Policy Council - Terms of Reference
The key objectives and functions of the COTA SA Policy Council are as follow:
Objectives
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Identify issues for COTA SA policy focus (state and national).
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Prioritise and research issues and proposed policy and program responses.
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Determine COTA SA policies based on members’ input, research and dialogue, and in accordance with the Mission and Goals, and agreed policy principles.
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Represent and advocate COTA SA policy, and provide leadership and expertise on ageing issues, to decision makers and centres of influence, and to the community generally.
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Determine main strategies for developing and advancing COTA SA policy agendas.
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Exert influence on governments, media and other decision makers in order to advance COTA SA policies and objectives.
Functions
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Provide channels for individual members to contribute to identification of issues and development of policy through membership, and direct communication.
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Provide channels for members of seniors’ organisations which are members of COTA SA to contribute to issue identification and contribution to policy development from their constituencies.
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Initiate and support research on member, constituency and community issues relevant to the COTA SA mission, including both short term and reactive work, and longer term proactive research.
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Auspice ongoing consultative forums of seniors, policy makers and other stakeholders, for the discussion of issues, developments and policy.
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Commission policy staff to develop policy proposals and priorities for consideration and decision by the Policy Council, which shall determine COTA SA public policies.
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Support the representation of COTA SA policies to Governments, political parties, public services, the media, other sectors of the community and the public in general.
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Support liaison with politicians, public servants, representative bodies of other sectors, academic and research institutions and other appropriate and relevant bodies.
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Maintain a range of policy and public affairs publications to assist in achieving the preceding objectives.
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Run forums at State level to highlight COTA SA priorities and provide opportunity for engaging members, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
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Contribute to the development and maintenance of information technology and knowledge management infrastructure to support the policy, research, advocacy and information leadership roles of COTA SA.
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Initiate and manage, with policy staff, appropriate innovative research and policy development projects in line with COTA SA goals and current priorities.
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Develop and sustain channels for liaison and dialogue with individual and organisational members about policy development, public affairs activities and strategies of COTA SA.