SQA "American Quality Assurance Society"

Memorandum of Understanding between DGGF and SQA

In order to improve the cooperation between the two QA associations DGGF (represented by Dr. Hermann Lehn) and SQA, a Memorandum of Understanding has been developed. The official joint signature happened during our annual meeting 2004 in Darmstadt by Kevin Yount (President of SQA) and Dr. Holger Dittberner (President of DGGF). With that important step we encourage the cooperation of two big QA societies and send also a signal out, that quality assurance is a very important international field of activity.

The Memorandum of Understanding regulates the conduct of joint meetings, the communication between the societies, the mutial participation on conferences of the other societies, offering guest speakers and information material.

http://www.sqa.org

28th SQA Annual Meeting & Quality College
22 - 27 April 2012
Miami, Florida, USA


MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
(signed on 22 September 2004 by Dr. Holger Dittberner (DGGF) and Kevin Yount (SQA)

1. Objective
To enhance the service that the German Society of Good Research Practices (DGGF) and the Society of Quality Assurance (SQA) provide to their memberships, by increasing communications between the two organizations.

2. Joint Meetings
Representatives of the Boards of the two organizations may hold joint meetings from time to time by mutual agreement.
Each time such a joint meeting takes place, this memorandum of understanding shall be reviewed and may be amended by mutual consent of the Boards of the two organizations.

3. Minutes of Joint Meetings
The organization that is hosting a joint meeting shall appoint someone to take minutes.
Draft minutes shall be written in English and be sent to the President of DGGF and the President of SQA for approval prior to distribution.

4. Communications Between the Two Organizations
All communications between the two organizations shall be in English and initiated through a single, official communication channel. Each organization shall identify a single point of contact to facilitate communications. Each organization may vary its point of contact at any time but shall inform the other organization of the change. Contact points are identified in Annex 1.
Correspondence between the two organizations may be addressed to positions rather than named individuals as holders of offices within the organizations change frequently.
The two organizations shall establish and maintain active links between their web sites in order to provide useful information to the membership of the two organizations.
Either of the two organizations shall respond to all reasonable requests for information from the other, provided that the information requested is in the public domain and provided that meeting the request does not place an unreasonable burden on the organization's resources.
Each organization shall provide material that it provides to its own members (journals, newsletter, discussion papers, meetings proceedings, etc.) to the other organization, including permission that the other organization may re-publish such information with appropriate attribution.

5. Official Delegations from One Organization to Events Organized by the Other
Each organization may, from time to time, send an official delegation to events organized by the other. Such official delegation shall be recognized by the host organization and registration fees for the event attended may be waived.
The number of official delegates at any one event shall exceed one only in exceptional circumstances.

6. Guest Speakers at Conferences
Either of the organizations may, from time to time, invite guest speakers from the other organization to make a presentation at one of its meetings or conferences.
The number of guest speakers at any one event shall exceed one only in exceptional circumstances.
The host organization shall waive the registration fee for such guest speaker. No honorarium shall be paid nor shall travel expenses be paid by the host organization.
Either organization shall, at the request of the other, assist with the identification of speakers for meetings and conferences.

7. Group Travel Arrangements
Any organization may wish to make group travel arrangements for its members who wish to attend an event organized by the other. In these circumstances, the host organization shall provide reasonable assistance by way of the provision of local information and facilitating local contacts. The costs of such group travel arrangements shall not be the responsibility of the host organization.

8. Review
Generally, this memorandum of understanding shall be reviewed by DGGF and SQA after three years of operation, modified as necessary to improve it and a new memorandum agreed.

Annex 1 - Contact Points

DGGF - Steffen König
German Society of Good Research Practices
eMail: DGGF@DGGF.de

SQA - Elliott Graham, RQAP-GLP
Executive Director, Society of Quality Assurance
2365 Hunters Way, Charlottesville, VA 22911 USA
Tel: +1 434 297 4772, Fax: +1 434 977 0899, eMail: SQA@SQA.org