Governance & Oversight

The NCAS Scientific Services & Facilities Director is also the centre contact acting as the communication channel between NCAS and AMOF and between NERC and AMOF.

NERC, as the core funder, has a leadership role in AMOF. This is described in the Role of NERC Head Office.

AMOF reports annually to NERC through the Beneffit Realisation Programme (BRP).

AMOF also report annually to NCAS through the offices of the Scientific Services, & Facilities Directorate.

Independent advice and guidance are provided to AMOF through the AMOF Steering Committee (AMOF SC). This committee is made up of independent stakeholders from the user community and plays a vital role in ensuring that the facility meets and exceeds user expectations. It also advises on how capital should be invested.

The AMOF SC exists to:

Provide independent advice to AMOF, NCAS and NERC.

Represent our user community.

Review applications for use of the facility.

Prioritise use of the facility.

Monitor AMOF outputs and user satisfaction.

Challenge and advise the facility to maximise benefits for the user community.

Ensure that AMOF meets the user community’s current and future needs

The AMOF SC expects to:

Advise and challenge the delivery and innovation of the facility, to ensure that it aligns to current and future demand for environmental science and maximises the benefits to users as reported in the Benefits Realisation Plan.

Receive and input to the Facilities’ Benefits Realisation Plan, before its submission to the relevant centre contact and NERC.

Know who they are representing (e.g. the community, Centre, themselves) and how this influences their role and opinion.

Meet annually at a minimum.

The AMOF SC Terms of Reference are:

To review applications and/or use of the Facility and, to make suggestions to the Facility and the relevant Centre Contact. This could include but is not limited to priorities regarding the allocation of the Facility’s resources, taking into account recommendations made through the NERC peer review mechanisms.

To review the scientific quality of work undertaken by users utilising the Facility, based on reports and publications.

To monitor the level of user satisfaction with the service, review user feedback and to analyse the user base. To propose options for improvement if required.

To give guidance to the Centre Contact and Facility Management, related to the improvement of the Facility’s equipment and its service function.

To represent the wider views of the community on the operation and development of the Facility.

To advise the Centre on 1) the level and direction of the internal R&D programme for the Facility, 2) anticipated changes in requirements from the Facility and the anticipated levels of future demand for the Facility, 3) opportunities for development and innovation, and 4) international benchmarking

To review and provide advice to the Facility Management on the risk register.

To input into the Benefits Realisation Plan, prepared by the Facility Management, with the Chair and Steering Committee providing a specific update, prior to submission of the plan to the relevant Centre and NERC.

To provide advice to the Facility, NERC and/ or Managing Centre on an ad hoc basis