Finance, budgeting and managing groups

Each group has aims and objectives and, to achieve them, it arranges events such as presentations, conferences, seminars, workshops and social gatherings and facilitates networking. Each Member Group will typically hold four or more events a year, open to all members of the group.

Member Groups may also establish partnerships with other bodies in order to pursue joint initiatives, see the section on “Links with other organisations” for more information.

Anyone can participate in a Member Group, although as explained in more detail elsewhere, only Institute members can vote at meetings. The mechanisms for joining a Member Group include using the BCS website or contacting Customer Services.

A Member Group can apply conditions of entry to the group, e.g. a group for young professionals might have an age limit. In general, conditions should be seen as reasonable and necessary for the group to be credible (e.g. BCS Women or BCS IT Leaders Forum) without discouraging those who wish to learn from those with more knowledge and experience.

Everyone is welcome to attend Member Group events unless the Member Group chooses to restrict attendance.

Where a meeting fee is charged, this should normally be lower for Institute members. The same applies, where practicable, to conferences and publications.

Each year the Section Committee shall appoint a member of the Section Committee to serve as Liaison officer. This person must be prepared to work with the appropriate national computer society (or societies) of the country (or countries) in which the Section is located.

A Section should be established as a separate legal entity and be covered by combined liability insurance or as required locally. It should comply with local requirements in relation to any registration requirements. At no time will the Institute accept financial responsibility for the Section's activities other than by resolution of Trustee Board. The registered address of the Section (where needed under local Law) will be decided by the Section committee.

​Find an International Section​

• CG budget template guidance
• CG budget template
• Community Groups financial guidelines
• BCS Strategic Pillars
• SFR Application Form
• SFR Sponsorship Application Form

Resolution of problems is best achieved by amicable exchanges but it is essential that Member Group committees understand that rules can and will be enforced.

Because of their collective role as the first point of contact, most transgressions are likely to be initially identified by members of the Member Groups Team (MGT). Where a problem is identified the following steps will be taken:

1. A member of the MGT will approach the Member Group and explain the issue to committee member, normally the Chair or the Treasurer (posts held by BCS professional members). The objective is to resolve the issue by explaining clearly which rule (or rules) are not being complied with and requesting the Member Group to make changes.
2. If the group do not agree to comply the matter will be referred to the Community Board Policy Committee (CBPC). If the Chair of the CBPC is unable to make progress by personal contact, the Chair of CBPC will seek agreement from CBPC members to write formally to the Member Group on behalf of the CBPC. The letter will explain that the Member Group is in breach of the rules and ask them to confirm their compliance in writing by a specified date. The letter will explain the result of continued non-compliance.

Sanctions available to the CBPC include use of the BCS code of conduct where an individual is at fault and where the Member Group is at fault:

• Suspending funding (if funding is suspended any expenditure incurred by the MG would be unauthorised and any officers authorising the expenditure could be jointly liable for the money spent.)
• Suspending or closing the Member Group

BCS welcomes and encourages the establishment of new Member Groups; properly established Groups have access to all the infrastructure (and budgetary opportunities) of the Institute.

Members wishing to create a new Group should be confident that:

• the new Group's activities do not materially overlap with existing groups
• there will be a population of current and potential BCS members who will be prepared to join and participate
• they can identify a founding Committee (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer at the very least)
• they can propose a costed (approximately) programme of activity for the initial year at least (activities do not have to be physical meetings)

Proposals for new Member Groups should be submitted to the Community Board, with the administration process undertaken by the BCS Community team. Other volunteer members, with subject expertise, may be co-opted where needed.

The process consists of four stages:

1. An initial proposal that outlines the case for the formation of the new group
2. A meeting of all interested parties to discuss the proposal and test the interest in the proposed group
3. An expansion of the initial proposal to include operational details
4. Approval by Community Board Finance Committee

View the full process here for your reference.

This process for starting a new member group is owned by BCS Community Board and all enquiries regarding this process should be come to groups@bcs.uk in the first instance with the proposal and provisional budget enclosed. If it is agreed that the proposal has merit, it will go to the Community Board for final approval.

A successful proposal will result in a Group that will be bound by the relevant rules and procedures.

A Member Group can set up a subgroup, which also is subject to the Member Group rules. A subgroup can be set up and is managed by the Member Group. It is often helpful to establish a subgroup, and then, if it is successful, to float it off as an independent group. Subgroups share the budget of the parent group.

Changes to name, scope, geographic boundaries (where applicable), aims and objectives need to be approved by the Membership Board New Member Group Committee.

Member Groups that overlap in scope or geographic boundaries should consider merging. If members of a Member Group feel that the overlap is causing confusion they can ask the Membership Board to investigate and facilitate a resolution.

Where the Member Group is not operating, has come to the end of its planned life or is in conflict with the Institute’s aims and objectives it may be suspended or closed down by decision of the Membership Board.

Any action will be preceded by consultation with members of the Member Group.

Annual General Meetings (AGM)

Member Groups must organise an Annual General Meeting (AGM) once a year, where the committee reports to the membership on the previous year's activities and committee members are elected. The AGM should be called as soon as practicable after the close of the Institute's financial year (31 August).

At least fourteen days written notice (it may be via email) of the date, time and place of the AGM shall be given to Member Group members and to the Community Team (groups@bcs.uk). The calling notice should include, where appropriate, an agenda, a call for nominations to committee and explain where the minutes to be discussed can be found. The committee can choose to use virtual technologies in addition to, or instead of, holding a physical meeting.

The agenda should include:

• Welcome and introductions
• Apologies for absence
• Minutes of the previous AGM (and if appropriate EGM)
• Matters arising from the minutes
• A report from the Chair on the year’s activities (Annual report template), including a report from the Inclusion Officer and Early Careers Advocate.
• A report from the Treasurer, including a review of income and expenditure against the budget agreed with BCS Swindon for the past year and an explanation of next year’s budget request.
• Election of Chair, Treasurer and committee members
• Any other business

Notification of items wishing to be raised at the AGM under "Any other business" should be sent to the Chair not less than three days in advance. Admission of items not so notified at the AGM will be at the discretion of the Chair.

Following the AGM, an electronic copy of the minutes and the Chair’s report must be sent to the Community Team (groups@bcs.uk) within one month after the AGM.

Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM)

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be convened, if requested, by ten or more Institute members of the Member Group or by resolution of the Committee. The notice calling the meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting, which shall be convened on a date within five weeks of receipt of the request or the Committee resolution.

Member Groups are managed by a committee elected by the members of the group at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) - although it is acceptable for someone to be co-opted onto the the committee at anytime of the year. The committee also has the power to set up subcommittees.

If you need support with your Member Group Committee, please contact your BCS Coordinator or use this contact form. To avoid legal liabilities as an employer, personnel must not be directly employed by a Member Group.

Instead of employing people, BCS Swindon should be requested to contract for local support on a Member Group’s behalf. A template for doing so will soon be made available. Funds to pay for any local support must be included in the group’s budget.

Responsibilities

The Community team are responsible for welcoming new members to their group by email. Committees are responsible for welcoming new members in person when they first come to an event.

Members of Committee

The committee must have at least three professional BCS members, with mandatory roles of Chair, Treasurer and Inclusion Officer. In addition, committee members may take on a range of other roles. Non Institute members must abide by the BCS Code of Conduct and rules, the penalty for serious breaches is removal from the committee.

The Inclusion Officer and the Early Careers Advocate roles are also mandatory.

Election of Committee Members

​Committee Members are elected by members of the Institute either at the Member Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) or by a majority agreement if joining mid-year. The committee may appoint replacements for committee members (including the Chair and Treasurer) that resign mid-year. As the Chair and Treasurer are essential for the effective running of a group, they are specifically elected to their roles. A majority of the committee must be Institute members.

Where the Committee wishes to use remote voting they need to:

• Talk to their contact on the BCS Member Group Team to check that resources will available to run the vote and to obtain templates for use in the following steps.
• Ask Member Group members for nominations, which can include additional information to assist Member Group members to vote.
• When asking for nominations the Committee must give at least two weeks before the deadline for nominations to be submitted.
• Use the group’s website to make information about all candidates available to all those qualified to vote at least two weeks before the deadline for voting ends
• BCS HQ will then operate an electronic vote on the Member Group’s behalf.
• The Chair and Treasurer will get the result of the vote, and can ask for a list of those who have voted if they wish to accept additional votes on the night.

Co-opting Members to Committee

The committee can co-opt members to the committee as long as a majority of the committee (including co-opted members) are Institute members and the number of co-opted members does not exceed elected members.

Term of Office

This is determined for each post by the committee, subject to a maximum of three years before re-election. One year is the norm, with all members of committee standing down and, where they wish, putting themselves up for re-election.

Removing committee members

Committee members can be removed by a majority vote of the committee. There is a right of appeal to the Community PPP Committee.

Member Group Committee meetings

The Committee should meet regularly (either physically or electronically). Notice of committee meetings must be given to all members of the committee. The chair is expected to approve the minutes and an electronic copy of the minutes must be sent to the Community Team at groups@bcs.uk.

The following documents:

• Conduct of business in BCS Boards and Committees
• Conduct of electronic meetings and
• Responsibilities of BCS officers

Quorum

33% of the membership of the committee, with a minimum of the Chair or Treasurer plus two other members of the committee constitute a quorum. If there are fewer members present (in person, by phone or electronically) the meeting cannot make binding decisions.

Voting

A simple majority of elected committee members present is sufficient to decide a disputed decision. If there is a tied vote, the chair will have an additional deciding vote.

Public statements

What Member Group committee members say and publish (including on social media) should be appropriate for a representative of a professional body. Communicating on behalf of any part of the Institute (including a Member Group) should only be done with appropriate authority. Criticism of the Institute should be kept out of public forums.

Behaviour

BCS staff and Member Group Committee members are expected to respect each other and behave in a positive, cooperative and professional manner. If a BCS member has a concern about the behaviour of another member or member of staff they should discuss it with the Chair of the Community Board. Ultimately the BCS Code of Conduct is applicable. 

Training

Each Member Group Committee will be responsible for ensuring that all its members receive appropriate training as prescribed by Trustee Board from time to time. The Community Board may cancel or suspend an individual's membership of a Member Group Committee where a member’s actions have, in the opinion of the Community Board, been detrimental to the work of the Committee.

Member Groups’ membership details are kept on BCS's central database and Member Groups can arrange for mailings to their members via the BCS List Server.

All member data must be handled in strict accordance with the BCS information security policy statement. Only Committee members who are professional members (MBCS/FBCS) of BCS may have access to BCS membership data, via the List Server subject to:

• An explanation of why access is necessary that is acceptable to the Member Group committee (i.e. no one has vetoed it)
• Confirmation that the person requesting access understands the Data Protection Act.
• Requests to use membership details should be sent to the Member Groups Team at groups@bcs.uk

Where personal data about attendees is collected at, or for, an event it should not be passed on without the attendee’s approval. For example, if the speaker wishes to follow up with those attending they should get permission from those attending for them to do so.

All Member Group committee members must declare any conflict of interest that may arise and inform all other committee members who will consider whether any action needs to be taken. The BCS Code of Conduct will be used if a potential conflict of interest comes to light. Non-members of the Institute are liable to sanctions including having their committee membership terminated. 

Additional guidance on the treatment of Personal Data from members and attendees at events

When collecting, using and securing items of personal data from members and/or event attendees/enquirers, two overriding principles must be applied:

• the data must be used only for the purpose(s) that were declared prior to its collection / elicitation;
• it is BCS policy that all data collected through an event booking/registration system (manual or electronic, central or local) shall be regarded as protected personal data unless otherwise declared to attendees/enquirers in advance (and effective opt-outs provided if necessary).

Particular care needs to be taken in circumstances when any of the attendees’ data may need to be shared with third parties, including: joint meetings;, sponsored events (especially if hosted on the sponsor’s premises); if it is intend to publish a delegates list; if it is intended to use the data to advertise other events or promotions; or for a speaker / sponsor to supply supplementary information.

Key documents

• Member Groups good practice guide for data protection
• Information security policy statement
• Safeguarding policy
• Advice for Groups using Zoom events including children
• External associate email usage policy
• Publishing policy

A website is the primary means for BCS members and non-members to learn more about the role of a member group, its committee members, minutes of meetings held by the committee, and events planned and delivered by the group.

The website should contain:

• The group’s aims and objectives
• The group's name, scope, geographic boundaries (where applicable), aims and objectives
• Instructions on how to join the group
• A reference to the Member Group rules
• A full list of committee members
• Details of future events with agenda, abstracts, location and joining instructions etc. A template for a suitable event flyer is available.
• Reports of past events with event flyer, minutes, slides, summaries or full texts of presentations etc.
• A link to your BCS Community member group area and any social media
• Links to other BCS groups associated by geographical or technical proximity
• A link to the main BCS website

Support to create and maintain a member group web site is available from your BCS Community Coordinator. Member group websites are hosted by bcs.org and ensure the member group maintains a professional and positive reputational image. Webpages should conform to the BCS brand guidelines.

Where a Member Group has been established as a joint venture with another body - branding implications, including the website, need to be agreed. The group may include URL links to the websites of those third party bodies on their group’s website.