Membership of the AEEYSOC comprises the following: • CEOs for school education and early childhood education and care • the Chairs of any standing committees established by the senior officials group (if not a CEO) • a representative from each of the senior officials groups supporting the Health, Community and Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Ministerial Councils. (view members).
The Secretary of MCEECDYA will be Executive Officer to AEEYSOC.
Terms of Reference
AEEYSOC was established to:
ensure ministerial priorities are implemented;
support MCEECDYA by advising on a focused agenda in which ministers can invest their time for maximum value;
identify the major strategic drivers impacting on its areas of responsibility and determine appropriate national responses and where AEEYSOC can intervene to create noticeable change;
resolve at a policy and strategy level any issues that need to be dealt with nationally that impact upon the funding, ownership and regulatory dimension of AEEYSOC members' responsibilities.
Specifically, AEEYSOC will:
provide policy advice to MCEECDYA on all matters referred to it by the Ministerial Council.
supervise and co-ordinate the work of MCEECDYA taskforces.
provide the chair of each taskforce. Secretariat support for each taskforce is to be provided by the chair's jurisdiction, or as otherwise agreed.
monitor the reporting of all taskforces to each MCEECDYA meeting.
meet in advance of and following the Ministerial Council meeting in order to:
preview some or all of the agenda items;
provide, where possible, agreed wording for the recommendations on each agenda item, for Ministers to consider;
carry out follow-up action on matters arising from the Council meeting; and
monitor specified collaborative activities across systems and sectors.
provide a forum for MCEECDYA CEOs to share information and, where appropriate, make decisions on administrative matters that do not need to go to the Ministerial Council.
manage and co-ordinate jurisdictions' funding contributions for nationally agreed projects and initiatives, through the MCEECDYA Secretariat.
oversight on behalf of the MCEECDYA Chair, the work of the MCEECDYA Secretariat and approve its budget. This includes oversight of the work of the MCEECDYA Secretary and negotiating, on an annual basis, the Secretary's performance plan. Such negotiation is to be undertaken by the AEEYSOC Chair, the CEO of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, and the Chief Executive of the Curriculum Corporation.
Any proposed changes to the terms of reference will require the endorsement of Ministers.
Chairing/Hosting
Chairing arrangements are to follow the MCEETYA chairing cycle: viz ACT 2005, Queensland 2006, Northern Territory 2007, Tasmania 2008, South Australia 2009, Commonwealth 2010, Victoria 2011, New Zealand 2012, Western Australia 2013, New South Wales 2014. As with the Ministerial Meeting Protocols, special arrangements may be required when it is New Zealand's turn to chair/host. AEEYSOC is to agree on such arrangements.
AEEYSOC meetings
The next AEEYSOC meeting will be 3 September 2009, in Adelaide. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for October (TBC) and 11 December.
Consultation
Consultation on major issues will normally occur through the appropriate taskforce. On some key issues, AEEYSOC may consult with stakeholders as necessary, usually through the MCEECDYA Secretariat.
Decision-making
AEEYSOC is not a voting body and reaching agreement should be attempted through consensus. Where unresolvable differences remain, the matter would normally be referred to the Ministerial Council for resolution.
