Role of GMC Member & Communication Officer

The GMC Member & Communication Officer is part of the EACD General Management Committee. The General Management Committee (GMC) is ultimately accountable for all organisation matters in regard to the EACD. The GMC Member & Communication Officer participates in GMC Meetings as a voting member and can provide items for the agenda as appropriate. The GMC shall meet as required, but at least twice annually. The GMC Member & Communication Officer will be elected at the Annual General Meeting by members of the EACD amongst themselves. A term of office shall be for 3 years, renewable once.

Responsibilities and duties as GMC Member

GMC members steer the organisation towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the EACD organisation has adequate resources to advance its mission.

The GMC ensures the EACD has a secure future in line with its mission by:

• Establishing the EACD's strategic direction and priorities, and regularly scanning the external operating environment to ensure that the EACD's strategic direction remains both appropriate and achievable.
• Monitoring organisational performance and evaluating the achievement of the strategic and financial plans and annual budget outcomes.
• Establishing the policy framework for governing the EACD from which all operational policies and actions are developed.
• Appointing, setting targets in order to evaluate the performance of and reward as appropriate, the staff member(s) of the EACD.
• Reporting back to EACD members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
• Monitoring organisational compliance of the EACD with the relevant legislation and bylaws, and with the EACD's own policies.

GMC members have to be members of EACD and must attend the EACD Annual Meetings during their term.

Responsibilities and duties as Communication Officer

The Communication Officer will be responsible for the EACD Communication Strategy, subject to approval of the GMC. The Communication Officer will be responsible to ensure EACD will be highly visible to families, clinicians and academics in the field of childhood disability, and to ensure EACD will provide high quality, accessible information, education and resources to enable best practice for individuals with childhood-onset disabilities and their families. The Communication Officer will be part of the Communication Committee and is expected to work closely together with the members of the Communications Committee.

The responsibilities and duties of the EACD Communications Committee are:

• To build a community of EACD members and build the profile of EACD as an organisation by using a range of communication channels.
• To ensure teaching and training opportunities are easily accessible.
• To communicate and disseminate research findings relevant to the mission of EACD across Europe and beyond.
• To foster co-operation and communication between people with an interest in childhood-onset disabilities in Europe and beyond.
• To encourage people to become professionally active in the field of childhood-onset disability
• To support the other members of the Communications Committee with any tasks and/or decisions as requested.
• To present on request of the GMC, during a GMC meeting and/or AGM meeting an update on EACD's Communication Strategy.

The Communication Officer will also be responsible for ensuring that information is gathered, and articles are commissioned for the Monthly Newsletter, including among other a message by a member of the Executive Committee, information about the upcoming Annual Meeting and/or other EACD Events, and National Coordinator updates. The Communication Officer will be responsible for editing the articles regarding appropriate English grammar and meaning.

Accountability

The GMC Member & Communication Officer is accountable to the GMC and to the EACD Members (via the Annual General Meeting). The GMC Member & Communication Officer is accountable for the stated duties and responsibilities; however, it is not necessarily the GMC Member itself who carries out the activity.