The BCF is recognised as the leading facilitator in the creation and dissemination of applied business knowledge for New Zealand through encouraging and supporting research, scholarship and qualification development. BCF will:

• Carry out projects in response to annual objectives.
  
  
• Share resources to enhance capability
  
  
• Foster best practice regionally, nationally and internationally
  
  
• Foster liaison on collaborative initiatives both within the ITP sector and with industry stakeholders
  
  
• Encourage research through collaborate projects to obtain funding and research outputs.
  
  
• Ensure members are informed of sector developments, and developments within their field of expertise
  
  
• Liaise with other sector groups including other ITP based forums
  
  
• Monitor trends, and raise issues and opportunities with stakeholders
  
  
• Report on activities to stakeholders
  
  
• Engage in relevant quality assurance activities
  
  
• Provide representatives for working groups as requested
  
  
• Assist in the co-ordination of the New Zealand Applied Business Education Conference

The BCF will work with:

• ITP’s providing business education
  
  
• Relevant industry and business associations such as NZIM, NZICA, etc
  
  
• The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)
  
  
• National Advisory Committee for Business Studies (NACBS)
  
  
• Business and Management Advisory Steering Group
  
  
• Other advisory bodies as appropriate including Local Advisory Committees
  
  
• ITP Quality
  
  
• Universities and other tertiary organisations.
  
  

Universities and other tertiary organisations.

The BCF terms of reference will be reviewed by the BCF every three years, or when needed, and any amendments confirmed by the BCF.

The BCF membership will collectively provide a mix of skills, experience, qualities and knowledge appropriate to business education and the needs of its stakeholders.

Members of the BCF will be ITP business education providers, as listed in Appendix 1. Each ITP will have one institutional member, herein referred to as the “institutional member”.

The term of appointment for institutional members is determined by each individual institution. There is no minimum or maximum term of appointment.

Institutional members may be represented by alternates with full voting rights.

Institutional members may bring other staff at the institutions expense. Additional staff representatives hold no voting rights

The BCF may invite additional representation from relevant industry and business associations according to need. Attendance shall be at the relevant industry and business association’s expense. Additional representatives hold no voting rights.

Membership of BCF can be expanded, when required, with the co-option of up to two members at any one time. The reasoning and term for co-opting members must be specified.

Each ITP should consider carefully the selection of their institutional member to ensure they contribute towards the objectives of BCF.

Members should have relevant skills appropriate to their representative capacity and should have institution authority to participate in the decision making of the forum.

This is based on an appropriate combination of the following:

• commitment to business education and an awareness of current education issues
  
  
• curriculum knowledge
  
  
• delivery and assessment experience
  
  
• strong communication skills
  
  
• pragmatic ability to enhance industry/provider partnership
  
  
• an awareness and commitment of Māori and Pasifika educational issues
  
  
• awareness of international/global educational trends and issues
  
  
• knowledge of strategic planning and a future focus
  
  
• knowledge and involvement with the National Qualifications Framework.

Members

Every year BCF will seek confirmation of an institutional member for the following year from individual ITP’s.
Where organisations and associations have been invited to provide representatives, BCF will annually confirm the invitation for a representative to the organisation or association.

Chairperson and deputy

BCF will appoint the chairperson and deputy chairperson from the BCF membership.
The criteria for appointment will be the ability of the chairperson/deputy to achieve outcomes consistent with its terms of reference and the ability to achieve effective working relationships within the BCF and with ITP business education providers.
The term of the appointment will be for a three (3) year term.

The chairperson/deputy chairperson:

• ensures that all members contribute at meetings and seeks decision-making by consensus
• leads meetings effectively
• sets and adheres to meeting protocols and ground rules
• liaises with BCF members in the preparation of agenda papers
• ensures that minutes properly reflect decisions.

All committee members:

• contribute positively and openly to the work of the group
• maintain regular attendance
• respond to communiqués
• are prepared and informed
• consult with and report to their institution and other related stakeholders
• provide a channel of communication for other relevant industry groups/organisations, as appropriate.

A schedule of meetings for the following year is prepared by BCF at its last meeting of the current year.
At least four meetings per year will be held.
Meetings are normally held in Wellington, except for a meeting held prior to or following the New Zealand Applied Business Education conference.

Meeting protocols

Meetings are:

• semi-formal
• interactive
• outcomes focused
• results orientated
• consensus driven
• constructive
• open and honest
• structured to achieve key actions and decisions.

A quorum for decision making is half the committee plus one, which is 10 members.
The BCF will annually establish objectives. These objectives will guide the operation of the forum over the period. Objectives will be confirmed at the last meeting of the year.
The BCF should regularly review and assess its own performance, including its success in meeting annual objectives.

BCF may establish sub-committees and short-life working groups to carry out specific tasks as required. When a working group is established, its terms of reference and its powers, duties, reporting procedures, membership and duration of office should be clearly recorded.

The BCF may be disestablished by the BCF institutional members and in consultation with their representative institution.

Where an institutional member changes, it is the responsibility of the institution to inform BCF of the change.

Where an institutional member or institution does not engage with BCF on an ongoing basis, the forum, through the chair, will in the first instance follow up with the institutional member. Where an institutional member continues to disengage, contact will be made through the Chief Executive of the institution.

On an annual basis BCF may set an institutional levy for the following year.
The purpose of the levy will be to support the operation of BCF and to enable it to achieve its annual objectives.

An ITP will be nominated to provide a holding account for the annual levy herein known as the “account holder”
BCF will confirm annually the account holder.

The account holder will invoice all BCF members for the levy by the end of March.

The account holder will provide at each BCF meeting an up-date of BCF finances.

The account holder will be responsible for preparing end of year accounts and for having these accounts audited for presentation at the first BCF meeting of the year.

Institutional members will be responsible for providing feedback to their institution on BCF activities.
BCF representatives will provide feedback to and from NACBS and NZQA as required.

Appendix 1

Note: Telford Polytechnic does not deliver Business curriculum