Roles and Responsibilities

 

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The IOAG shall maintain a Secretariat to assist the Chairman in the orderly functioning of the IOAG. The Chairman may delegate as many of his duties and obligations as he wishes to the IOAG Secretariat.

Since the IOAG’s formation, NASA has provided the IOAG Secretariat. The term of the Secretariat shall be indefinite; however, at any time during a regular IOAG meeting the IOAG Members can choose to move the Secretariat function to a different Agency, provided that Agency is a Full Member of the IOAG.

The IOAG Secretariat is responsible for assisting the Chairman in the operation of the IOAG. In particular, the IOAG Secretariat will:

• Schedule and prepare the organization of the meetings and inter-sessional teleconferences and/or videoconferences, in support of the Chairman and the Hosting Member.
• Prepare the Minutes of IOAG meetings.
• Prepare and/or maintain such other documentation that the IOAG generates.
• Circulate the Draft Minutes to IOAG Heads of Delegations for review, revision, and concurrence.
• Oversee the IOAG website and its operation, including public and secure areas.
• Organize electronic balloting in between meetings, as required.
• Provide communications to the IOAG Members, the IOP and the IOAG liaisons.
• Undertake such ad hoc tasks as the Chairman shall delegate.
• Maintain the IOAG Mission Model by requesting periodic updates from IOAG Members and providing the updated Mission Model on the IOAG website.
• Maintain the IOAG Communications Asset summary by requesting periodic updates from IOAG Members and providing the updated summary on the IOAG website.
• Maintain the IOAG Standards Infusion by requesting periodic updates from IOAG Members and providing the updated Standards Infusion on the IOAG website.
• Maintain the IOAG Terms of Reference, Procedures Manual, and Work Plan.

In addition to assisting the Chairman with the day-to-day operation of the IOAG, the IOAG Secretariat shall serve as an advisor to the Chairman and to the IOAG at large. It is the duty of the Secretariat to be thoroughly familiar with the procedures outlined in this document and to advise the IOAG as to the correct procedures to follow in all situations. It is the responsibility of the IOAG Secretariat to provide continuity during and between meetings.

When acting as the IOAG Secretariat, the IOAG Secretariat does not serve any Agency or espouse any position relative to the positions taken by an Agency, the IOAG, or the IOP.

Agencies attending Inter-Operability Plenary (IOP) Meeting shall be Charter Members of the IOAG or participate by invitation only. With particularity, the following international space agencies are members:

• Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
• Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
• Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
• European Space Agency (ESA)
• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Representatives shall review and discuss high-level space communications matters, evaluate the current state of, and establish priorities for, achieving interoperability, review progress on action items, and take such further actions as they deem necessary to achieve full inter-agency interoperability.

In the event that other matters arise on which agreement among IOAG representatives cannot be reached, or which involve agency policies at a level which the representatives to the IOAG have not the authority to deal, then such matters shall be referred to the Heads of Delegation to the most recent IOP Meeting, or their currently designated alternate, for decision. The Heads of Delegation will be invited to schedule a subsequent IOP, at their pleasure, to effect such decisions.

• China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  
• Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
• Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA)
• United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA)

(View the complete IOAG Terms of Reference)