Ethics Review Committee (ERC)

Charter Effective Date and Duration: 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

Committee Purpose:

(Overall charge, purpose, or focus of this committee in helping the PMI Board to do its job.)

Investigate and resolve ethics complaints in accordance with the PMI Ethics Case Procedures related to violations of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (CoEPC) that have been filed against:

  1. PMI members
  2. Individuals who are not members of PMI but meet one or more of the following criteria:

Deliverables:

(Products the committee is tasked to produce.)

  • Assess, Investigate and resolve filed ethics complaints.
  • Communicate final disposition of ethics complaints in accordance with PMI Ethics Case Procedures.
  • Maintain statistics on the types of complaints, resolution and timeliness of resolving each complaint.
  • As described for in the 2021 ERC Operating Guidelines, review and recommend changes as needed for:
    • Ethics Review Committee Charter, including the roles and responsibilities section, at first committee meeting of 2023.
    • ERC Operating Guidelines
    • Complaint Decision Tree
    • Complaint Form
    • Complaint Response Form
  • Recommend improvements or changes to the ERC processes as needed.
  • Provide consolidated input/feedback to other teams as requested.
  • Work with ERC Staff Liaison(s) to finalize the number of vacancies, evaluation criteria and weightings and provide to the Board Volunteer Advisory Committee (BVAC) by deadline established.
  • Submit recommendations/requests to the Ethics Insight Team (EIT) where the membership could benefit from additional knowledge regarding various sections of the Code (based on the cases heard by the ERC).

Administrative and Reporting Requirements:

(Reports to PMI Board through whom, when, and how?)

  • Utilize standard agenda, note-taking, and reporting templates.
  • Submit written reports to Executive Liaison for approval prior to submitting to the Executive Committee for review at their July and December meetings.

Resources and Budget: 

(In terms of budget, staff, etc.)

  • Funding provided in the annual budget approved by the PMI Board of Directors.
  • Executive Liaison and Volunteer Engagement Liaison assigned by the PMI President & CEO.
  • Board Communication Point of Contact (CPC) as designated by the Board of Directors.

Committee Composition, Terms, Board and Staff Liaisons:

  • A minimum of six (6) committee members, serving staggered three (3) years terms. Each member may be reappointed for no more than one additional term via the formal Board Reporting Committee recruitment process, as approved by the PMI Board of Directors.
  • PMI leadership and the Board value and strive for inclusive representation of volunteer leaders on our Board Reporting Committees that reflects our organization, membership, and profession. Our success today and into the future relies on our ability to capitalize on diverse perspectives and points of view resulting from a balance of race, gender, age, experience, industry, skill set, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other factors deemed relevant. The evaluation and recommendation process fully appreciates, considers, and is informed by the value derived from diverse representation.

Volunteer Requirements, Experience, and Skills:

Required:

As stated in the Level 1 Candidate Criteria for PMI Board Appointees Policy

Committee Specific:

  1. At least one year of service on at least one of the following:
  2. Willingness to embrace change and work in an agile and evolving business environment.
  3. Ability to learn and use information technology tools (adaptability).
  4. Excellent written and verbal communications skills (in English).
  5. Knowledge of the PMI Ethics Case Procedures.
  6. Committed to arrange schedule, (on a fair and reasonable shared time zone basis), to actively participate in monthly conference calls and other periodic calls to accommodate a globally diverse committee in different time zones, (failure to participate in calls may result in removal from the committee).
  7. Ability to understand and synthesize information from a variety of sources simultaneously, potentially from geographically and culturally diverse sources.
  8. Critical, objective thinking coupled with the ability to listen for understanding rather than immediately judge or apply bias or prejudicial thinking.
  9. Prior experience with effectively dealing with compliance, due diligence, performance management, or enforcement issues within an academic, professional or business environment.
  10. Management level experience in effectively dealing with difficult issues or other related experience that would demonstrate an ability to effectively deal with difficult situations.
  11. Prior experience with compliance, due diligence, performance management, and enforcement issues within an academic, professional or business environment.
  12. A demonstrated ability to organize materials, as well as the possession of good written and verbal communication skills.
  13. Chair should have at least one-year prior active service with the Ethics Review Committee.
  14. Chair should have served on multiple review teams, served as chair for a review team and participated in a hearing for at least one case.

Committee Chair and Contact Information:

Name: Jenny Guber

E-mail Address: [email protected]

Committee Chair and Responsibilities:

  1. Communicates with the PMI CPC on an as needed basis, with questions or concerns.
  2. Leads the committee in the accomplishment of the mission and objectives detailed in this charter and in accordance with the established policies of PMI. 
  3. Orients, at the first committee meeting, all committee members on the committee objectives, deliverables and roles/ responsibilities.
  4. Ensures all committee members are aware of and adhere to the processes and timing established by the PMI Board for placing items on the PMI Board agenda for discussion and deliberation, i.e., follow the PMI Board calendar; submit completed Board agenda form; ensure that committees have consensus approval of items before presentation to the PMI Board.
  5. Facilitates the process of Task Teams establishment within the ERC and approves the Task Team charters.
  6. Approves, together with the Vice Chair, the deliverables of the Task Teams.
  7. Develops meeting agendas using the standard agenda template.
  8. Conducts meetings of the committee and directs the communication for committee matters.
  9. Ensures that meeting notes capture consensus agreement items and follow-up actions of the committee.
  10. Recruits existing team members to serve as mentors.
  11. Assigns mentors to facilitate the onboarding process of incoming committee members.
  12. Facilitates and arranges onboarding of new team members, in a systematic manner and arranges training on the unique operating environment and online tools used by the ERC team members.
  13. Assigns tasks among the committee members, as necessary.
  14. Promotes consistent participation and timely connection to all teleconference meetings and promptly addresses non-productivity within the committee.
  15. Coordinates with the Ethics Insight Team, (EIT), on a periodic basis, to discuss and negotiate alignment of objectives and planned actions.
  16. Develops final reports, proposals and supporting documentation, for the PMI Board and ensures the material presented to the Board accurately reflects the work of the committee within designated timelines.
  17. Provides updates on ERC deliverables at Executive Committee meetings as requested by the CPC.
  18. Represents the ERC at PMI Board meetings, as requested.
  19. Works with the Executive Liaison to review the charter mid-year and to offer recommendations to Executive Committee for updates to the following year’s charter.
  20. Maintains Vice Chair succession planning and transitions the incoming ERC Committee Chair into the role.
  21. Leads the weekly leadership meetings with the Vice Chair, Volunteers Engagement Liaison (VEL) and the Legal Counselor for the ERC.

Committee Vice-Chair Role and Responsibilities:

  1. All ERC member responsibilities.
  2. Supports Committee Chair in all relevant activities throughout the year.
  3. Manages and maintains the Activity Tracking Sheet (ATS) – attendance statistics of the ERC.
  4. Participates in weekly Leadership meetings.

Mentor Responsibilities:

  1. Responsible for onboarding of a new committee member in their first year of service on the ERC per the Chair’s assignment.
  2. Arrange dedicated meetings with the new member for the onboarding tasks and training.
  3. Work according to the onboarding checklist and complete all check list provisions by the end of the 1st year of the new ERC member service.

Communication Point of Contact Roles and Responsibilities:

  1. The PMI Board Communication Point of Contact (Board CPC) shall connect with the Board Reporting Committee Chair prior to the first team meeting to introduce him/herself and ensure:
  2. Stress that open communications between the ERC Chair and PMI Board CPC, President and CEO or other content experts that may be made available to the committee to answer questions, provide guidance, and assist in any way to ensure successful execution of deliverables.
  3. Review PMI Board Meeting Calendar to communicate relevant dates for submitting deliverables, reports, and agenda templates to Executive Committee and final deliverables to full PMI Board. The Board CPC is encouraged to review the submittals with the Board Report Committee Chair prior to submission.
  4. Affirm staff liaison roles and their ability to provide access to necessary governing documents, agenda, reporting templates or any other document considered relevant for the execution of the committee work plan.
  5. Connect with the Board Reporting Committee Chair to advise the Board's official position about certain issues or risks that may impact the committee's work plan or deliverables.
  6. If there are issues that cannot be resolved, the Board CPC should discuss the matter with the PMI Board Chair.
  7. Affirm Board Reporting Committee Chair will communicate the Board CPC role and other Charter items with the team members.

Out of Scope:

  1. Board CPC should not regularly participate in teleconference and in-person meetings.
  2. Board CPC cannot change or revise the purpose or deliverables of the Board Reporting Committee, Task Team, Council, etc. If the Board CPC has a concern about a deliverable, they should discuss it with the PMI Board Chair.

Executive Liaison Roles and Responsibilities:

  1. Makes recommendations in support of accomplishing the mission and objectives of the ERC. Any direction of the committee that may violate PMI policy must be discussed with the Committee Chair and the President and CEO.
  2. Provides an interface between the ERC and PMI GHQ.
  3. Coordinates with the ERC Chair to efficiently discharge the responsibilities of the committee, coordinate all administrative duties, ensure that a community site is maintained, and ERC documents are appropriately retained and correctly archived.
  4. Coordinates with the ERC Chair to develop agendas, set meeting dates and locations, and communicate meeting requirements using the following criteria:
  5. Coordinates with the ERC Chair to capture notes that reflect consensus agreements and follow-up actions using the standard format for meeting notes for Board Standing Committees.
  6. Coordinates with the ERC Chair to ensure all reports, proposals, and supporting documentation are developed in a professional and timely manner.
  7. Coordinates with appropriate staff to ensure that any financial, ethical, legal, and strategic implications associated with any option brought to the PMI Board are identified and revealed during the preparatory stages and that these implications are reported on the Board agenda form.
  8. Ensures that an online community site is established and maintained, and ERC documents are appropriately coordinates and delivers any approved external communications.
  9. Coordinates internally within PMI GHQ to arrange required language translation services, as necessary.

Applicable Governing Documents:

(In addition to the below, identify sections from PMI’s governance documents specifically related to roles and responsibilities of this committee.)

  1. Rule of the Board 6.6.
  2. Rule of the Board 12.1, Board and Board Committees Code of Conduct.
  3. Strategic Plan, specifically Core Value on Volunteerism: Volunteers and effective volunteer partnerships with staff are the best way to accomplish the Institute's goals and objectives.
  4. Institute Policies:
  5. Committee Policies and Procedures, as applicable.
  6. ERC Case Procedures
  7. ERC Operating Guidelines
  8. Expense Reporting

Version #: 5.1
Date: 23 June 2021
Description: 2022 ERC Charter

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