5 Essentials for Meetings• Planning – clear objectives, writing agenda, key

personnel invited• Pre-notification – time & location of meeting & agenda

published • Preparation – actions agreed at last meeting

completed on time, identify important items to add to agenda

• Processing – effective chairing of the meeting• Putting it on record – minutes to record who was there,

progress on actions previously agreed, conclusion of discussions, new actions agreed

Chelsom, Payne and Reavill “Management for Engineers, Scientists and Technologists”, 2nd edition, 2004, Wiley section 10.4 and 11.6.

First Meeting Agenda• Introduce to group members• Elect a group leader (if group decides that is appropriate)• Decide rotation for who will chair meetings and who will

write the meeting minutes • Identify any no shows and allocate actions to try to make

contact if necessary• Collect contact details (email, mobile phone etc)• Agree date, time & location of next meeting and schedule

of later meetings• Initial discussions on project brief• Allocate actions for next meeting• Any other business (AOB)

Chairperson’s Role• Ensure everyone makes a contribution• Ensure no one dominates discussions, including yourself!• Ensure discussions stick to the agenda & meeting

objectives• Check progress on actions agreed at any previous

meeting• Allocate responsibility for any new actions agreed• Summarise discussions to check for understanding &

agreement• Try to remain objective & independent of any sub-group

Objectives of Secretary• Keep an accurate record of meetings• Summarise conclusions reached

– Not a ‘word-for-word’ record of dialogue!– Try to calm disputes with a balanced account of

contentious issues

• Ensure actions clearly identified to one or more people with a deadline

• Publish minutes promptly to ensure actions are publicised

Key Items for Meeting Minutes• Those present – record names of those present• Apologies – record names of those absent, with reasons if

known• Matters arising from previous minutes – progress on

any actions recorded at previous meetings should be reviewed & recorded

• Agenda items – record conclusions from items, any actions agreed with name of person responsible & deadline

• Any other business (AOB) – chance for members to raise new issues at the meeting not on the agenda

• Date & location of next meeting

Peer Assessment & Minutes

Remember meeting minutes are an essential source of evidence to:

• Generate an audit trail of ‘what was done’ and ‘by who’.

• Enable later groups to trace important events if project is ongoing.