Introduction to the TAC Technical Advisory Committee

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Introduction to the TACTechnical Advisory
Committee
Created by Meg VanSciver, Roger Hoogerheide, Tim
Olsen, Jason Priebe, and MJ Jones
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Definition

• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
• The TAC is responsible for the projects performed
  by each region of EWB-USA.
• Responsibilities are to
• Review new project applications
• Provide project guidance and final project
  approval
• Review project designs and technologies
• Supervise the administrative necessities of a
  project
• TAC Members have
• Backgrounds in engineering, health, education or
  some cultural background
• Experience in developing communities
• Willingness to work with students and other
  professionals

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Overview

• Current Organization
• Two TACS
• Mountain TAC (MTAC)
• Original TAC
• West Coast TAC (WCTAC)
• Started spring of 2006
• Both TACs have approximately 15-20 people
• Goals
• To start two new TACs this spring
• East Coast TAC (ECTAC)
• Great Lakes/South Central and Mid West TAC (CTAC)
• Will split TACs as more members join
• Members from existing TACs will join the new TACs
  
• Project Managers are always involved with TAC
  Meetings

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Overview

• Projects
• Over 150 Projects
• Chapters
• Over 200 Chapters
• Staff
• 9 Paid Staff members
• 3 Project Managers
• Rick Strittmater Structural
• Meg VanSciver Water Energy
• MJ Jones Water

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ProjectProcess
Either a chapter or NGO submits a project
Application
ARC Review
Project Startup
Chapter Receives Project (501)
Contacts NGO/ Community Research
Chapter Startup
Assessment Report (507)
Assessment Presentation (806)
Assessment Trip
Assessment
Design
Design
Implementation Presentation (807)
Implementation Report (507)
Implementation Trip(s) Assessment
Implementation
Continuing Project Application (501B)
Next Phase
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Ideal Project Process
New Project Application Submittal
Assessment Submittal
Implementation Design Submittal
Project Approval
Site Assessment Approval
Review by PMs
Implementation Presentation at TAC
Site Assessment Travel
Implementation Approval
Implementation
6 mo
1 yr
0 yr
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Functions of the TAC

• TAC Member Responsibilities
• Technical Design Reviews Approving Projects for
  Site Assessment and Implementation
• Main Role of the TAC (5 hours per month)
• ARC Reviews Reviewing New Project Applications
• Optional (1-2 hours per review)
• Country Liaison Monitoring Progress of Projects
• Optional (2-6 hours per month)
• TAC Chair Responsibilities
• Sourcebook Policies
• Assign Projects to Student Chapters
• Organize new TAC members

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TAC Responsibilities Technical Reviews
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Project Reviews

• Purpose to provide technical, cultural and
  sustainability information to chapters
  engineering projects.
• Sustainability
• Technical Details
• Community Interactions
• Health Metrics

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Design Reviews TAC Meeting

• Prior to the TAC meeting
• Project Manager Review
• Presentations are reviewed by the Project
  Managers with the help of the Liaisons.
• Project Managers decide if the team is ready to
  present to the TAC and make additional
  recommendations
• Have a conference call with the chapter and the
  Liaison to discuss project
• Presentations are posted online for TAC members
  to review prior to the TAC meeting

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Design Reviews TAC Meeting

• During the TAC meeting
• The team will present their project to the TAC
• TAC members take notes on comments in order to
  ensure they are addressed
• If a TAC member has numerous concerns, these
  should be taken offline to address them in their
  entirety
• After the TAC meeting
• Questions posed by the liaison project staff
  during the preliminary review will be recorded
  with answers and sent out with the agenda so that
  TAC members can see the questions already posed
  to the chapter.
• TAC members can e-mail comments to the project
  staff after the meeting for distribution to the
  chapter
• Project staff may have TAC members contact the
  chapter directly.

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TAC Responsibilities ARC(Application Review
Committee)
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ARC (Project Intake)

• The Application Review Committees (ARC)
  objectives are to ensure that the individual
  projects meet and expand the vision, goals, and
  mission of EWB-USA. The ARC reviews each project
  to consider the short and long-term impacts of
  the project
• Process
• Application submittal Project applications are
  submitted from communities, NGOs, Government
  organizations, student chapters and interested
  individuals.
• ARCs formed ARC's are formed to review the
  applications at TAC meeting
• ARCs complete a review form (ARC Guidelines
  have more information on ARC procedures)
• If Approved
• Chapter Submitted Chapter Receives project
• Open Project If a community submits the project
  without a chapter, then it is called an Open
  Project, and it is posted on the website for
  adoption

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Definitions

• TAC Technical Advisory Committee. The TAC is
  responsible for project oversight.
• TAC Chair This is the person or persons who
  oversee the TAC functions
• Project Staff These are the paid staff who
  monitor projects process and help to organize
  the TAC. This includes the Project Director,
  Project Managers (PM) Project Coordinators
  (PC).
• ARC Application Review Committee. A committee
  formed from TAC members who review new project
  applications.
• Project Applications (501) There are two types
  New continuing.
• New An NGO/Community or chapter submits an
  application for a Community the chapter has never
  been to before.
• Continuing This is when the chapter is working
  on a new project in the same community/region.
  (i.e. first project was a water project, now its
  energy)
• Chapter Applications (502) This is the
  application that a chapter submits to work on an
  EWB-USA project. Its also included in the
  project application.

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Project Reviews Process