Statutes
Preamble
The Slovak Governance Institute (SGI) is an independent, non-governmental non-profit organization. Activities of the people associated by the SGI follow from the conviction that funds being effectively utilized form a basis for high-quality and transparent services for citizens. The allocation of funds requires a thorough analysis of the background and impacts of the proposed measures on citizens and persons living in the territory of the Slovak Republic as well as the whole society. It is therefore an ambition of the SGI to bring well-established foreign good governance models as well as to provide new, innovative solutions that shall increase the quality of the decision-making process. The SGI´s work is also based on cooperation with experts and public administration and self-government employees. By providing information to a wide public through media, the SGI is inciting discussions on important society-wide issues.
Article I
Basic Provisions
Association´s name:
English: Slovak Governance Institute; in short: SGI
Slovak: Inštitút pre dobre spravovanú spoločnosť; in short: SGI
Association´s seat: Gajova 4, 811 09 Bratislava
Article II
Association´s Goal and Object
1. The goal of the SGI is to bring and support solutions to increase the quality of the process of the allocation of public funds, providing for accessible, transparent, and effective public services for citizens of the SR and persons living in the territory of the SR as well as in other countries
2. In order to achieve its goal, the SGI performs its main activities, including, without limitation:
2.1. implements research and research projects and prepares recommendations for the allocation of funds for public services and recommendations for the creation of a public policy, especially in the areas of education, social security system, research and development, social inclusion, employment, public administration, cultural policy, regional policy, macroeconomic policy, health service, migration and integration policy, environmental policy and other public policies;
2.2. based on an analysis of foreign solutions and recommendations, it proposes is own solutions for an improvement of public services in terms of the quality, accessibility, transparency, integrity and effectiveness, as well as the best possible utilization of funds being spent for the provision thereof;
2.3. provides reports, positions, and statements to topical issues;
2.4. organizes educational programs and other forms of edifying activities for the public, experts and public administration and self-government employees;
2.5. supports discussions and creation of a space for discussions on public services and public funds;
2.6. provides advisory in the areas stated in Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.5;
2.7. implements international projects in the areas stated in Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.5
2.8. organizes workshops, seminars, conferences, and creative meetings for knowledge exchange and creative confrontation between domestic and foreign public service experts, the public and public sector, non-profit sector, and business sector employees;
2.9. cooperates with other entities of the same value orientation.
Article III
Bodies of the Association and Manner of the Appointment thereof
1. The SGI´s bodies are as follows:
1.1 General Meeting of SGI Members
1.2 Board of Directors of the SGI
1.3 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SGI
1.4 SGI Director
1.5 SGI Auditor
1.1 General Meeting of SGI Members
The General Meeting of SGI Members is the supreme body. It is formed by all Association members. The General Meeting is convened by the SGI Director as required, however, no less than once a year or upon a request of at least half of the Association members. The General Meeting has a quorum, if a least two thirds of all members are present. The General Meetings makes its decisions by the absolute majority of the members present, unless provided for hereby otherwise. Powers of the General Meeting include the following: adopt and amend the Association´s Statutes, elect and recall members of the Board of Directors, elect and recall the SGI Director for a four-year term, and approve remuneration for its activity, make decisions on the acceptance of other members of the Association and decide upon a termination of the membership, elect and recall the SGI auditor upon a proposal of the SGI Director, nominate a candidate for the office of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SGI, together with the Board of Directors of the SGI, approve the plan of activity and draft budget as well as all subsequent proposals to change the budget exceeding 30% of the original budget for the next year submitted by the SGI Director, provide, together with the Board of Directors of the SGI, statements to a report on management submitted by the SGI Director, provide statements to a report on personnel policy of the SGI submitted by the SGI Director, decide upon a merger with another association or voluntary dissolution of the Association and appoint a liquidator, make decisions on matters of strategic importance, such as strategic goals, organization´s direction, and activity priorities, etc.
1.2 Board of Directors of the SGI
The SGI´s Board of Directors is formed by personalities from the economic and social life elected by the General Meeting. Members of the Board of Directors are nominated by members of the Civil Association. The Board of Directors has a quorum, if at least the absolute majority of all its members is present. The Board of Directors makes its decisions by the absolute majority of its members present, unless otherwise provided for hereby. The Board of Directors is convened by its Chairman, SGI Director, or absolute majority of all its members, specifically, no less than once a year. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SGI is elected by its members upon a proposal of at least one member of the General Meeting or of the Board of Directors of the SGI. Powers of the Board of Directors of the SGI include the following: approve, together with the SGI´s General Meeting, the plan of activity and draft budget, as well as all subsequent proposals to change the budget exceeding 30% of the original budget for the next year submitted by the SGI Director, provide, together with the SGI´s General Meeting, statements to the report on management submitted by the SGI Director, monitor results of the Association´s work, advise in directing further activities, provide recommendations for funding possibilities. The Board of Directors is entitled to be informed about the SGI´s personnel policy.
1.3 SGI Director
The SGI Director is a managing and statutory representative of the SGI, managing activities during the period between particular sessions of the SGI´s General Meeting and representing the SGI in legal relationships. It is entitled to authorise other persons to represent the SGI in legal relationships. Powers of the SGI Director include the following: determine salaries of SGI employees, approve and sign financial operations in accordance with applicable legal regulations, convene the SGI´s General Meeting and SGI´s Board of Directors no less than once a year, propose the appointment or recall of the SGI auditor. The SGI Director is liable for the management of economic matters of the Association, SGI´s accounting, SGI´s asset management, draft budget, and execution of annual closing of books. It is entitled to authorize other persons to perform tasks related to the Association´s management as well as to execute financial operations in accordance with applicable legal regulations. The SGI Directors submits a report on management and report on personnel policy of the SGI to the SGI´s General Meeting and SGI´s Board of Directors and at the same time submits a plan of activity for the next year and draft budget for the next calendar year as well as all subsequent proposals to change the budget to the SGI´s General Meeting and SGI´s Board of Directors.
1.4 SGI Auditor
The SGI auditor is an auditing body of the SGI. It is elected and recalled by the SGI´s General Meeting upon a proposal of the SGI Director for a four-year term. The SGI auditor´s powers include the following: supervise over the compliance with the Statutes and decisions of the Association´s bodies and care for the compliance between decisions of the Association´s bodies and Statutes, supervise over the management of funds and other assets of the Association, file a report on results of the exercised controls and on its activities to the SGI´s Board of Directors no less than once a year.
1.5 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SGI
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SGI is an honorary office. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SGI convenes its sessions no less than once a year and presides over them. It is elected and recalled by members of the SGI´s Board of Directors upon a proposal of at least one member of the SGI´s General Meeting or SGI´s Board of Directors.
Article IV
Membership Requirements, Rights and Obligations of Members
1. Natural persons and legal persons can become SGI members, provided that they fulfil the below-stated requirements and the General Meeting approves their SGI membership, while a member being a natural person votes in a session of the General Meeting in person and a member being a legal person disposes of its voting right through its proxy.
2. The applicant shall be obliged to file its application for membership in writing, while stating all data required for a due review thereof. Prerequisites of the application shall be determined by the SGI Director. Any application containing the required prerequisites shall be decided by the SGI´s General Meeting at its next session. The voting result of the General Meeting shall be notified by the SGI Director to the membership applicant in writing. If approved, the applicant shall become a SGI member commencing from the day following the day when the General Meeting decided on its membership.
3. The membership shall cease to exist: upon a written representation of the member of a termination of its membership sent to the SGI Director, specifically, on the day following the day when the notice was delivered to the SGI Director, exclusion of the member by the SGI´s General Meeting, if it acts in conflict with SGI´s goals and activity principles or repeatedly fails to comply with decisions of the SGI´s bodies; upon a death of a member or termination of the Association.
4. Rights and Obligations of the Members
SGI members shall be entitled to: participate in the SGI´s activity, elect and be elected for SGI bodies (unless provided for hereby otherwise), while each member shall have one vote; file proposals and recommendations to all SGI bodies, be informed about SGI´s activities and plans.
SGI members shall be obliged to follow the Statutes, execute resolutions of the SGI bodies, and thereby contribute to the achievement of the SGI´s goals.
Article V
SGI´s Management Principles
1. Funds of the Association are formed by voluntary financial or other resources in the form of contributions, grants, and donations from legal persons and natural persons, pay-offs from special purpose activities and public collections, interest on funds in financial institutes and revenues from its own activities. The Association´s management is non-profit.
2. Decisions in the area of management as well as the adoption of new obligations shall be executed by the SGI Director, unless provided for hereby otherwise. Measures shall be ensured by other bodies of the SGI as per their competences.
3. Funds of the Association shall have to be spent in accordance with goals of the SGI.
Article VI
Termination of the Association´s Existence
1. The Association's existence shall terminate upon a merger thereof with another association or upon voluntary dissolution. The SGI´s termination shall be subject to consent of at least two thirds of all members of the Association. The General Meeting shall appoint a liquidator.
2. In case of a termination of the Association´s existence, the liquidator shall perform property settlement and provide for the payment of the Association´s obligations from the SGI´s assets. Any use of the Association´s property remaining upon a settlement of all obligations shall be decided by the SGI´s General Meeting by the absolute majority of all its members upon a proposal of the liquidator. In case of liquidation, the property may be provided only to an organization with non-profit management.
Article VII
Others
1. Any change in the Statutes shall be subject to the consent of two thirds of all SGI members.
2. The Statutes shall become effective on the day of the approval hereof.
