7.5 IEEE Involvement with
Legislative Bodies, Government
Agencies and International Organizations
- While members of the IEEE are of course
at liberty to express their own opinions
on any matter, care must be taken that these are
not put forward as representing the IEEE
except as outlined below.
- It is recognized that there may be
appropriate opportunities for IEEE and
its organizational units to cooperate with
legislative bodies and other agencies of
national and local governments in various
countries of the world, and with
international agencies. Ways should be
sought to try to make such cooperation possible,
recognizing the limitations inherent in
any situation where an individual member is
asked to speak on behalf of the entire IEEE or
any of its organized subdivisions.
- IEEE units may cooperate with
government and international agencies on
issues in which IEEE has no definite policy by
suggesting technically competent persons
to testify on an issue or to act as
consultants. In such cases, the person
testifies as an individual, and not as a
representative of IEEE or any of its units.
- The IEEE President, in consultation
with the IEEE Secretary and IEEE
Executive Director, will be responsible for
review of proposals for IEEE
cooperation, making certain that the proposed
participation is in conformity with the
IEEE Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies, and
that it does not damage existing IEEE programs.
- If an activity which appears to the
IEEE President, in consultation with the
IEEE Secretary and IEEE Executive
Director, to be desirable requires
new policy or a change in existing policy, the
question of participation shall be referred to
the Board with a recommendation
concerning the proposed policy change.
- Once an activity is approved, the IEEE
President may delegate its
implementation to an officer, or to an IEEE
Major Board or Committee. In making this
assignment, attention will be given to
coordination with all Boards and
Committees having interests in the issue.
- When approving the implementing
participation of the type described in
this policy statement, the IEEE President shall
give attention to the problem of
informing members. This will normally be done by
arranging for items in IEEE SPECTRUM,
THE INSTITUTE, and other IEEE publications.
