Enreca Health > About > Organisation > Vedtaegter

Revised by the annual General Assembly 30 May 2007 and acknowledged by the Board 16 June 2007.

Preamble:
The ENRECA Health Research network, financed by Danida, was established in 1996 as a collaborative effort between ENRECA health research projects which included partners in the South. The network has since then been working for cross-disciplinary exchange of knowledge and experience as well as capacity building through, amongst other things, a series of seminars, post-graduate courses and dialogue meetings with Danida. The network functioned through a core group of project leaders, as decision-makers, and a secretariat. In 2003 a process of extending the network, its aims, its area of action, the secretariat and a formalisation of the organisational structure began. At a wide-reaching meeting held in Copenhagen, 27th April 2004, an interim steering group was elected, its role being to draft the statutes, revise the draft plan of action and ensure preparation for and invitation to an inaugural general meeting of the network. The Network activities and the Secretariat are financed by Danida. The statutes were approved with a few adjustments at the founding General Assembly on 3 November, 2004.

At the General Assembly on the 30th of May, 2007, point 5.5.5 of the statutes was revised with regard to the distribution plan of Board representatives as a result of the merging of the universities. The proposal to have an additional representative from Aarhus University was approved of by the Board.

A key condition set by Danida in their allocation of funding for the network in 2006, was a simplification of the primary and secondary aims. This adjustment has, however, no bearing on the content as such. These adjustments are included in the current version of the statutes.

1. Name
The name of the network is Dansk Forskningsnetværk for International Sundhed (The Danish Research Network for International Health).

2. Overall aim
The overall aim of the network is to strengthen research and capacity building in research in international health as well as strengthen dialogue between research and development aid, as a means of improving health in low income countries, in accordance with Danish principles of development policy as well as the needs of country-partners in the South.

Specific objectives

• In collaboration with associate partners, to contribute to the strengthening of health research and its integration in health sector development.

• To promote the dissemination and exchange of information among institutions and development organisations, including Danida supported activities, other relevant organisations and networks, thus strengthening the Danish resource base in the field of health.

3. Areas of Action
The Network forms the framework for inter-disciplinary action and collaboration related to research, capacity building and development aid within international health. The essential action includes interdisciplinary and cross-institutional exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as capacity development within international health through, inter alia, seminars, workshops post-graduate courses and a website. The network works to promote dialogue and collaboration between research and development aid with the aim of strengthening research and utilization of research in development aid.

4. Participants
The network consists of individual participants from and representatives of Danish and foreign research institutions, research schools, aid programmes, NGOs and private firms with academic engagement in international health research, capacity development and development aid. The participants are placed on the network’s electronic mail list through which they receive information and thus have the possibility of participating in network activities. Persons on the electronic mail list may participate in and vote at the general assembly.

5. Organisational structure
The organisational structure includes a secretariat, a management board elected at the general assembly and an executive committee elected by and from within the management board. The executive committee works closely with the secretariat with regard to the ongoing activities of the network. In forming the executive committee as well as ad hoc committees, a reasonable gender distribution is considered.

5.1 The Network Secretariat
A secretariat consisting of academic and administrative staff has been created in order to take care of the day to day running and coordination of network activities. The research and chief administrative coordinators function as the secretariat at management board meetings. The management board decides on which one of the participant institutions will house the network secretariat and under which conditions.

5.2 The Management Board: Mandate and Role
The Management Board (Board) consists of up to 19 members, who are elected at the general assembly. A candidate for the Board must be nominated as a representative of one of the following areas: Universities, sector research institutions, private firms and NGOs. (see
distribution plan under point 5.5).
It is considered that the leader of the institution which hosts the network should be assigned the role of chairperson of the Board. At the first meeting of the Board, the chairperson and vicechairperson are selected. An executive committee, consisting of a maximum of seven Board members, including the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Board, is also agreed.

• Ensures, through the executive committee, the ongoing implementation and adjustment of the network's plan of action, and is overall responsible for applications (e.g. grants),
  

• control of the budget and financial status, approval of the annual financial statement as well as approval of the statutes of the management board and the executive committee.
  

• Presents, at the latest 1st April, an Annual Report to the network’s donors for the past calendar year.
  

•  Ensures that the executive committee duly processes an application for the future project phases of the network, before the current grant expires. Meets at least twice a year.
  

• The Chairperson invites members to the board meeting. Besides the minimum two meetings, any Board member may request a meeting of the Board, in writing and with copy to all board members.

• The Board takes decisions in accordance with the majority vote. In the case of parity of votes, the chairperson’s vote is decisive.
  

• There will be a quorum of the Board when the members present and those who have sent in written notice make up at least 50%.
  

• The Board is responsible for employment or dismissal of the staff of the network secretariat.

5.3 The Executive Committee: Mandate and Role
The Executive Committee (Executive) consists of a maximum of seven Board members. The
Executive is formed for a period of two years. In the formation of a new Executive, the aim is
that there will be an overlap of three or four members.
- The Executive works closely with the secretariat and, in connection with the day to day
implementation of the action plan, meets about once every six weeks or when otherwise
necessary.
- The Executive is mandated to form working groups within thematic areas of input. A working group may consist of board members supplemented by other resource persons within the network.
- The Executive regularly approves the network budget and statement of accounts. Unforeseen large expenses, over 10.000 DKK, must in the least be approved by the chairperson and vicechairperson.
- The Executive formulates standing orders, which are presented to and approved by the Board.

5.4. General Assembly
5.4.1 The General Assembly (GA) is the Network’s highest authority.
5.4.2 An ordinary General Assembly (GA) is held annually before the end of November.
Invitations including the agenda are to be sent out by letter to participants at least four weeks before the meeting. Additional agenda-relevant material must be sent out three weeks before.
There is a quorum of the Assembly when two thirds of the key institutions are represented. (cf. point 5.5).
5.4.3 An Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) may be called by the Board when necessary
and must be held when at least one third of the network participants have expressed in writing and with motivation the need for this. The EGA shall take place at the latest six weeks after receipt of the request for such meeting.
5.4.4 The Network members may participate in and are eligible for voting in the GA. A network participant who is unable to be present at the GA may vote by giving written authority to a member attending the meeting.

 5.4.5 The Agenda for the GA shall include the following points:

• Election of chairperson

• Board’s Report on the Network’s affairs in the past year

• Presentation of Financial Statement for approval

• Proposals sent in

• Presentation of the Budget and Plan of Action for the coming year

• Election of members of the Board

• Any other matters

5.4.6 Proposals for consideration at the GA must be received by the Board at least two weeks
before the GA. All decisions at the GA will be taken on the basis of a simple majority of votes, except decisions related to changes in the statutes, which require a minimum of two thirds of the votes in favour.

Dissolution: With regard to dissolving the network, see point 8. 5

5.5 Composition of the Board
The aim is to have a broad professional representation of the network participants, which
includes researchers as well as organisations which utilize research in their work within
development aid. Institutions, organisations or firms who desire a representative on the Board must nominate candidates prior to the Assembly. The Board consists of a maximum of 19 members and is constituted as follows:
a. Research representatives
University departments or sector research institutions which have active research environments
within international health may nominate candidates for the Board.
b. Other Aid-relevant representatives (including users of research)
Consultant firms and NGOs involved in large projects, which, among other things, participate
with the aim of strengthening the utilization of research in health programmes, health policy and strategy development, may likewise nominate candidates for the Board.
Distribution Plan (Representation on the Board)
The distribution plan of representatives1 is as follows:
University of Copenhagen 3
The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences 1
The Royal Agricultural and Veterinary University, including DBL 2
Aarhus University 2
Aarhus University Hospital 1
Aalborg University 1
Roskilde University 1
University of Southern Denmark 1
State Serum Institute 1
Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospital) 1
Danish Institute of International Studies 1
NGOs 2
Private firms 2
Maximum 19
Fixed observers: In order to promote dialogue and collaboration with donors, the Network has
reserved one to two fixed observer seats for donor representatives.

5.6 Electoral procedure
Should there, prior to the GA, be nominated more candidates than the quota as per distribution plan (see point 5.5), the electoral procedure is as follows: All the Network participants have equal voting rights. The list of nominees in a specific institution is posted in the respective institution and Network participants in each institution vote for their representatives respectively per institution. Should there, e.g., be four candidates nominated from the NGO-environment, the GA shall vote for these four candidates, and the two nominees with the most votes will be elected.
1 The distribution plan reflects a balancing out between institution size and the estimated number of active researchers and users of research in International Health at the respective institutions.

The period between elections is normally two years. A Board member may be re-elected at the most only twice in two successive elections immediately following the first. Thereafter she/he may be elected to the Board again after not being on the Board for at least one period between elections. In the election of a new Board an overlap of five to six members will be aimed for.
Decisions in this regard will normally be taken by the Board.

6. Amendments of Statutes
Changes in the Statutes may only be made by the GA, if there is at least a two thirds majority for the change among the Network participants attending the GA.

7. Economy
The Network financial year is a calendar year. The Board is jointly liable for any exceeding of
the given financial framework. The Network funds are administered through the host institution.

8. Dissolving the Network
Dissolution of the Network may be decided at a GM, after due notice. Decision to dissolve
requires a 9/10 majority amongst the participants. Should this majority not be attained, the Board is entitled to call a new GA, in which dissolution may be decided by a 2/3 majority of votes from the Network participants present and postal votes.
On dissolution of the Network, the donor authorities will decide on what becomes of the
Network assets after payment of debts and finalising of binding agreements that the Network
may have been committed to.

Ib Bygbjerg
Chairman of the Board