Terms of Reference for the General Secretary

General Secretary  

This position requires authorized full-time release for the duration of the term of office[1].  The incumbent should make every effort to take up the duties of the General Secretary as soon as possible after the election.

The General Secretary

  • Supervises and leads the FICSA Secretariat staff, consultants and interns
  • Works closely with the President
  • Coordinates and supports the implementation of Council decisions through a well-organized yearly workplan
  • Formulates policy in collaboration with the Executive Committee (with input from Standing Committees, Regional Committees and FICSA Secretariat staff)
  • Is in charge of the Federation’s communication (internal and with the FICSA membership)
  • Represents the Federation at inter-agency meetings
  • Is responsible for observing the internal control framework for operational and financial processes
  • Prepares the Executive Committee report for the FICSA Council (with input from the President and other Executive Committee members)
  • Convenes Council sessions and reports to the Membership
  • Fosters harmonious relationships with sister federations
  • Assists the President in fundraising

[1] The positions of President and General Secretary require authorized full-time release for the normal two-year mandate. Candidates should therefore seek advance agreement from their respective administrations to provide fully- funded release; the agreement should be made available to FICSA as soon as possible before the elections but no later than 48 hours before the elections are held. Should agreement to the release be refused, the staff association/union should be provided with the reason(s) in writing and FICSA should be informed immediately. All candidates should be prepared to serve FICSA throughout their mandate.

Refer to 73rd FICSA Council report (page 105, paragraph 13 of Annex 10. Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Strategic Development that states “…the General Secretary should operate from the same duty station as that where the FICSA office would be located in the future. Currently, this is Geneva.” Source: Annex to the Statutes as required by Article 18, Terms of Reference For the Executive Committee Members and Regional Representatives