TYPES OF COMMITTEES

 Organisations appoint small groups and entrust them with specific tasks to be completed within a stipulated time known as committees. Literally, the word ‘committee’ means those members to whom some matter is ‘committed’. A committee is a body of persons elected or appointed to meet on an organised basis for the discussion of matters brought before it. A committee is more or less a formal body, often with a definite structure. It meets to do a specific job, such as making plans or budgets, taking policy decisions or only making suggestions and recommendations.

There are several types of committees:

1)    Standing or Permanent Committee- Standing committee is also called as a permanent committee. It is permanent in nature. Standing committee is formed for a specific purpose through the rules, by laws or regulations of an organisation. The committee gives all types of advice and recommendations to the board. Usually, a standing committee has high powers and can implement its decisions. Example of standing committee is Finance Committee.

2)  Ad-hoc or Temporary Committee- The word ‘Ad-hoc’ has a Latin origin which means ‘for a specific purpose’. Ad-hoc committee is temporary in nature. It is formed for specific tasks or for dealing with specific situation. One the ad-hoc committee has completed its task and submitted its report, it is then dissolved. For example a committee formed to conduct a conference. One the conference is over, it gets dissolved.

3)   Formal Committee- Formal committee is usually a permanent committee in an organisation. It has certain duties and responsibilities. For example Finance Committee, Discipline Committee.

4)     Informal Committee- Informal committee is formed merely for the purpose of collective thinking. It has no fixed agenda, no formal authority. Its recommendations are not a formal decision; they are given more in the way of advice. Such committee can meet over a cup of tea and discuss some problems and issues.

5)    Executive Committee- Executive committee is a committee that is composed of people occupying top positions in a company who have the authorities to administer the everyday and routine affairs of the company. Executive committee is chiefly composed of senior management staff and just like any other committee in a business enterprise, the executive committee is given the permission to carry out special assignments or tasks.

6)    Advisory Committee- Advisory committee may be standing or ad-hoc. It consists of senior people or experts in the required group. An advisory committee has no say in decision making and also in the execution of the decisions. Its sole function is to give advice. For example College Advisory Committee.

7)    Sub-committee- A sub-committee as the name implies, is basically a supplementary committee. This means that it is connected with a larger committee that is more powerful and important than it. A sub-committee is said to be a child of a parent committee. A large committee can appoint one or more of its members to form another committee under it in the name of a sub-committee. The large committee under which the sub-committee is formed is the parent committee.

8)   Coordinating or Joint Committee- This is a type of committee that acts like a link between two committees and joins or coordinates their actions together. Such a committee would normally be composed of representatives from the other committees whose activities it is coordinating.