Secretariat Nomination Form

More Information on the Role of the Secretariat

The Kilkenny PPN is overseen by an elected board of volunteers known as a Secretariat. The Secretariat supports and oversees the work of the PPN staff on behalf of the network.

There are a minimum of 10 secretariat meetings per year, typically taking place once per month. The majority of meetings are facilitated online over Zoom video calls, with every third meeting taking place in-person.

Any member group of the Kilkenny PPN can nominate someone for election to the Secretariat. The secretariat must include one representative from each of the Kilkenny County Municipal Districts (4), as well as two representatives from each of the three Pillars of the PPN (6).

Secretariat members may serve a five-year term. No person may serve more than two consecutive terms on the Secretariat.

The Role Of The PPN Secretariat Is To:

• Help put operational decisions of the Network into place.
• Ensure that the PPN is working to complete workplan objectives on behalf of the Member Groups.
• Oversee the participation of PPN Representatives on their respective committees, and ensure a reporting mechanism is in place to feedback to the wider PPN.
• Organise or help to organise events & activities for the benefit of PPN Member Groups.
• Communicate regularly with PPN Members and share information about PPN activities as widely as possible.
• Be a point of contact for the PPN for the Local Authority, Department of Rural and Community Development, other PPNs, the National Advisory Group and other stakeholders of the PPN.
• Facilitate and enable the PPN Workers (Staff) in their day to day activities to deliver the objectives of the PPN.

Criteria for qualification for Secretariat Members

Essential Criteria

• Nominated candidates must have no political affiliations, and must represent one or more of the following:
  • Community & Voluntary Pillar, Social Inclusion Pillar, or Environmental Pillar
  • Municipal District of Kilkenny City, Castlecomer, Callan, Pilltown, or Thomastown
  • Note: Candidates may be nominated for more than one of the above positions but are only permitted to hold one seat
• Nominating organisations must be registered with Kilkenny PPN (at least 3 months)
• These positions are voluntary roles and members of the secretariat are entitled to have travel and subsistence reimbursed where representing Kilkenny PPN.
• Nominations can only be made with the candidate’s knowledge and approval.

Skills and Experience:

Persons being nominated to the Secretariat should have some or all of the following skills and attributes:

• A keen interest and awareness of general issues in the Pillar/Municipal District you are seeking to represent.
• Be working on the ground, on a voluntary or paid basis, in a community group.
• Good organisational skills.
• Previous experience of taking part on a board or committee.
• A commitment to attend meetings, PPN events, and participating fully in the duties of the Secretariat.

Additional Information:

• Kilkenny PPN must receive nominations on or before the deadline date and time.
• Candidates can withdraw their nominations up to the deadline date and time.
• Groups may nominate one candidate only. If community groups nominate more than one candidate, only the first nomination received will be accepted.
• Elected representatives of Local Authorities cannot be nominated through this process.
• If anyone nominated through this process subsequently decides to enter electoral politics he/she must immediately resign their PPN Secretariat role and the relevant nominating PPN Pillar or Linkage Group will choose a replacement.
• A person who has been an elected representative of any level of Government (local or national) should not be chosen to represent PPN in any representative role for one year after completing their term of office.

For more information, contact the Kilkenny PPN staff by email at