This model has worked well and has been able to include representatives from the whole community of the subject, and at different levels of involvement and commitment. It has proved to be very flexible and inclusive without providing obvious threats to existing initiatives. Resourcing of the offices of senior executive staff as well as the main activities of Commissions and Working groups has been very straightforward. However, others, including members of the Executive Committee and Chairs of Commissions and Working Groups have normally had to seek additional support from within their countries/organisations.
ICA is the world authoritative body for cartography, the discipline dealing with the conception, production, dissemination and study of maps. The mission of the ICA is to promote the discipline and profession of cartography in an international context. More specifically the ICA exists:
The Association works with national and international governmental and commercial bodies and with other international scientific societies to achieve these aims.
National representation and membership of associations. Any nation which pursues a cartographic activity can be accepted as a member of the ICA provided that it agrees to participate financially in supporting the Association and in collaborating actively in its scientific and technical activities. Each nation can only be represented as a member by one single organisation which should preferably be the national society or committee for cartography. Individual persons cannot be admitted as members. The ICA can accept requests for affiliation from international, national scientific, technical or other organisations made for the purpose of collaborating in its activities, and without compromising the principle of single representation of each nation in the official functioning of the Association or affecting the methods of voting laid down by the Association.
a) For the purpose of affiliation the following categories shall apply:
(1) International Organisations: These include academic or research organisations, multi-nationally supported, that are purely scientific in character and are demonstrably devoted to the interests of the discipline of cartography to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee.
(2) National Scientific Organisations and Technical Organisations: These include academic, research or technical institutes or other scientific or technical societies, governmental or autonomous, that are users of cartographic data and are demonstrably devoted to the discipline of cartography to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee.
(3) Other Organisations: These include such organisations that are engaged in the development, production or manufacture of cartographic or allied equipment or products and are committed to supporting the interests of the discipline of cartography to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee.
b) Application for affiliation in category (a)(2) is to be submitted to the Executive Committee supported by a letter from the member nation.
c) Application for affiliation in categories (a)(1) or (a)(3) is to be submitted to the Executive Committee in writing.
Application for membership shall be made by letter to the Secretary General and Treasurer and may be approved by the Executive Committee subject to ratification at the next General Assembly of Delegates.
The General Assembly of Delegates will normally meet every 4 years. The time and place of the next meeting will be decided upon at the previous General Assembly, or, if this is impractical by the Executive Committee. In special circumstances, with the agreement of the Executive Committee, the President has the right to call an extraordinary General Assembly. He is also obliged to do so, if one third of the member nations demand it. As a rule, the General Assemblies will be held in conjunction with a Conference. Conferences may be called by the Executive Committee independently of the regular General Assemblies of Delegates, but preferably they should, if possible, be co-ordinated with them in time and place. The General Assembly of Delegates entrusts to one of the national members the organisation of a Conference. The host nation shall decide the programme subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee can admit as observers to conferences various individuals endorsed by member nations. Special meetings, called 'symposia', may be organised. These shall consist of a small number of qualified research-specialists who are to be recommended or invited by the members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee decides in each case on the time, place and working programme of such symposia. The President of the Association is entitled to invite to Conferences or symposia suitable additional persons, as observers or guests, including persons who are not from a member nation of the ICA.
The Executive Committee of the Association consists of the following members :
(a) the President of the Association, who presides over all regular and extraordinary General Assemblies, the meetings of the Executive Committee, and Conferences, and other activities of the Association
(b) a Past President who shall serve for one term following the term of president. (The office of Past President may remain vacant.)
(c) five to seven Vice-Presidents, the exact number to be decided at the General Assembly of Delegates. They assist and substitute for the President in the performance of his or her different tasks. In case of inability to function, the President may delegate to a Vice-President the authority to perform presidential duties. If the President is unable to do this, or cannot preside over a meeting of the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee may elect an Acting President
(d) a Secretary General and Treasurer, who is responsible for the administration and the general running of the Association.
No member nation may have more than one representative on the Executive Committee.
The President, the Vice-Presidents and the Secretary General and Treasurer shall be elected by the General Assembly of Delegates and shall hold office until the end of the following General Assembly. They can be re-elected, but with the following restrictions:
the President may not serve for more than two consecutive terms; neither the Vice-Presidents nor the Secretary General and Treasurer shall serve more than two terms.
In the event of a vacancy arising in the Executive Committee in the period between two General Assemblies of Delegates, the Executive Committee, after consultation with the national member organisation, will appoint a replacement from the same nation as the replaced member to serve until the next General Assembly of Delegates at which the Executive Committee is elected. If a vacancy arises in the Presidency, an Acting President will be elected by the Executive Committee. The Secretary General and Treasurer shall organise the election as soon as possible following the vacancy.
A secretariat may be installed, either at the meeting place of the General Assembly of Delegates or at the domicile of the President or of the Secretary General and Treasurer.
Such a secretariat may have paid employees, whose salaries are to be determined by the Secretary General and Treasurer with the approval of the Executive Committee.
The General Assembly of Delegates or, if this is impossible in the interval between two Assemblies, the Executive Committee, may establish commissions for the execution or examination of important cartographic tasks. Two kinds of commissions are authorized, Standing Commissions and Commissions. A Standing Commission is concerned with a subject of continuing general interest to the Association and will remain in existence until dissolved by a majority vote at a General Assembly of Delegates. A Commission undertakes specific tasks of interest to the Association. The tenure of office of a Commission should be limited to the period between two General Assemblies, but by a vote at a General Assembly of Delegates it may be extended for another period if it is necessary for the completion of tasks already undertaken. A commission consists of a chairperson, who is to be elected at each General Assembly, and of a number of other members selected by its chairperson. If desirable a small number of corresponding members may also be selected. In the event of a vacancy in the chair of a commission occurring between General Assemblies, a new chairperson shall be appointed by the Executive Committee having regard to the recommendations of the members of the commission. The commissions are required to present reports of their work to each General Assembly of Delegates. With the approval of the Executive Committee, a commission may allocate a part of its work to a national institution, official or private, and to individual persons.
Informal Working Groups for the purpose of formulating proposals for new commissions may be formed by interested individuals or at the request of the Executive Committee. The General Assembly of Delegates may authorize participation by the Association in formal joint Working Groups with other international organisations.
Primarily from member nations and affiliates, but additional funds are acquired through the sale of ICA publications.
For the period 1995-99: $204 000 subdivided as follows : President/Secretary General - offices, $40 000; travel, $37 000; Commissions/Working Groups, $35 000; Other - including publications, promotion/solidarity and special purpose funds, seminars and conferences - $92 000.
Although there is no formal business plan, each Commission/Working Group prepares terms of reference (which must be approved by the General Assembly) within which aims and objectives for the 4-year period are set. During the mid-term technical conference, a special Workshop is convened at which Chairs of these sections report on the progress of their activities to their colleagues and to the Executive Committee. In addition, each Vice-President acts as a liaison to 2 Commissions/Working Groups, monitoring their progress between conferences and receiving reports which are then presented at Executive Committee Meetings.
Founded almost 40 years ago, the ICA began with high quality, long-term policies, with realistic statutes, a sound economic base and with a strong belief in Cartography as an instrument for international co-operation and understanding.*
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Does ICA meet 'Best Structure' on issues of representation? |
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Inclusivity |
Yes |
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Equality |
Yes |
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Geographic coverage |
Potentially |
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Sectoral coverage |
Potentially |
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Organisational |
In theory |
| ICA structure - meeting the Principles? | |
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Include all stakeholders |
yes |
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Add value |
yes |
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Build on, facilitate, support initiatives. |
yes |
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Command respect and authority. |
possibly |
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Support sustainable development |
in some cases |
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Flexible, adaptable to change |
yes |
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Command support and finance. |
not strongly |
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Facilitate new initiatives…. |
yes |
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Simple, transparent, democratic |
yes |
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Enhance democratic decision-making |
yes |
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Engender partnerships |
possibly |
There are probably more strengths than weaknesses in the ICA/professional model as applied. It was launched on a vision of the future in which the subject was seen to have great potential. Although the field of Geographical Information Science has expanded enormously since 1960 - and in many ways has gone beyond mapping - the power of (new/digital) maps and their place within GI Science/Geomatics has not diminished. It may be that the idea of GSDI is a similar if not much greater vision and that its attractiveness will grow as examples of its usefulness increase. ICA’s mission and aims have clear scientific basis but the ‘grander’ idea of maps and mapping has led to the whole breadth of the subject being exploited, from Maps and Children to Planetary Cartography. The subject, perhaps like the concept of GSDI, inspires enthusiastic (often entirely voluntary) involvement from leading government personnel to teachers in local specialist schools. The major weakness of the model is funding. Good accounting and monitoring of resources has allowed ICA to succeed, but the restrictions of limited funds are relevant, and the Association has depended heavily on the contributions and activities of particular countries.