BDT's general development policy objectives and associated priorities.

16.2 At least one month before a WTDC, the Director of BDT shall communicate to Member States and Sector Members a list of the Questions proposed, together with any changes recommended by TDAG, and make these available on the ITU web site.

17 Adoption of proposed Questions between two WTDCs

17.1 Between two WTDCs, Member States, Sector Members and duly authorized entities and organizations participating in ITU-D activities may submit proposed Questions to the study group concerned.

17.2 Each proposed Question should be based on the template/outline given in 15.3 above.

17.3 If the study group concerned agrees by consensus to study the proposed Question and some Member States, Sector Members or other duly authorized entities and organizations (normally at least four) have committed themselves to supporting the work (e.g. by contributions, provision of rapporteurs or editors and/or hosting of meetings), it shall address the draft text thereof to the Director of BDT with all the necessary information.

17.4 The Director of BDT, after consultation with TDAG, shall inform Member States, Sector Members and other duly authorized entities of the new Questions by circular letter.

18 Study groups may decide to delete Questions. In each individual case it has to decide which of the following alternative procedures is the most appropriate one:

18.1 Deletion of a Question by the WTDC

Upon the decision of the study group, the chairman shall include in the report to WTDC the request to delete a Question. WTDC may approve this request.

18.2 Deletion of a Question between WTDCs

At a study group meeting, it may be agreed by reaching consensus among those present to delete a Question, e.g. either because work has been terminated or because no contributions have been received at that meeting and at the previous two study group meetings. Notification about this agreement, including an explanatory summary about the reasons for the deletion, shall be provided by an Administrative Circular. If a simple majority of the Member States has no objection to the deletion within two months, the deletion will come into force. Otherwise the issue will be referred back to the study group.

18.3 Those Member States that indicate disapproval are requested to provide their reasons and to indicate the possible changes that would facilitate further study of the Questions.

18.4 Notification about the result will be given in an Administrative Circular, and TDAG will be informed by a report from the Director. In addition, the Director shall publish a list of deleted Questions whenever appropriate, but at least once by the middle of a study period.

19 Introduction

After adoption at a study group meeting, Member States can approve recommendations, either by correspondence or at a WTDC.

19.1 When the study of a Question has reached a mature state resulting in a draft new or revised recommendation, the approval process to be followed is in two stages:

•  adoption by the study group concerned (see 19.3);

•  approval by the Member States (see 19.4).

Although not explicitly mentioned below, this process may also be used for the deletion of existing recommendations.

19.2 In the interests of stability, revision of a recommendation should not normally be considered for approval within two years, unless the proposed revision complements rather than changes the agreement reached in the previous version.

19.3 Adoption of a new or revised recommendation by a study group

19.3.1   A study group may consider and adopt draft new or revised recommendations, when the draft texts have been prepared sufficiently far in advance of the study group meeting so that it is anticipated that the draft texts in the working languages will have been distributed in either paper and/or electronic forms at least four weeks prior to the start of the study group meeting.

19.3.2   The Rapporteur's Group or any other Group which feels that its draft new or revised recommendation(s) is(are) sufficiently mature, can send the text to the study group chairman to start the adoption procedure according to 19.3.3 below.

19.3.3   Upon request of the study group chairman, the director shall explicitly indicate the intention to seek approval of new or revised recommendations under this procedure for adoption at a study group meeting when announcing the convening of the relevant study group meeting. The announcement shall include the specific intent of the proposal in summarized form. Reference shall be provided to the document where the text of the draft of the new or revised recommendation may be found.

This information shall be distributed to all Member States and Sector Members and should be sent by the Director so that it shall be received, so far as practicable, at least three months before the meeting.

19.3.4 Adoption of a draft new or revised recommendation must be unopposed by Member States.

19.4 Approval of new or revised recommendations by Member States

19.4.1 When a draft new or revised recommendation has been adopted by a study group, the text shall be submitted for approval by Member States.

19.4.2 Approval of new or revised recommendations may be sought:

• at a WTDC;

•  by consultation of the Member States as soon as the relevant study group has adopted the text.

19.4.3 At the study group meeting during which a draft is adopted, the study group shall decide to submit the draft new or revised recommendation for approval either at the next WTDC or by consultation of the Member States.

19.4.4 When it is decided to submit a draft to the WTDC, the study group chairman shall inform the Director and request that he takes the necessary action to ensure that it is included in the agenda for the Conference.

19.4.5 When it is decided to submit a draft for approval by consultation, the conditions and procedures hereafter will apply.

19.4.6 At the study group's meeting the decision of the delegations to apply this approval procedure must be unopposed. A delegation may advise at the study group meeting that it is abstaining from the decision to apply the procedure. This delegation's presence shall then be ignored for the purposes of this decision. Such an abstention may subsequently be revoked, but only during the course of the study group meeting.

Exceptionally, but only during the study group meeting, delegations may request more time to consider their positions. Unless advised of formal opposition from any of these delegations within a period of one month after the last day of the meeting, the approval process by consultation shall continue. If formal objection is received, the draft shall be submitted to the next WTDC.

19.4.7 For the application of the approval procedure by consultation, within one month of a study group's adoption of a draft new or revised recommendation, the Director shall request Member States to indicate within three months whether they approve or do not approve the proposal. This request shall be accompanied by the complete final text, in the working languages, of the proposed new or revised recommendation.

19.4.8 The Director shall also advise Sector Members participating in the work of the relevant study group under the provisions of Article 19 of the Convention, that Member States are being asked to respond to a consultation on a proposed new or revised recommendation, but only Member States are entitled to respond. This advice should be accompanied by the complete final texts, for information only.

19.4.9 If 70% or more of the replies from Member States indicate approval, the proposal shall be accepted. If the proposal is not accepted, it shall be referred back to the study group.

Any comments received along with responses to the consultation shall be collected by the Director and submitted to the study group for consideration.

19.4.10 Those Member States who indicate that they do not approve are encouraged to advise their reasons and to participate in the future consideration by the study group and its subordinate groups.

19.4.11 The Director shall promptly notify, by circular letter, the results of the above procedure for approval by consultation. The Director shall arrange that this information is also included in the next available ITU Notification.

19.4.12 Should minor, purely editorial amendments or correction of evident oversights or inconsistencies in the text as presented for approval be necessary, the Director may correct these with the approval of the chairman of the relevant study group.

19.4.13 ITU shall publish the approved new or revised recommendations in the working languages as soon as practicable.

20 Reservations

If a delegation elects not to oppose the approval of a recommendation but wishes to enter reservations on one or more aspects, such reservations shall be mentioned in a concise note appended to the text of the recommendation concerned.

21 The Director of BDT should ensure that, within the limits of existing budgetary resources, the study groups and other groups have appropriate support to conduct their work programmes as outlined in the terms of reference and as envisioned by the WTDC's work plan for the Sector. In particular, support may be provided in the following forms:

1. Appropriate administrative and professional staff support;

2. Contracting of outside expertise, as necessary;

3. Coordination with regional and subregional telecommunication organizations.

__________

Annex 1

ITU-D (general terminology applicable to all recommendations),

The World Telecommunication Development Conference (terminology only applicable to recommendations approved at a WTDC),

considering

This section should contain various general background references giving the reasons for the study. The references should normally refer to ITU documents and/or resolutions.

recognizing

This section should contain specific factual background statements such as "the sovereign right of each Member State" or studies which have formed a basis for the work.

taking into account

This section should detail other factors that have to be considered, such as national laws and regulations, regional policy decisions and other applicable global issues.

noting

This section should indicate generally accepted items or information that support the recommendation.

convinced

This section should contain details of factors that form the basis of the recommendation. These could include objectives of government regulatory policy, choice of financing sources, ensuring fair competition, etc.

recommends

This section should contain a general sentence, leading into detailed action points:

specific action point

specific action point

specific action point

etc.

Note that the above list of action verbs is not exhaustive. Other action verbs may be used when appropriate. Existing recommendations provide examples.

__________

Annex 2

_________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Action required

[Please indicate what is expected from the meeting (contributions for action only)]

Abstract

[Please provide a resumé of a few lines]

[Insert text of contribution here or attach file]

__________

Annex 3

* Information in italics describes the information which should be provided
by the originator under each heading.

Title of Question or issue (the title replaces this heading)

1             Statement of the situation or problem (the notes follow these headings)

*             Provide an overall general description of the situation or problem which is proposed for study, with specific focus on:

-          the implications for developing countries and LDCs,

-          gender perspective, and

-          how a solution will benefit these countries. Indicate why the problem or situation warrants study at this time.

2             Question or issue for study

*           State the Question or issue that is proposed for study, expressed as clearly as possible. The tasks should be tightly focused.

3             Expected output

*             Provide a detailed description of the expected output of the study. This should include a general indication of the organizational level or status of those who are expected to use and to benefit from the output.

4             Timing

*             Indicate the required timing, noting that the urgency of the output will influence both the method used to carry out the study, and the depth and breadth of the study.

5             Proposers/sponsors

*             Identify by organization and contact point those proposing and supporting the study.

6             Sources of input

*             Indicate what types of organizations are expected to provide contributions to further the work, e.g. Member States, Sector Members, other UN agencies, regional groups, etc.

*           Also include any other information, including potentially useful resources, that will be helpful to those responsible for carrying out the study.

7             Target audience

*       Indicate expected types of target audience, by noting all relevant points on the matrix which follows:

Where appropriate, please provide explanatory notes as to why certain matrix points were included or excluded.

a)             Target audience - Who specifically will use the output

*             Indicate as precisely as possible which individuals/groups/regions within the target organizations will use the output.

b)             Proposed methods for the implementation of the results

*           In the originator's opinion, how should the results of this work best be distributed to and used by the target audience.

8           Proposed methods of handling the Question or issue

a)          How?

*       Indicate the suggested handling of the proposed Question or issue

1)    Within a study group:
–    Question (over a multi-year study period)             o
–    Focus group (12 months' duration maximum)            o

2)    Within regular BDT activity:
–    Programmes                             o
–    Projects                              o
–    Expert consultants                          o

3)   In other ways - describe (e.g. regional, within other organizations,
jointly with other organizations, etc.)                    o

b)          Why?

*       Explain why you selected the alternative under a) above

9           Coordination

*             Include, inter alia, the requirements for coordination of the study with all of:

–       regular ITU-D activities;

–           other study group Questions or issues;

–       regional organizations, as appropriate;

–           work in progress in the other ITU Sectors.

10         Other relevant information

*             Include any other information that will be helpful in establishing how this Question or issue should best be studied, and on what schedule.
                                                                               __________

Annex 4

Information to be included in the liaison statement:

1.    List the appropriate Question numbers of the originating and destination study groups.

2.    Identify the study group or rapporteur's group meeting at which the liaison was prepared.

3.    Include a concise and clear subject. If this is in reply to a liaison statement, make this clear, e.g. "Reply to the liaison statement from (source and date) concerning …."

4.    Identify the study group(s), if known, or other organizations to which sent.
NOTE: Can be sent to more than one organization.

5.    Indicate the level of approval of such liaison statement, e.g. study group, or state that the liaison statement has been agreed at a rapporteur's group meeting.

6.    Indicate if the liaison statement is sent for action or comments, or for information only.
NOTE: If sent to more than one organization, indicate this for each one.

7.    If action is requested, indicate the date by which a reply is required.

8.    Include the name and address of the contact person.

NOTE: The text of the liaison statement should be concise and clear using a minimum of jargon.

NOTE: among ITU-D groups liaison statements should be discouraged, and problems solved through informal contacts

Example of a liaison statement:

_______________________________________

QUESTIONS          :          11/1 of ITU-D study group 1 and 11/2 of ITU-D study group 2

SOURCE              :          ITU-D, rapporteur group for Question 11/2

MEETING             :          Geneva, September 1999

SUBJECT           :        Request for information/comments - Reply to liaison statement from Question 16/1

__________

LIAISON STATEMENT

TO                      :        ITU-T, ITU-R, WP1/4, etc.

APPROVAL        :        Agreed to at the rapporteur group meeting …..

FOR                    :        ITU-R WP1/4 for action; others for information

DEADLINE             :        Reply by 22 May 2000

CONTACT         :        [Name], rapporteur for Question [number]

                                [Administration/Organization/Company]

                                [Full address]

                                [Tel./Fax/e-mail]

__________

Annex 5

1             Establish a group of collaborators, often referred to as a rapporteur group, to participate in the progress of the study. An updated list of collaborators should be provided at each study group meeting.

2             Establish a work programme in consultation with the group of collaborators. The work programme should be reviewed periodically by the study group and contain the following:

-           list of tasks to be completed;

-           target dates for milestones;

-           results anticipated, including titles of output documents;

-           liaison required with other groups, and schedules for liaisons, if known;

-       proposed meeting(s) of rapporteur's group and estimated dates, with request for interpretation, if any.

3           Adopt work methods appropriate to the group. Use of Electronic Document Handling (EDH), electronic and facsimile mail to exchange views is strongly encouraged.

4           Act as chairman at all meetings of the group of collaborators. If special meetings of the group of collaborators are necessary, give appropriate advance notice.

5             Delegate portions of the work to vice-rapporteurs and associate rapporteurs depending on the workload. These appointments may be confirmed by the study group.

6           Keep the study group management team regularly informed of the work progress. In case no progress can be reported on a certain Question between two study group meetings, the rapporteur should nevertheless submit a report indicating the possible reasons for the lack of progress. To allow the chairman and the BDT secretariat to take the necessary steps for the work to be done on the Question, reports should be submitted at least two months before the study group meeting.

7           Keep the study group informed of the progress of work through reports to study group meetings. The reports should be in the form of white contributions (when substantial progress has been made such as completion of draft recommendations or a report) or temporary documents.

8           The progress report mentioned in §§ 6 and 7 above should, as far as applicable, comply with the format given in 10.2 of section 1.

9           Ensure that liaison statements are submitted as soon as possible after all meetings, with copies to the study group chairmen and BDT. Liaison statements must contain the information described on the Template for liaison statements described in Annex 4. BDT may provide assistance in distributing the liaisons.

10             Oversee the quality of texts up to and including the final text submitted for approval.

__________

Annex 6

Establishment and terms of reference of a focus group

For each focus group, the study group shall prepare a text listing:

-       statement of the specific matters to be studied within the Question assigned and the output to be prepared

-           the reporting date

-           the name and address of the chairman and any vice-chairmen.

-           A realistic plan for financing its activities either through volunteer hosting, special funds or a combination of both

General financing of focus groups

Each focus group will determine its own method of financing. However, to increase participation from developing countries, fellowships may be granted for active members of the focus group according to the rules applied in BDT.

Focus group meetings shall be accomplished by volunteer hosting in a similar manner to rapporteur groups, or on the basis of financial arrangements determined by the focus group.

__________

Framework for project groups

1             Project groups may address any topic within a number of broad headings normally covered by the programmes insofar as they do not create overlap with the activities of the study groups.

2           Study groups or TDAG shall manage the project groups to enable them to adapt to the rapid changes in the telecommunication sector and to ensure a continuous flow of work. Specific topics to be looked at in project groups shall be identified and decided by study groups or TDAG. Possible prolongation of the mandate of a project group as well as the creation of new project groups shall also be decided by study groups or TDAG.

3             Project groups are not necessarily restricted to producing their products on their own. They shall use, on a case-by-case, basis the available expertise of BDT, Member States, Sector Members and other entities duly authorized to participate in ITU-D. These groups are designed rather to manage the work on a specific topic.

4           The leadership skills required of a project group chairman are almost equivalent to those required of a study group chairman. Management experience should prevail over the expertise related to the topic to be looked at, although of course a combination of both is ideal. The groups shall have some flexibility with regard to the organization of their work, provided that all participants agree. The priority is the timely delivery of the product in response to the topic under consideration.

5           To ensure the participation of ITU-D's broader membership, the results of the project groups' work must be adopted by a study group or by TDAG.

6           The budget to cover the expenses for project groups shall be drawn from the programmes, However, there must be a flexible, demand‑driven approach between the programmes to allow the establishment of project groups in any of the areas identified by the study groups or TDAG.