These are the statutes of the SIQ.
The Institute for Quality Development (SIQ) shall stimulate and contribute to positive quality development in all parts of Swedish society.
Sweden's competitiveness as a nation shall be strengthened and the common welfare increased through a continuous process of change that leads to work and production, goods and services satisfying the customer's expressed or implied wishes and needs.
Within SIQ there shall be a constantly updated knowledge of both the theoretical part of the concept of quality and its practical application. SIQ shall create, collect and disseminate knowledge. SIQ shall, in addition to being a unifying, driving and resource-creating body for the national development in the field of quality, also work for an effective Swedish participation in international cooperation. SIQ shall primarily be active in the areas of information, education and research and development. In addition, SIQ shall, if necessary, be an independent body for special tasks in the field of quality.
The affairs of the SIQ are managed by a Board of Directors consisting of 7 members and alternates.
Intressentföreningen Kvalitetsutveckling (Intressentföreningen) appoints 3 members with alternates. The Council for Quality Development (the Council) appoints 1 member and deputy. NUTEK appoints 3 members with alternates.
The Board appoints from among its members a chairman and such other officers as it deems necessary. The Board may appoint working committees within itself and determine their tasks in special rules of procedure.
The board is entitled to appoint program councils with the main task of proposing guidelines for and content of SIQ's various programs.
The program councils consist of a chairman and the number of members that the board finds appropriate. These are appointed by the Board after consultation with NUTEK and the Intressentföreningen.
The chair and other members of the councils can be appointed for a maximum of three years at a time.
SIQ's activities are managed by its Board of Directors. The tasks of the Board include in particular
The Governing Board shall meet at the invitation of the Chairman as often as the work requires or at the request of at least three members. A quorum shall exist when at least four members are present at the meeting. The decision of the Board shall be taken by the majority of those voting and, in the event of a tie, by the Chairman.
Minutes shall be kept of the meetings of the Board and the Working Committee.
The Executive Director leads the work of the SIQ. The Director reports to the Board and implements its decisions.
The Director's duties and conditions shall be specified in a separate agreement between the Director and the Executive Board.
SIQ is the secretariat for the Council. The Executive Director is the Secretary of the Council.
Costs for Council meetings and domestic travel costs for Council members to attend regular Council meetings are covered by SIQ.
SIQ has the right, by decision of the board of directors, to exploit, manage, assign and transfer rights to all results arising from SIQ's activities, regardless of whether these are intellectually protectable or not.
SIQ may receive gifts and donations aimed at promoting its activities.
SIQ's financial year shall be July 1, 1995 - December 31, 1996 and thereafter calendar years.
Financial statements for the SIQ's activities for each financial year shall be available no later than two months after the end of the financial year. An activity report shall be submitted no later than 5 months after the end of the financial year.
The administration of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director shall be audited by two auditors, one appointed by Intressentföreningen and the other by NUTEK. The former shall be authorized.
Within six months of the end of the financial year, one copy of the audit report shall be submitted to Intressentföreningen and one to NUTEK.
Should SIQ cease its activities, its assets, insofar as they are not to be disposed of in any other way according to the donation regulations, shall be handed over to NUTEK to be used for quality-promoting activities at the proposal of the Board.
Amendments to these statutes are proposed by the Board after consultation with the Intressentföreningen and NUTEK. The amendments are adopted by the Government.