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 One committee Chair motivates committee members by focusing on the honour of having
been selected for a committee, another focuses on the benefits of learning by doing, while
another chooses the route of “unrelenting e-mails”: the solution to motivating committee
members is entirely dependent on the style of the committee.

 Chairs should make it clear that all members’ contributions are valued.

 Some junior members that are new to IP work and to committee work may be intimidated
or not feel they can add value by actively participating in discussions: in these cases,
assigning a specific task to that person has been a good way for members to “get their feet
wet”.

 Asking relatively inactive members to collect and collate comments is another way for
members to become more active in committees: some shy members appreciate being
assigned certain tasks that give them the opportunity to step up.

 The Chair should not become overly ambitious on what a committee is expected to
accomplish at a given time. It is important that members are able to see what the
committee is expected to accomplish, as well as what has been accomplished.

 It is important to keep members’ interests alive in the committee – do not let extended
periods of time go by without communicating with members, especially if members have
been assigned tasks.

 It is important for a Chair to look at project timelines and ensure that such timelines are
manageable given members’ work commitments, etc. This may not always be possible, for
example, when responding to a request from government. However, as much as possible,
members should be comfortable with proposed timelines.

 Encourage members to use resources they have available to them, for example, when
appropriate, inviting colleagues’ views/comments on an issue.

 It is important to invite members’ feedback regarding their experience on being on a
committee.