Design Team/Terms of Reference

Name of Group: Design Team

Status
The Design Team is to be an informal, task-oriented group within Pirate Party Australia, directly answerable to the National Council.

Summary of Purpose
The Design Team is responsible for preparing and developing materials to engage Party members, volunteers and the general public, and documentation pertaining to design-related materials. The aim of the Team is to create graphical and textual material which assists in developing a coherent identity for the Party, while advocating the Party’s core political philosophy, platform and policy. The Design Team is required to work on materials referred to it by the National Council or other teams and committees within the Party.

Design Officer
The Design Team will be managed by the Design Officer (DO), appointed by the National Council.

Committee Members
Membership of the Design Team is unlimited. Members of the Team are appointed by approval of a majority vote of the National Council. Application for membership can be made directly by Party members to the National Council. The Design Officer can also recommend suitable candidates for the consideration of the National Council. Design Team members are required to devote time and effort to accomplishing the purposes in these terms of reference. Team members will be expected to organise themselves internally to manage meetings where necessary and work towards the development and execution of specific material and design priorities. A member of the Team should have:


 * The ability to work efficiently and professionally,
 * A good understanding of the Party's platform and policies, and
 * The ability to develop written and/or graphical material in line with the requirements of the Party.

Powers & Responsibility
The purpose of the Design Team is to design, create, prepare and review material to support the Party's election campaigns, political activities, general advocacy, website and web forms user interface design, and recruitment. The Team is required to work on materials that the National Council, other committees and teams refer to it.

The Design Team shall work with all stakeholders as necessary to promote the Party's core political philosophy, platform and policy to Party members and the general public.

Obligations
The Design Team shall:


 * Seek final approval from the National Council and/or other committees and teams for the production of all design material produced by the Team for the purpose of communication with members of the Party or the public, and
 * Provide material approved by the National Council to the Procurement Team for production and distribution.

Powers
The Design Team has the power to:
 * Liaise with external organisations in the development of material in support of multi-organisational campaigns and projects,
 * Monitor compliance of Party policies and guidelines covering:
 * Identity, branding and marketing, and
 * Other such areas as directed by the National Council.

The Design Team shall execute its powers in a democratic fashion, following the Decision Making Procedure as outlined below.

Reporting
The Design Team must inform the National Council:


 * when the Team commences development of a new project;
 * when the Team requires final approval for production of material;
 * when approved material has been submitted to the Procurement Team;
 * by reporting the activities and progress of the Team at least once per month.

The DO (or a nominated stand in) shall be responsible for:


 * scheduling and chairing meetings of the Team,
 * creating and circulating agendas for team meetings,
 * maintaining a wiki page covering information relevant to the Team.

Timeline
The Team shall take into account important events and dates of the Party and allocate resources where necessary.

Budgetary Requirements
The Design Team shall develop appropriate budgetary requirements for each design project on an individual basis and gain approval from the National Council before authorising or incurring any financial expense on behalf of the Party.

Tools and Procedures for Communication
The Design Team may determine its own tools and procedures for communication; these tools, procedures and the means of communication must be accessible and available to all members of the Party.

Decision Making Procedure
Decision making should be democratic, and decisions made through consensus. The Team will not be able to make decisions solely, except where these terms of reference allow.

Expected Duration
Indefinite.