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LARIA
(the Local Authorities Research & Intelligence Association) is
about supporting local researchers in the public sector.
Established in 1974, its formal remit is to promote the role and practice
of research within the field of local government and provide a supportive
network for those conducting or commissioning research. It is registered
as a Specially Authorised Society under the Friendly Societies Act 1974
(click here for the Association's Rules). Its AGM is held during the
annual conference each March or April.
Membership of LARIA is open to anyone working in research and intelligence
for a local public body, or in an allied field, or in support of local
public sector research. Among other benefits, members receive a newsletter three
times a year. As at March 2008 there were 111 full members, 486 associate
members and 442 members listed under corporate bodies’ membership,
resulting in a total membership list of 1021.
LARIA's activities include organising conferences and
seminars, producing publications and representing the local government
R&I community.
For more information about last year's activities click here.
LARIA's governing body is the LARIA Council, to which a number of Activity
Groups report. It is through the Activity Groups that most of the
business of LARIA is conducted. To facilitate its work, LARIA pays for
the part-time
services of an Administrator, an Events Organiser and a Promotion Co-ordinator.The
LARIA Council is the governing body of LARIA. It deals with issues of
strategic importance concerning the Association and oversees the work
of the various Activity Groups. It meets four times a year.
Council Composition
The Council has a maximum membership of 22, all of whom must be full
members of LARIA. It comprises:
-
Chair (elected in odd dated years)
-
Vice Chair (elected in odd dated years)
-
Treasurer (elected in even dated years)
-
Secretary (elected in even dated years)
-
Three Trustees (office held at the pleasure of the Association)
-
Chair of LARIA in Scotland (elected annually by the members of the Steering
Group)
-
Chair of Member Development Activity Group (elected annually by the members
of the Activity Group)
-
Chair of Newsletter Activity Group (elected annually by the members of
the Activity Group)
-
Chair of Events Activity Group (elected annually by the members of the
Activity Group)
-
Chair of Marketing & Promotion Activity Group (elected annually by
the members of the Activity Group)
-
Chair of ALGIS in LARIA
-
Six Elected Members (two elected in odd dated years, two in even dated
years)
-
Co-opted Members to fill any remaining places (co-opted members stand
down at the end of the Council meeting immediately following the AGM)
Contact details for the current Council
are listed on the Contacts page. Notes
- The Policy
and Administration Activity Group is chaired by the Chair of
LARIA and is therefore
represented
on
Council by
him/her.
- The Chair,
Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary must
be directly employed in
local government.
- The Chair
of LARIA in Scotland
must be employed in local
government.
- A maximum of
nine members of Council
may be employed
outside local government.
(For
this
purpose COSLA,
LGA, and IDeA
count as local
government.)
- The three trustees
serve on Council
until they resign
or a motion
for
removal is proposed
and
passed at a
general meeting.
LARIA in Scotland (LiS) has its own steering group, whose Chair sits
on the LARIA Council. It arranges workshops and other events in Scotland
and facilitates networking at a Scottish level. ALGIS (the Affiliation of Local Government Information Specialists)
affiliated to LARIA in April 2002. ALGIS in LARIA receives certain services
and benefits through its association with LARIA and its Chair is a member
of the LARIA Council. There is a separate membership system for ALGIS
in LARIA, which has its own newsletter and events programme. ALGIS in
LARIA seeks to improve the effectiveness of information specialists within
local government and to raise awareness of the potential and actual benefits
of their work.
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