IT Governance Meeting Procedures

IT Governance uses parliamentary procedure to conduct its meetings.

First order of business:
Identification of Officers and Responsibilities (chair, co-chair, scribe) Adoption of committee charter or bylaws

Organizations using parliamentary procedure usually follow a fixed order of business.

Below is the IT Governance agenda format:

1. Call to Order
2. Adoption of Agenda
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Officers' Reports
5. Standing Committee Reports
6. Ad Hoc Committee Reports
7. IT Central Funding Proposals
8. Old Business
9. Announcements
10. Adjournment

The method used by members to express themselves is in the form of moving motions. A motion is a proposal that the entire membership take action or a stand on an issue. Individual members can:

1. Call to order
2. Second motions
3. Debate motions
4. Vote on motions

Basic Types of Motions:

1. Main Motions: The purpose of a main motion is to introduce items to the membership for their consideration. They cannot be made when any other motion is on the floor, and yield to privileged, subsidiary, and incidental motions.
2. Subsidiary Motions: Their purpose is to change or affect how a main motion is handled, and is voted on before a main motion.
3. Privileged Motions: Their purpose is to bring up items that are urgent about special or important matters unrelated to pending business.
4. Incidental Motions: Their purpose is to provide a means of questioning procedure concerning other motions and must be considered before the other motion.

Steps to make a Motion

The basic building block of Parliamentary Procedure is the Main Motion. The following description will provide you with the basics for making and handling main motions.

1. MEMBER SEEKS RECOGNITION BY THE CHAIR - In a large auditorium, members should stand to be recognized. In smaller assemblies, members may remain seated but raise their hands while addressing the Chair as "Mr. Chair" or " Madame President" or another appropriate title for the presiding officer.
2. A MEMBER IS RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR - Until the Chair actually calls the member by name, the member does not "have the floor" or the right to speak. The Chair must ensure that only one member has the floor at a time, and that only voting members are recognized for the introduction of motions or debate.
3. THE MEMBER STATES THE MOTION - The proper form is, "I move that..." rather than, "I'd like to make a motion...". The motion should be stated in a positive form, rather than a proposal not to take a certain action. It is important that no preliminary discussion take place before stating the motion; this constitutes debate which is not in order before the following two steps have been taken.
4. ANOTHER MEMBER SECONDS THE MOTION - By seconding a motion, another member indicates a willingness to discuss the subject, perhaps for an opportunity to go on record opposing it. A second, therefore, does not imply agreement with the motion, but does indicate support for debate of this motion. Without a second, the Chair should state that this motion is lost for lack of a second, and no further discussion of it is in order.