The Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT) has released guidelines for its new Special Interest Groups initiative, an exciting platform that will increase member communication, promote the exchange of ideas, and boost the profile of Trenchless Technology to the wider public.
Also known as SIGs for short, these ASTT guidelines outline the structure and purpose of the groups, the steps required to establish a group within the Society, and how to gain access to special funding and online services.
Groups of interest
Open to any paying ASTT member, SIGs comprise professional individuals with a common interest within the field of Trenchless Technology. Within each SIG, a voluntary committee made up of SIG members will coordinate the overall group. Each SIG will be responsible for identifying what activities are needed to support the members of the group, as well as to promote their own specific field of interest.
According to the ASTT guidelines, the SIGs will also act as industry “subject matter experts”, able to solve queries or problems raised by other Society members or from others outside of
the membership.
This may include producing information, providing a forum for discussion, developing and maintaining industry standards and policies, or reaching out to external parties relevant to their field of interest to achieve Society objectives.
Additionally, it is envisioned that SIGs will assist the ASTT Council to develop the Society’s annual plans and budgets.
Forming a SIG
SIG membership is open to any member of the ASTT who works in the sector of the trenchless industry covered by the SIG – or who has a particular interest in the field.
To form a SIG, a minimum of five interested members is required and all members must be current financial members of the ASTT. Establishment of a SIG requires the formal approval of the ASTT Council, with only one SIG able to represent any one particular specialist
Trenchless Technology sector. Where a SIG representing a specialist sector already exists, the ASTT Council will not approve the establishment of another group.
Within three months of gaining approval to establish a SIG, a management committee and chairperson shall be established. These committees will then be elected annually by ballot by the SIG members. To ensure clear lines of communication between the SIG and Council, the ASTT will identify a Councillor to be the key liaison person with the SIG.
Within six months of establishment, the SIG management committee, in conjunction with the ASTT Councillor liaison, shall prepare an Initial Program of Activities for the ASTT Council. The program shall then be reported on and reviewed by the ASTT Council once every 12 months. For program activities approved by ASTT Council, funding and some administration services are available.
Further details on SIG management guidelines, including the SIG committee/chairperson election process, role descriptions, and conference and meeting processes can be found via the ASTT’s web portal at: www.astt.com.au/about_astt/special_interest_groups/