WAPOR SSA CONSTITUTION
World Association for Public Opinion Research: Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) Chapter Constitution Came into effect on August 18th, 2022, following the approval of WAPOR CouncilArticle 1 - Name
The name of the Association shall be the World Association for Public Opinion Research: Sub Saharan Africa Chapter (hereinafter referred to as “WAPOR SSA” or “the Association”).
Article 2 - Purposes and Functions
2.1 In line with the World Association for Public Opinion Research (hereinafter referred to as “WAPOR”), the aims and objectives of WAPOR SSA are:
a) to promote in each country or region in Sub Saharan Africa the right to conduct and publish scientific research on what the people and its groups think and how this thinking is influenced by various factors.
b) to promote the knowledge and application of scientific methods in this objective.
c) to assist and promote the development and publication of public opinion research in Sub Saharan Africa.
d) to promote worldwide the publication of public opinion research in Sub Saharan Africa.
e) to promote international cooperation and exchange among academic and commercial researchers, journalists/media, political actors, students with interest in polling/politics as well as between the representatives of the different scientific disciplines.
f) to be the voice of public opinion research in Sub Saharan Africa.
2.2 Activities of WAPOR SSA include but not limited to the following:
a) Organizing and sponsoring meetings and publications,
b) Organizing and sponsoring meetings and publications,
c) Encouraging high professional standards,
d) Promoting improved research techniques,
e) Collaborating with journalists about the appropriate forms of publishing poll results,
f) Observing and commenting on the democratic process and use of polls in elections from a scientific perspective,
g) Promoting personnel training,
h) Promote international cooperation and exchange among academic, other professional associations, commercial researchers, journalists and political actors, as well as between the representatives of the different scientific disciplines and agencies,
i) Coordinating international polls, and maintaining close relations with other research agencies; such agencies include, but are not limited to: Afrobarometer, African Market Research Association (AMRA), Pan African Media Research Association ( PAMRO), American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), the World Association of Research Professionals (ESOMAR), other international and regional professional research associations, as well as the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), other United Nations agencies, and private international organizations.
Article 3 - Membership
3.1 Membership in the Association shall be as individual persons, not as representatives of organizations, nations, or other groups.
3.2 Membership shall be open to all persons who have an interest in the conduct, use, or teaching of scientific opinion and attitude surveys, social science research, media or communications research, market research, or related activities in Sub Saharan Africa and who subscribe to and follow the WAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practices. Only individual members in good standing shall have the right to vote and hold office in WAPOR SSA.
3.3Membership in WAPOR SSA shall not be denied on the basis of ethnicity and/or race, sex, age, religion, nationality, or political affiliation.
3.4 Dues shall be fixed by the WAPOR SSA Council in collaboration with the WAPOR Council. They shall be payable on or after January 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, upon notification by the WAPOR Office, in a manner to be determined by the WAPOR Council in collaboration with the WAPOR SSA Council. Members whose dues are not paid by February 1st of each year shall be deemed not in good standing and ineligible to vote or to hold office. The WAPOR Office shall notify all members in arrears on January 31st that dues must be paid within 30 days, or they will be dropped from the rolls. Pro-forma invoices for membership dues will be sent to all members by November 30th ahead of new year membership renewals. The Secretary-Treasurer of WAPOR SSA shall be responsible for monitoring this operation.
Article 4 - Council, Executive Committee, Secretariat
4.1 WAPOR SSA shall have a Council and an Executive Committee. The Council shall consist of four Executive Committee Members - President, Past President, Vice-President and President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer – and Regional Representatives (one each from West, East, Central and Southern Africa) appointed by the Executive Committee among full members to represent each region of WAPOR SSA. Officers in the WAPOR SSA Chapter must be paid-up members of WAPOR.
4.2 The Council, by majority vote of all its members, shall conduct the business and care for the general interests of the Association. It shall meet at least twice a year in connection with the annual conference and other regional activities. The President shall invite the Council with a preliminary agenda at least four weeks before the meeting. In between the council meetings, the Executive Committee will conduct the business and care for the general interests of the Association.
4.3 The Executive Committee will meet as often as it deems necessary, but at least once a year. The President shall decide if the Executive Committee or the Council will deal with respective matters, and the Executive Committee may decide, by majority vote, to submit matters to the full Council. The President must send the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings to Council members in a timely manner. The Council and the Executive Committee can make decisions between meetings via mail, phone, fax, or email or other electronic means of communication. Decisions by the Council and by the Executive Committee require a majority of their respective members.
4.4 Council may act on all routine matters on its own authority but is at all times responsible to the membership for its actions, any of which may be revoked by a majority decision of the members in a general referendum instituted after the written appeal of any ten members, provided that at least 25% of members participate in the referendum.
4.5 All Regional Representatives shall be appointed as Council Members by the Executive Committee for a period of two years. Retiring Regional Representatives shall be eligible for re-appointment.
4.6 The President shall be responsible for fulfilling the purposes of WAPOR SSA as its chief representative. S/He shall preside at Council, Executive Committee, and the Business Meeting, and serve as the official representative of WAPOR SSA in its relations with other organizations and the public. S/He shall report from time to time to the membership about his or her activities and the activities of the Council and the Executive Committee during the year.
4.7 The Vice President and President-Elect shall act as the President’s deputy. S/He shall automatically become President the following term. S/He shall take over the Presidency if the office becomes vacant.
4.8The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for administering the funds of WAPOR SSA, and for performing such other duties as the Council may prescribe. S/He shall prepare and distribute to all members a report at each Council and Business Meeting and shall submit an annual report to the membership covering his or her activities for the year and the financial situation of WAPOR SSA at the end of the fiscal year. The Secretary-Treasurer of WAPOR SSA shares regular financial reports with the Secretary-Treasurer of WAPOR.
4.9 The President may create, with the advice and consent of the Council, such Special Committees as s/he deems necessary to carry out the purposes and operations of WAPOR SSA, such as public relations, personnel training and exchange, international polls, research development, and task forces on the conduct and use of polls in elections. Each Special Committee shall consist of a Chair, appointed by the President and approved by Council, and up to six full members, selected by the Chair. It shall serve a limited term of no more than two years. The Chairs of the Special Committees can attend Council meetings but have no voting right unless they are themselves Council Members.
4.10 A secretariat (hereinafter referred to as the “WAPOR SSA Secretariat” or “the Secretariat”) shall be established and shall be located in Nairobi, Kenya as would be ratified during the first Council Meeting. The location of the Secretariat is, however, independent of either the country or place of incorporation of WAPOR SSA. The Secretariat shall be responsible, by delegation from the Council, for the administration of the day-to-day affairs of WAPOR SSA as the Council may prescribe.
4.11 The Secretariat shall be placed under the direction of a General Secretary appointed by the Council and assisted by such supporting staff as may be deemed necessary. The General Secretary shall, in cooperation with person(s) authorized by the WAPOR Council, make sure that the membership records are maintained properly and support WAPOR SSA’s archives, assist with the administration of WAPOR SSA, and conduct routine correspondence. A member of the Council may simultaneously serve as General Secretary.
4.12 The term of office for all Council and Committee members shall be two years. The Vice President, President-Elect and the Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected in odd-numbered years. The Vice President, upon completion of a two-year term, will automatically become President for a two-year term, after which s/he will serve for two years as Past President. Terms start on January 1.
4.13 No one may hold more than one elective office at one time. Should any person be elected to two or more offices at the same time, s/he must resign from all but one.
4.14 Council and Committee members shall be chosen in such a way that, as much as possible, all geographical sections and other interests among the membership shall have fair and equitable representation. Specifically, the President and the Vice President and President-Elect should not be residents of the same country.
4.15 All vacancies, except the Presidency, occurring between elections shall be appointed by the President, giving first consideration to the next highest-ranking candidates at the time of election. At the next regular election, a candidate shall be elected to fill each unexpired or regular term.
4.16 Notwithstanding what is mentioned herein before, the Association shall have an Inaugural Caretaker Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer to be appointed by the Founding Members after the ratification of WAPOR SSA and will serve till the end of 2023. In the course of 2023, the first substantive election shall be held. During the substantive elections, the President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer will be elected to serve for the period of two years in 2024-2025, while the President of the Inaugural Caretaker Executive Committee shall not participate in that election but will become the Past President for 2024-25. During subsequent elections starting from 2025, the Vice-President shall automatically become the President and the President shall automatically become Past President, unless otherwise resolved by members. Subsequent elections shall be held once every two years.
Article 5 - Voting and Conduct of Business
5.1 Decisions by Membership, Council, Executive Committee, and Committees shall be by a majority of votes. In order to give all members equal voice in WAPOR SSA, regardless of their geographical location or ability to attend meetings, voting on all elections and matters of basic policy may be carried out by email, mail, or other electronic means of communication. Questions raised by two or more Council members as matter of basic policy and supported by any ten full members in good standing must be referred to a vote by the full membership. In case of a tie in the full membership vote, the Council shall cast the deciding vote on the side favored by a majority of Council members.
5.2 All membership referenda, including elections and other questions, shall be conducted by the General Secretary upon written request from the Electoral Committee. The Electoral Committee and the General Secretary shall conduct the election in a manner that allows for a maximum participation of members and protection of privacy, following whatever guidelines are issued by the Council.
5.3 The Electoral Committee shall be headed ex officio by the Past President, who shall chair the committee. In the absence of a Past President for the first mandate, the Electoral Committee shall be chaired by WAPOR’s Liaison Chair. The Electoral Committee will consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of five members appointed by the Committee Chair. The committee composition shall reflect the breadth and diversity of WAPOR SSA membership. Members of the Electoral Committee are not eligible for nomination by said committee and should not be involved in initiating proposals submitted to the members by referendum.
5.4 For the annual election of Executive Committee members, a call for nominations must be sent out to all full members no later than August 1st in a separate mailing (mail, fax, email or other electronic means of communication). Giving first consideration to the suggestions by membership and taking into account the eligibility, availability, and qualifications of the candidates suggested and the necessary geographical distribution, the Electoral Committee shall prepare a slate of nominations, presenting two or more candidates for each office. Before 2025, these nominations shall include all qualified nominees with 10 or more votes on the nomination canvas. On and after 2025, these nominations shall include all qualified nominees with 20 or more votes. These nominations shall be submitted to the regular membership for vote by mail (regular mail, fax, or email) no later than November 1. The Electoral Committee and the General Secretary will take provisions to ensure that voters can be identified as members in good standing but that the anonymity of their vote is protected. Votes received no later than December 1 will be valid. The Chair of the Electoral Committee will immediately inform the candidates (winners and losers) and the Council. The announcement has to take place before December 15. The winner will be announced on the WAPOR SSA homepage and via email. Notwithstanding what is mentioned here, the Association shall have an Inaugural Caretaker Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer to be appointed by the founding members after the ratification of WAPOR SSA and will serve till the end of 2023.
5.5 A Business Meeting shall be held at least once every year to discuss business or professional matters. The place and time of such a Business Meeting should coincide with the WAPOR SSA annual conference, virtual attendance is possible upon request. The purpose of the Business Meeting is to keep members updated on current affairs of WAPOR SSA, to present reports by officers, and to give the attending members a chance to discuss matters they deem important. No binding votes will be taken at the Business Meeting.
Article 6 - Treasury
6.1 The financial year of WAPOR SSA shall coincide with the financial year of WAPOR.
6.2 The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit to the Council an annual report that includes the balance of WAPOR SSA’s financial situation and an estimated budget for the coming year, in conjunction with Secretary General.
6.3 The expenditure of funds from WAPOR SSA’s Treasury to meet routine expenses, such as clerical costs, stationery, postage, and other budget commitments, shall be made by Secretary General in conjunction with Secretary-Treasurer. All other financial commitments must be considered matters of basic policy and submitted to the Council. The Council shall decide which of these matters must be subject to approval by the full membership.
Article 7. Language.
7.1The official languages of WAPOR SSA shall be English, French, Swahili, Portuguese and Arabic. The Executive Committee decides upon the working language or languages to be used at each international meeting.
Article 8 - Amendments
8.1 Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by actions of the WAPOR SSA Council, or petition of any ten members. Amendments may be made by the vote of a majority of all members who participate in a referendum by email, mail, or other electronic means of communication approved by the WAPOR SSA Council and whose votes are received within four weeks of the ballot’s submission, provided that at least 25% of members participate in the referendum. Amendments that are inconsistent with WAPOR’s goals and objectives, or contrary to the policies and purposes of WAPOR, will result in the revoking of WAPOR’s recognition of WAPOR SSA.
Article 9 - Establishment and Termination
9.1This Constitution shall take effect upon its approval by the WAPOR Council. It shall supersede all previous WAPOR SSA agreements.
9.2 WAPOR SSA shall be considered dissolved upon termination of the Constitution by an absolute majority vote on a referendum or upon its failure to hold a Council or general meeting for three consecutive years. Funds remaining in the Treasury at that time will be turned over to WAPOR, unless other provision is made legally for their disposition.