NWCG accomplishes its mission using a system of committees and subgroups organized around the primary functional areas of wildland fire management. Committee/subgroup members represent their respective agencies/entities and provide the subject matter expertise critical to the NWCG effort. They perform the vital function of participating, engaging, collaborating, and cooperating with other members to develop the interagency standards that are core to the NWCG mission.   

Committee Member Responsibilities

The NWCG Executive Board members are collectively committed to the success of each individual committee member and have established the following common responsibilities:

• Actively attend and participate in all committee meetings, conferences calls, and other assigned NWCG duties.
• Focus on accomplishing your committee’s objectives, but do so with the larger NWCG mission in mind.
• Effectively and efficiently accomplish the committee/subgroup mission and associated tasks assigned by the Executive Board and/or the parent committee.
• Communicate with your agency’s NWCG Executive Board member and/or your agency’s parent committee representative as necessary.  Brief them regarding issues of a complex or controversial nature, and actively seek their input, perspective, and guidance.
• Ensure that proposed NWCG standards developed by your committee are reviewed by the appropriate personnel in your agency prior to completion.
• Provide a consolidated position for your agency during your committee’s NWCG standards development processes.

Membership Management

Each member agency determines its committee/subgroup membership needs. Members are appointed through agency specific command channels with full understanding of the collateral duty nature of NWCG work and potential workload impacts. All membership is subject to Executive Board oversight. (NWCG Master Committee Charter).

Member agencies usually have no more than one primary member per committee/group. Exceptions occur based on geographic representation, subject matter, or skill needs. When an agency has multiple members on a single committee/subgroup, the members will have a single voice in decision-making discussions.

Membership by all agencies on every committee/subgroup is not required. Agency coordination may enable a single committee/subgroup member to represent multiple agencies.

"Non-member" participation (see below) is at the discretion of the committee/subgroup chair, subject to Executive Board approval.

Member Types and Responsibilities

Primary Member

Participates in decision-making. An employee or representative of an NWCG member agency. Primary members may serve in one of the following roles:

• Chair: Responsible for accomplishing the committee/subgroup mission. Manages the activities of the committee/subgroup. Distributes workload within the committee/subgroup. All committees/subgroups will designate a chair.
• Vice Chair: Primary assistant to the chair. Serves as the chair during the chair’s absence.
• Co-Chair: Serves simultaneously with another co-chair. Co-chairs jointly perform the duties and share the responsibilities of the chair.

Associate Member

Participates in discussions but not decision making. The Executive Board and committees/subgroups (with Executive Board approval) may confer associate membership to individuals or entities with expertise, interests, or resources pertinent to the NWCG mission. Current associate member organizations at the Executive Board level are:

• Australia/New Zealand Forest Fire Management Group (ANZ FFMG)
• DOI Office of Wildland Fire

Alternate Member

Performs the primary member or associate member duties in absence of those individuals. May not perform chair duties. May not be a contractor or NGO representative.

Non-Member Types and Responsibilities

Support Staff

Provides administrative and technical support to committee/subgroup leadership.

Advisor

Provides subject matter expertise, often from a separate functional area or multidisciplinary perspective. May or may not be an employee or representative of an NWCG member agency.

Liaison

Facilitates a close working relationship and coordinates information exchange between two or more NWCG committees/subgroups or other stakeholders.

Training Liaison

Facilitates and coordinates training-related information exchange between NWCG Coordinator, committees/subgroups and the NWCG Training Development Program.

Meeting Standards

Meeting Purpose

The primary purpose of any NWCG meeting is to enable the entity that is conducting the meeting to make decisions and direct actions that help accomplish the NWCG mission.

Attendance

Primary members should attend all meetings. Those unable to attend should ensure that their organization (or business area) is represented with an alternate participant who is fully briefed and has decision-making authority on behalf of the absentee member.

Decision Making

Decision making by NWCG committees and subgroups is by consensus of the primary members. All members should contribute to the consensus seeking effort. Consensus decision making does not require unanimous or unqualified agreement. However, to achieve consensus, all decision-making members must be willing to support the decision.  Even when consensus is achieved, a member with a dissenting position may have his or her position documented for the record.

When consensus cannot be achieved, the issue may be tabled for future consideration, assigned to a smaller subgroup of members for further work, or moved up the command chain (parent subgroup, parent committee, Executive Board) for resolution.

Quorum

A minimum of two-thirds of the NWCG primary members constitutes a quorum. A quorum is required to make decisions and/or direct actions.

Cost Effectiveness

Committee leaders must ensure that meetings are purpose driven, sensible, justifiable, efficient, and effective.

Frequency

Meeting frequency will be determined based on purpose and need.  A means to participate remotely should be provided for members unable to attend in person.

Location

The selection of meeting locations should be based on the following criteria:

• Participation: Achieving maximum membership participation
• Convenience: Easy access to airports, hotels, meeting rooms, etc.
• Cost: Most reasonable based on total travel costs.
• Purpose: Considerations such as distributing host agency workload, conducting site visits pertinent to the meeting, and coordination with other stakeholder entities may influence location decisions; this must be done with discretion and good judgment, keeping cost considerations in mind.

Minutes, Notes, Records

Meeting leaders should ensure that notes/minutes are taken during each meeting.  Minutes must include:

1. Date, time, and location
2. Names of attendees
3. Main topics of discussion
4. Decisions made
5. Action items assigned.

Meeting minutes, agendas and attached documentation are considered records.  NWCG records management procedures must be followed for appropriate creation, maintenance, and disposition of electronic and hardcopy meeting records.

Additionally, completed minutes must be emailed to the respective Coordinator for posting to the NWCG website.