Welcome to the committee information page! This area is designed to be your go-to for all committee-related information, to outline the expectations of ICS Committee members and to offer advice on commonly asked questions.
It is important that you are aware of the background of the ICS and our key activities; the About Us section on the ICS website details all this information.
Each Committee has their own homepage which acts as a hub for all committee activity. These homepages can be accessed here: ICS Committees
- ICS Membership & Disclosure
As a committee member you must be a valid ICS member and have an updated disclosure form. We ask that you renew your membership and update your disclosure within one month of the new membership year beginning in January. If you do not renew your membership or update your disclosure promptly, the Chair has the authority to remove you from the committee.
You must ensure that you declare all existing or known future financial relationships or commercial affiliations and keep this updated throughout the year, so please ensure any new relationships are added promptly. If you are invited to speak at an ICS education course or guest lecture you must show a disclosure slide prior to speaking. This can be found in the relevant Annual Meeting Documents folder on the ICS Website.
- Your Term
All committee terms will begin as of the ICS Annual General Meeting and will run for three years (exceptions are on the Local Organising and Scientific Committees where terms are defined in the ICS Bylaws). The three-year term is renewable once for a further three-year period at the discretion of the ICS Board of Trustees and Committee Chair.
- The Legal Details
As a member of a committee, it is important that you are familiar with the current ICS Bylaws which include the rules and regulations of the organisation, referring to daily operations. Section 2 notes the expectations relating to ICS committees.
Members of the ICS are expected to adhere to standards of scientific integrity and ethical behaviour in the conduct, presentation, and publication of research and throughout any work with the society in general. Please read the full Code of Conduct, which is noted at the end of the current ICS Bylaws document.
Committee members should read the current ICS Articles of Association which are a set of fundamental principles according to which the organisation is governed. They include the broad framework for how the ICS operates and state how the ICS Board of Trustees will be appointed.
Please also read and adhere to the following ICS policies:
- Terms of Reference
Each committee has its own Terms of Reference (TOR) designed to assist the committee in delivering its intentions (which are detailed within the document). The TOR also covers such points as the optimal composition of the committee and reporting.
Find your Committee Terms of Reference.
- Board of Trustees Representatives
An ICS Board of Trustees Representative (Board Rep) will sit on each ICS Committee as a non-voting member. This is intended to improve communication between the ICS Board of Trustees and Committees. The Board Rep will have the dual role of advocating the work of the committee and ensuring that committee work is governed within the strategic direction of the ICS. The committee responsibilities of the Board Rep are detailed here: Board Rep Responsibilities
- ICS Faculty
ICS encourages its members to speak internationally on their specialist topic, either at ICS events as keynote speakers or at other organisations’ national and international meetings with a continence focus.
If you would like to register your interest in becoming a faculty member, please do so via the ICS Faculty Programme.
- Committee Projects
This covers the creation of educational & scientific content developed under the auspices of the ICS.
ALL committee projects must first be signed off by the Committee Chair, providing this is within the Committee's existing budget/ funding is not required. If funding is required, the chair must submit the proposal to the Board of Trustee for approval. The relevant committee is then responsible for supporting the project through to completion.
Committee Project Guidelines
- Committee Forums
To assist with effective committee liaison and communication, each committee has access to online discussion forums on their committee homepage. These forums allow members to discuss recent events/meetings or ongoing projects and raise any questions or concerns with fellow committee members in a confidential environment.
Learn how to use the forums.
- Annual Meeting & Committee Meeting
As a committee member it is expected that you attend the ICS Annual Meeting. (Each committee must meet a minimum of once a year, at the Annual Meeting). Funding is not provided by the ICS for registration, travel, or accommodation costs.
It is important that minutes are captured by a committee member at each committee meeting, particularly during the annual conference. Ahead of the annual meeting, the ICS Office will call for one member of each committee to take responsibility for recording actions, the main points of discussion and any decisions made during their committee's meeting. An ICS staff member will not be present during committee meetings.
Taking Committee Meeting Minutes: Top Tips
- Language
Whilst the ICS is an international organisation, English is the official language of the Society. It is expected that committee members have a good understanding of spoken and written English and should feel confident speaking within the committee environment.