How we work
Countdown 2010 is guided by a core Advisory Board of participating organizations. The day-to-day implementation of the initiative lies with the Secretariat. A broader Partners' Assembly meets periodically to review the overall direction of the Countdown.
The Advisory Board
Countdown 2010 is guided by a core Advisory Board of participating organizations, whose members are appointed by the Secretariat, based on proposals from the Partners' Assembly.
The Advisory Board performs the following functions:
- give strategic guidance to the Secretariat and oversee the achievement of the programme;
- provide evaluation and quality control;
- decide on themes to be promoted during each EU Presidency;
- identify future Countdown 2010 activities;
- advise and assist the Secretariat on communication and on financial aspects;
- when requested by the Secretariat, decide on the use of the Countdown 2010 logo for activities by Countdown members and other organizations;
- revoke the partnership of organizations that deviate from principles, no longer meet partnership criteria or have misused the Countdown logo;
- serve as high level ambassadors for Countdown 2010.
Members of the Advisory Board (other than rotating representatives) serve for one year and may be invited by the Secretariat to serve for further terms. The numbers of members may change if instrumental in the achievement of the Countdown 2010 goal.
The first Advisory Board meeting (then: Executive Group) took place in April 2004 in Brussels and since then it meets regularly three times a year. Members are expected to attend all its meetings, at their own expense.
The Partners' Assembly
A broader Partners' Assembly meets periodically to review the overall direction of Countdown 2010.
Since its first meeting in February 2004, the Partners' Assembly performs the following functions:
- serves as a forum for all Countdown partners, bringing together different types of stakeholders;
- presents ideas for Countdown themes for the attention of the Advisory Board and Secretariat;
- identifies other matters that require the attention of the Advisory Board and the Secretariat;
- propose some of its members to join the Advisory Board.
Membership will continue until December 2010, unless the member withdraws earlier or its membership has been revoked by the Advisory Board.
It is not compulsory for members to attend the Partners' Assembly. If they do so, members are generally required to meet all the expenses of their attendance. Those members that are unable to attend meetings will be encouraged to participate actively through other channels of communication.
The Secretariat
A small Secretariat is responsible for the management and coordination of this decentralised system. At its first meeting in February 2004, the Steering Group requested the IUCN Regional Office for Europe (ROfE) to take on the role of the Countdown 2010 Secretariat. This role has been performed by ROfE until September 2005, when a specific Countdown 2010 team started operations with the appointment of the Head and the recruitment of three staff.
The Secretariat is hosted by the IUCN Regional Office for Europe, in Brussels, which provides organizational support.
In its action, the Secretariat applies the principle of subsidiarity: it only undertakes those activities that the members are not able to undertake by themselves. It profiles and builds on existing initiatives and products, adding value through communication, facilitation, coordination and profiling the work of its members.
The Secretariat therefore seeks to involve as many organizations and to form as many strategic partnerships as possible in order to achieve the objectives of the Countdown 2010.
The Secretariat performs the following functions:
- provide overall day-to-day co-ordination of Countdown 2010;
- undertake financial and human resource administration of the initiative;
- strive to increase the number of participating organizations throughout Europe, but with particular emphasis on Eastern and Southern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States; keep an updated database on members and project implemented under Countdown 2010 umbrella
- invite participating organizations to become members of the Executive Group;
- communicate intensively with all partnersto build their understanding and ownership of Countdown 2010;
- promote long- and short-term secondments of staff and interns to the Secretariat;
- develop and implement the communications and media strategy;
- help prepare events; organize ad-hoc conference and workshop on Countdown 2010 issues
- authorise use of the Countdown 2010 logo for fundraising purposes.