As of August 2023, the Chairman of the Interagency Operations Advisory Group (IOAG) is Jim Schier, who serves as the Chief Architect for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. He was elected to this position during an IOAG meeting hosted by the UK Space Agency in June 2023, succeeding Pier Bargellini of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Historically, the hosting Agency provided the meeting Chairperson. While this worked well for meetings, it created a vacuum between meetings when significant work could have been accomplished. Accordingly, it has been decided by IOAG Delegates attending the IOP-2 meeting that a Chairperson should be appointed for a term to ensure continuity between meetings.
The IOAG Chairperson will be a senior person belonging to one of the Member Agencies, involved in his agency in Operations, Communications and Navigations activities, and who is cognizant and experienced with the IOAG organization, objectives and procedures.
Term
The IOAG Chairperson shall be appointed by the Delegates at an IOAG meeting for a period of two years with an option for renewal for a third year by agreement of the Delegates and acceptance by the standing Chairperson.
Before the end of the term and well in advance of the last IOAG meeting to be chaired by the departing Chairperson, the IOAG Secretariat will issue a call for candidates so that they are known by the Heads of Delegations and a new Chairperson may be appointed at that meeting.
Such nomination and any potential renewal shall require an approval by at least 60 percent of the Full Members.
Responsibilities
The IOAG Chairperson is responsible for the smooth functioning of the IOAG. In doing so, they can delegate tasks to the IOAG Secretariat. Generally speaking, the responsibilities of the IOAG Chairperson are to:
- Elaborate an IOAG Work Plan directly derived from the resolutions of the most recent IOP meeting and that addresses the tasks and actions decided by the IOAG.
- Consult with IOAG Agencies to prepare the Agenda for IOAG meetings.
- Determine the duration of an IOAG meeting based on the Agenda.
- Ensure the completion of the Action Items defined in the Work Plan or those assigned during the meetings, in a timely manner.
- Call for inter-sessional teleconferences and/or videoconferences on more focused subjects.
- Preside over IOAG meetings.
- Tabulate the opinions of IOAG Agencies in order to reach an IOAG decision.
- Ensure that work between meetings progresses in an orderly and timely fashion.
Duties
The IOAG Chairperson has a duty to ensure that IOAG meetings progress in accordance with recognized parliamentary procedures. They shall have the authority to end or postpone discussion or debate as they deem appropriate.
Neutrality
Since the IOAG’s formation and before the present procedures became applicable, the Chairperson has always been the Head of Delegation of the Hosting agency. The IOAG Chairperson is in a unique position of being responsible for the orderly progress of business during and between meetings. Nevertheless, they have no voting right or final decision associated with this position. Therefore, it is desirable that the Chairperson has the appearance of neutrality, but may also serve as their Agency’s Head of Delegation.