SCC AA charter

Roles and responsibilities

Chair

The chair's role and responsibilities are to ensure this working group operates effectively to meet its purpose, as defined in the forum's terms of reference.

Specifically, the chair is responsible for:

• setting the direction and focus for forum activities
• establishing and reviewing short-term and long-term forum goals
• directing deliberations of the forum, by framing the issues, setting the tone for the forum's discussions and actively engaging all members in discussion
• maintaining relationships with key stakeholders
• assessing and managing risk
• ensuring the forum operates in an accountable manner in adding value for superannuation administration
• undertaking an annual review and measuring the effectiveness of the forum
• planning the forum's workload
• calling meetings and setting the agenda
• leading meetings, ensuring that minutes are kept and records maintained, and
• progressing action items assigned to the Tax Office.

Members

Responsibilities of members include:

• respecting and abiding by the charter of this working group
• working with the chair to identify top priorities for this working group's work program
• contributing to the effectiveness of the forum in meeting its purpose, as defined in the forum's terms of reference
• engaging in constructive, open and frank discussion in bringing a member's perspective to forum discussions
• fairly and responsibly representing the views of SMSF auditors or their membership in discussions with the Tax Office
• raising systemic issues in superannuation administration, affecting a wider group of SMSF auditors or their membership and/or their clients, rather than specific issues affecting a single individual
• providing sufficient documentation to enable a timely response by the Tax Office
• acting with due diligence and good faith
• communicating the decisions and activities of the forum, as agreed with the chair
• acting in the best interests of the tax system as a whole
• declaring conflicts of interest, in accordance with the Tax Office's Corporate Management Practice Statement - Committee Management
• respecting all confidentiality requirements
• dealing with other members and other representatives associated with the forum ethically, and with courtesy and respect, and
• progressing any action items assigned to them.

Other attendees

Other attendees will:

• abide by the charter of this working group
• act with due diligence and good faith
• declare conflicts of interest, in accordance with the Tax Office's Corporate Management Practice Statement - Committee Management
• meet confidentiality requirements
• progress any action items assigned to them, and
• when replacing a permanent member for a meeting, communicate decisions and agreements to the member within a reasonable timeframe.

Secretariat

The secretariat is responsible for:

• preparing and distributing the agenda and papers to members prior to meetings
• organising all administrative requirements for each meeting
• taking minutes and maintaining records of the meetings
• publishing endorsed minutes on the Tax Office website (as appropriate)
• obtaining responses to agenda items and action items and distributing them to members prior to each meeting
• recording the key achievements of the forum each financial year
• responding to queries raised by members, or escalating queries to relevant areas of the Tax Office
• communicating with members in a timely manner
• providing reports as required
• arranging and paying for catering costs and venue hire (where necessary)
• adhering to Tax Office requirements for forum secretaries
• acting in accordance with the Corporate Management Practice Statement - Committee Management
• providing effective coordination and support for the annual review of this working group, and
• maintaining a register of members of this working group and their details.