Forum Guidelines for the IT Corporate Roundtable

The NYS Forum's IT Corporate Roundtable

General Guidelines

December 12, 2003

Amended: December 2005, October 2006, October 2007, March 2008, October 2008 and December 2008

A direct adaptation of the Revised Guidelines issued by the National Association of State CIO's drafted 8-15-03; Amended 03-01-2010; Approved by The NYS Forum's IT Corporate Roundtable (12-5-03) and The NYS Forum's Executive Committee (12-12-03).

Public and private sector members of the NYS Forum greatly benefit from growing levels of communication and participation that have resulted in the creation of The Forum's IT Corporate Roundtable. Increased private sector interest and participation in Forum events, however, make it necessary to implement the following guidelines in order to preserve a carefully cultivated climate among the two membership communities. Corporate support of and compliance with these guidelines will enhance the value of The Forum for both public and private sector participants and maintain the appropriate differentiation from and any appearance of conducting business.

Corporate membership in The Forum is encouraged to provide meaningful interaction in a neutral setting between NY state and local CIO's, IT directors, and their staffs and members of the IT corporate community. Mutual benefit is derived from this interaction, whereby:

corporate/public sector relationships are established;
public sector IT leadership and staff learn what the future holds as corporate R&D members provide "windows into the future of IT";
public sector IT leadership and staff learn about industry concerns, hurdles and opportunities;
IT corporate representatives learn of state and local IT needs and how they can best work together to fulfill them;
business partners share information and collaborate on critical issues.

We respectfully remind all members that although The Forum was founded for the exchange of information among public sector IT leaders and their staffs, IT corporate representatives are invited to actively participate in The Forum meetings and committees.

Who Should Participate?

The "primary contact" for each corporate member should be one individual within the corporation with responsibility for activities in state and/or local government for her/his organization. Participation of "associate" contacts who are responsible for IT research, development and/or policies within member companies is also encouraged. Corporate associate membership is limited to a maximum of two additional individuals per corporation. Memberships are held in the name of the member company.

Annual Member Dues

Annual corporate dues payment is made upon entry of an IT corporation as a member of the IT Corporate Roundtable (ITCR). The uniform membership cycle commences on October 1st of each year which is consistent with The NYS Forum's program year. Corporations joining during the period October through March shall pay for the full year. Corporations joining in April through September shall pay a pro-rated amount for the remainder of the year. If renewal fees are not received within three (3) months of the annual due date (October 1), the Corporation will lose public standing as a member of the Forum thereby, losing the benefits of membership (discounts on Forum events, State Directory, etc.). Should a corporation renew membership for the current program year after the three (3) month period, as a prior member and beneficiary of services during that period, the full membership fee will be required.

Committee Participation

Forum committees play a key role in the planning and execution of Forum educational seminars, research projects, and other Forum events. As IT Corporate Roundtable members are expected to play an active role in achieving the overall goals of The Forum, participation in and leadership of groups and committees beyond the IT Corporate Roundtable itself is mandatory. A complete list of The Forum committees and groups appears on The Forum's website at www.nysforum.org.

It is the Forum's objective to have diverse Corporate participation in the leadership of the committee's. Individuals from the same Corporation will not co-chair more than one committee unless no other Roundtable volunteer is available. Exceptions may be made due to individuals transferring companies, etc. at the discretion of the Roundtable membership.

In the context of IT Corporate Roundtable members serving as a Forum Committee co-chair or committee member, should there arise any circumstance where there may be any question or concern related to New York State business or contractual issues, in order to fully avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest or attempt to lobby, these issues:

should not be pursued by Roundtable members, and
should immediately be brought to the attention of the Government Committee Co-Chair(s) for discussion with NYS Forum Executive leadership and determination of appropriate action(s).

There are, of course, specific initiatives that shall be pursued by The Forum's IT Procurement Committee and/or the Forum's Executive Committee that may focus discussion on New York State business, contractual or procurement issues and procedures and those shall be reviewed (with the NYS Commission on Government Integrity) and planned on a case by case basis to insure there are no opportunities for discussions/presentations to in any way be construed as a potential conflict of interest or attempt to lobby.

Educational Seminar/Meeting Participation

Forum seminars and meetings provide a unique opportunity for IT Corporate Roundtable members to network with state/local government IT staff, discuss the issues facing the information technology field in the public and private sectors, and to share expertise and knowledge related to key issues and priorities of The Forum. Unless specifically invited, only corporate representatives of Roundtable member corporations can attend NYS Forum educational seminars and other meetings. The Forum conferences and other venues for communication and practice transfer offer members an alternative from the many events that specifically promote the marketing and sales of products or services through trade shows and exhibitions. Rather, The Forum invites its corporate participants to join with state/local representatives in a neutral environment to discuss trends, new techniques and strategies and common problems that transcend the public/corporate boundaries. A nonproduct-marketing forum serves as an appropriate venue for communication of that nature. Such Forum events have a long history of having drawn on the expertise of the corporate sector, and educational programs are typically centered on information technology issues that affect the public and private sectors. By bringing together a variety of interested parties, The Forum can develop strategies and research projects, stimulate and facilitate best practice transfer, and position to support state priorities and act responsibly for the benefit of all involved. Specific "Guiding Principles" for corporate involvement in educational programs are attached as Appendix A. Central to those principles are elements also vital to these "General Guidelines" for IT Corporate Roundtable members. They are:

Forum educational or other event presentations and/or handouts are not to be used to promote proprietary interests nor as vehicles for marketing specific products or services. If they choose, presenting corporations may leave marketing literature on a resource table (designated by The Forum staff for that purpose) for program participants.

In all Forum contexts, including educational program circumstances, corporate participants will strictly adhere to any and all state/local laws, regulations, policies, Executive Orders or other directives governing corporate/public interactions related to procurements and lobbying.

Non-Member Participation

IT corporate participation in The Forum IT Corporate Roundtable meetings is encouraged to determine what value can be provided to The Forum and gained by the corporation. Nonmember attendance is limited to one IT Corporate Roundtable meeting. Nonmember attendees at Roundtable meetings will be identified at the commencement of the meeting attended.

If further participation is desired after this "exploratory session," the company must become an active member of the IT Corporate Roundtable. Although IT Corporate Roundtable meeting agendas and participation of nonmembers are determined by the co-chairs of the IT Corporate Roundtable, current IT Corporate Roundtable members will have an opportunity to offer advice and guidance.

IT Corporate Roundtable Meetings and Forum Events

Participation in IT Corporate Roundtable meetings and Forum events/meetings is limited to a maximum of three (3) representatives from each corporate member organization. Additional attendees will be allowed under special circumstances dictated by an agenda that requires or would benefit from additional representatives from a particular corporate entity. In these special cases the number of representatives from a given corporation will not exceed five (5).

Conference Sponsorship

Forum IT Corporate Roundtable members are also encouraged to support the organization and its programs through exhibitor participation and sponsorship of specific conferences or other events held throughout the year. Active IT Corporate Roundtable members shall receive a twenty percent discount on sponsorship, exhibitor fees or other costs associated with The Forum events and products.

IT Corporate Member Events

All member corporations (regardless of whether they are event sponsors or exhibitors) are discouraged from holding competing proceedings that run concurrently with Forum seminars, conferences or other events. Due to the volume of Corporate member events, The Forum will not be able to post Roundtable member events on its online calendar. When IT Corporate Roundtable members do conduct separate events that are related to Forum priorities and open to public sector IT leadership and staff, The Forum will not in any way promote these events and Corporate Roundtable members are asked not to promote their corporate events in the context of The Forum's business. Should there be exceptional circumstances where corporate events are openly endorsed by New York State's Government's Information Technology Executive leadership, a decision altering the above will be considered by The Forum's Executive Director in consultation with the Chair of the IT Corporate Roundtable, and the State Leader(s) endorsing the event.

Annual IT Corporate Roundtable Award for Excellence

As part of its annual awards program The Forum has instituted the IT Corporate Roundtable Award for Excellence. This award is intended to recognize the corporate member that has contributed the most to the overall objectives of The Forum and yielded distinct benefits for state and local IT leadership and staff. The Roundtable members nominate candidates for this award and recommend a final selection of the recipient to The Forum's Officers for final approval.

IT Corporate Roundtable Member Entrance and Exit

Corporations joining the IT Corporate Roundtable will be assigned a mentor and also receive a welcome kit explaining the Roundtable goals, objectives and benefits. New members are welcome to schedule meetings with The Forum's Executive Director and/or co-chairs of the IT Corporate Roundtable to clarify and explore strategies for contributing to The Forum's programs.

Should member corporations choose not to renew annual sponsorship of the IT Corporate Roundtable, an exit interview will be conducted by The Forum's Executive Director and/or a co-chair of the Roundtable.

Appendix A

Guiding Principles for Corporate Involvement in Forum Educational Programs

The Forum welcomes the involvement of the corporate sector in the development and presentation of Forum educational programs. These programs provide opportunities for companies to support effective information management in state and local government and to demonstrate and improve their own understanding of the information management problems of public agencies. In order to build an effective Forum-corporate partnership for sponsoring such programs, the following principles have been adopted by the Forum Executive Committee.

In selecting recommended topics, Forum and Forum Committee leadership will consider the:
- relevance of each topic to government information management concerns,
- timeliness of each topic in relation to current public policy problems and program initiatives,
- quality and availability of appropriate resources to present each topic effectively, and
- expressed desire of Forum and Committee membership to address the topic.
The final content and format of program agendas will be developed by Committee members and leadership (to include multiple committees when collaborative programs are being undertaken), with assistance as required from the Executive Committee, Forum staff, general Forum membership, and corporate participants.
Corporate involvement in programs may take a wide variety of forms, including:
- offering professional literature and other instructional material,
- providing single or multiple presentations by corporate employees,
- sponsoring single or multiple presentations by independent experts or representatives of other organizations,
- providing major program design and development services in cooperation with Forum staff.
Short or "briefing" programs may consist of presentations by representatives of a single company. Although they may be coordinated by a single company, half and full-day seminar programs should include substantive presentations from a variety of sources.
Presentations sponsored by corporations must serve the professional and educational needs of the audience. In addition to oral presentations, reading lists and/or reprints of recent articles that expand on the topic of the presentation are strongly encouraged. Copies of slides are also encouraged, and with the approval of The Forum, may be posted on the website for those who could not attend or for reference purposes.

Forum educational or other event presentations and/or handouts are not to be used to promote proprietary interests nor as vehicles for marketing specific products or services. If they choose, presenting corporations may leave marketing literature on a resource table (designated by Forum staff for that purpose) for program participants.

In all contexts, including educational program circumstances, The Forum requires that all corporate participants strictly adhere to any and all state/local laws, regulations, policies, executive orders or other directives governing corporate/public interactions related to procurement and lobbying.
Forum staff will provide corporate sponsors with a list of the registered attendees at its events.
When the length and location of a program makes meals appropriate, the Forum may charge an appropriate registration fee to cover expenses. Forum staff will coordinate this activity.
When a corporation sponsors all or part of a Forum program, unless there is a rationale for not doing so, the corporation may also invite its private sector customers to attend (space permitting, with priority to public sector attendees).
With the agreement of the sponsoring corporation(s), the Forum will send announcements of programs to other corporations that express interest in Forum programs. Corporate representatives may register to attend these programs as observers (if space permits and with priority given to public sector participants).

Typical Forum Educational Programs

Short (Briefing) Programs

Objective:	To give participants an opportunity to become familiar with a variety of state-of-the-art information management tools as well as current issues or practices in information management.
Scope:	Presentation of a single technology, management techniques, information service, or information policy issue (e.g., system integration, expert systems, research uses of administrative data, private use of public data).
Format:	Speaker and/or panel with question and answer period. The speaker or moderator is generally a subject area expert, panels are often made up of practitioners who discuss their organizations' experiences with the topic at hand. Open enrollment.
Schedule:	As determined by Forum leadership and staff
Location:	Rockefeller Institute of Government (and others).
Length:	Usually 2-3 hours beginning at 8:30am as a "breakfast session".

In-Depth Seminars

Objective:	To give participants opportunities to obtain working knowledge and practical advice about key aspects of information resource management in their organizations.
Scope:	In-depth treatment of a major information management or policy topic (e.g., system security, managing change, information resource planning).
Format:	Keynote speaker plus additional speakers, panels and/or workshops. The keynote speaker or program moderator is generally a subject area expert who lays out a broad framework of issues and concerns which are then treated more fully in later presentations and discussions. Open enrollment.
Schedule:	As determined by Forum leadership and staff.
Location:	Rockefeller Institute of Government (and others).
Length:	Variable depending on content/audience.

Management and Executive Seminars

Objective:	To give serious attention to critical information management and policy issues affecting the operation of public organizations.
Scope:	Intensive management development programs that present, analyze and/or evaluate an overarching information management theme (e.g., building strong CEO/CIO relationships, information sharing and dissemination, strategic use of information resources to support public sector agency core business) or underscore an enterprise level need or priority.
Format:	Variable but can be multi-day residential and non-residential seminars using classroom, workshop, case study, small group, and other methods of instruction and structured discussion. Limited enrollment.
Schedule:	As determined by Forum leadership and staff.
Location:	Rockefeller Institute of Government or other appropriate locations
Length:	Variable depending on content/audience.