How to Start a LISA Special Interest Group (SIG)

1. In keeping with the activities of the Association herein noted, the members of the Association shall from time-to-time establish SIGs, under the umbrella of the Association to further investigate any aspect of globalization, internationalization, localization and translation (GILT) for which the SIG has been formed.
2. OSCAR (Open Standards for Container/Content Allowing Re-use) is the LISA Standards SIG. Initiatives for open standards development should be proposed to OSCAR and not serve as the basis for new SIGs unless otherwise agreed to by OSCAR and the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee.
3. A SIG will operate under the following basic guidelines:
   1. Any General Assembly Member or Member(s) may choose to initiate a SIG.
   2. Voting members of a SIG steering committee must be General Assembly Members of the Association.
   3. LISA will not own any of the projects or data, which result from the SIG, unless they fall under the OSCAR Open Standards Guidelines or as otherwise agreed between the SIG founders and the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee. LISA reserves the right to publish the general findings with full credit to the SIG members, and has the first right of refusal to sell or distribute the full results of the SIG should they decide to make said results available to the public or specific industry groups.
   4. A SIG is authorized to use the LISA name and logo to help promote and further its projects under the guidelines established for such use of the LISA trademarks.
   5. Each SIG may set its own policies concerning disclosure of its detailed findings to the General Assembly; the SIG is required to provide the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee with a quarterly overview of its activities and updates.
   6. Detailed information used in creation of such results may be publicized or kept private, at the discretion of the SIG. SIGs shall provide a statement of their general policy regarding disclosure of progress, activities, and results to any Member who requests such a statement and shall make public information available on the SIG website.
   7. A SIG may sell its project results to other members as well as to the general marketplace. The SIG is obliged however, to give preferential treatment to association members under guidelines established by the SIG and the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee. These terms shall be published on the SIG website.
   8. SIGs may set their own policies regarding Intellectual Property (IP) but must respect the conditions imposed on IP contributions to LISA made at the time of contribution. SIGs shall provide a statement of their Intellectual Property policies, whether formal or informal, on the SIG website.
   9. The LISA Supervisory Executive Committee is at all times bound by the same confidentiality agreement, which binds the respective SIG members.
4. The procedure to form a SIG is as follows:
   1. Any General Assembly Member may forward to the Director or to the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee a SIG concept document or business plan, which will contain the following:
      1. A general project description
      2. A list of project objectives and milestones
      3. The number of participants and if it is open or closed to new members
      4. An estimation of the duration of the project
      5. An estimation of the cost of the project, how it will be funded and if required, a request for financial support from LISA
      6. A plan for the distribution of the results of the SIG including a recommended price for LISA and non-LISA members
   2. Each SIG business plan shall be approved by the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee
   3. If approved, the Director will distribute the project synopsis to the GA by posting on the SIG website, through the LISA GI Newsletter or by other electronic means.
   4. Within one month of the release date of the synopsis, each member interested in participating in the project should register that interest with the originator of the project, with a copy to the Director who will keep the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee informed of its status.
   5. SIGs should be comprised of a reasonable number of participants for the scope of the task(s)/ mandate of the SIG. It is the responsibility of the members of the SIG to determine who should participate. It is recommended that SIG membership be selected and structured in a manner compatible with meeting and working requirements of the SIG.
   6. The initiator of the SIG should serve as Project Manager and Coordinator (chair) unless otherwise decided by the SIG.
   7. If there is no response to a SIG proposal within one month of release, the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee will put the project on hold for the maximum period of six months.
   8. If, following the second release, within six months of the first, there are still no responses to the project, the SIG will be cancelled.
   9. Should a SIG fail to achieve its milestone/objectives during its first year of operation, as agreed by the LISA Strategic Advisory, the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee may vote to disband the SIG.
   10. Upon resignation of the chair for any reason, a call for nominations for a new chair shall be made to the SIG and a new chair shall be selected by a vote of the active SIG members according to a schedule agreeable to the majority of SIG members. Individuals nominated for chair should be active SIG members. Candidates must have a prior commitment from their employer for financial and material support equivalent to at least 3% of their employment time on a regular basis for running the SIG. LISA reserves the right to verify employer support prior to granting approval to a candidacy. The LISA administration shall be eligible to nominate and shall have a vote in elections for SIG chair.
5. SIG Reporting and Financial Guidelines
   1. On a quarterly basis, each SIG will provide an update on its status to the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee) through the Director. SIG status reports shall be provided to the GA through the LISA Newsletter on at least an annual basis
   2. Any profits from SIGs, which have been funded by LISA, will be used to fund further SIGs.
   3. The results (e.g., reports, creative works, surveys, etc.) of SIGs that are either funded or supported by the LISA administration will be maintained in the LISA member’s domain archives.
6. LISA Support
   1. LISA shall agree to provide SIGs with a website, list management and distribution, meeting facilities at LISA events, publications opportunities through the Newsletter and the set-up and management of a bank account as required by the SIG.
   2. Financial support may be requested if funds exist from the profits of other SIG product sales and the SIG business plan supports additional revenue opportunities. Such funding allocations shall be approved by the LISA Supervisory Executive Committee.