China-UK Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Network(SAIN)

Secretariat Offices

Mode of Operation

The Secretariat Offices will be responsible for day-to-day management of SAIN’s activities, and for supporting the Working Groups and the Governing Board.The primary Secretariat Office in China will be led by a ‘SAIN Coordinator’ – a part time senior member of staff, supported by a full time administrator, at the North West Agriculture and Forestry University (NWAFU).The secondary Secretariat Office in the UK will be led by a second SAIN Coordinator – a part time senior member of staff at the University of East Anglia (UEA). The two Secretariat Offices, who will coordinate the day-to-day matters of SAIN through emails and frequent correspondence.A small number of reciprocal visits may also be necessary to deal with complex issues. The two Offices will share the responsibilities and will report jointly to the GB.

Key Tasks

The Secretariat Offices have the following responsibilities:

Programme management

Supporting SAIN’s WGs in identifying priorities and analysing gaps.
Developing and managing the SAIN work plan which will set out overall objectives for SAIN, key activities, milestones, deliverables (including for each of the WGs) and resources required.
Tracking and reporting on progress based on the work plan and milestones of deliverables.
Preparing six-monthly reports to the GB to summarise progress of each WG against SAIN’s annual work plan.
Preparing an annual report which summarises progress against SAIN’s annual work plan, for approval by the GB and for circulation to all SAIN partners.
Identifying and engaging with potential sources of funding for SAIN projects.
Preparation of papers – with input from the WGs and others as appropriate – (including reports, recommendations and project proposals) for consideration by the WGs and GB).
Working with WG co-chairs and members to prepare bids to other public and private bodies for additional funds for WG activities.

Budget management

Managing the budgets for GB, WGs and Secretariat Offices.
Submitting six-monthly budget reports to the GB and the funding agencies as required, and quarterly ISDF progress reports to Defra.
Circulating relevant information on funding opportunities to Governing Board and WG members.

Stakeholder engagement and communications

Ensuring that the GB and WGs are able to draw on a wider pool of expertise by engaging and consulting other stakeholders.
Developing and maintaining a network of stakeholders, to engage potential collaborators (individuals and organisations) in both China and UK, including setting up links with other relevant networks and international organisations.
Organising workshops and other events.
Developing and maintaining a website for SAIN, and writing and disseminating newsletters to provide information for stakeholders about SAIN’s activities and related work.
Providing information and advice, including cultural and language, to the stakeholders interested in UK-China collaboration in agricultural sector.

Coordination and support

Organising and facilitating meetings, workshops and study tours for members of the GB and WGs (to be set out in the annual work plan), as well as events to support the China-UK Work Programme on Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries, under the SDD.
Making sure the WGs are all up to date with each other’s work.The coordinator of the Secretariat Office will attend all of the WGs’ annual meetings and circulate the WG meeting minutes to all WG members.

Long-term development

Collaborating with stakeholders and WGs to identify new requirements or opportunities for China-UK collaboration in the areas covered by SAIN.
Working with primary stakeholders to identify sources of funding for projects, the Secretariat Offices and the future operation of SAIN in the longer term.

Outputs

The Secretariat Offices will support the GB and WGs to ensure the smooth operation of the SAIN. This will be achieved by delivering the following outputs:

Effective day-to-day support to the GB and WGs.
Meetings of GB and WGs organised and facilitated.
Working with the WG co-chairs and members to identify priorities and develop and deliver projects to address these.
Preparation of funding bids for SAIN’s projects.
Preparation of an annual work plan for SAIN, under the guidance of GB and with input from WGs. The work plan will set out overall objectives for SAIN, key activities, milestones, deliverables (including for each of the WGs) and resources required.
Creation and maintenance of a bilingual website to publicise the SAIN and disseminate research findings to a wide audience.
Biannual or quarterly newsletters prepared and disseminated through appropriate channels to relevant audiences.
Annual and six-monthly progress reports prepared – with input from the WGs and submitted to the GB.
Effective budget management which will include overseeing the financial performance of SAIN, and preparing six-month financial report to be submitted to the GB, co-chairs of WGs and funding agencies.

Reporting

The two Secretariat Offices will jointly report to the GB and WGs. All reports to the GB and WGs and public information will be agreed by the SAIN Coordinators of the two Offices. In addition, the two Offices will submit annual reports to the GB, with input from the four WGs. The two SAIN Coordinators will also report to the GB in a timely manner any matters that arise which may hinder the smooth operation of the SAIN.