Future Directions Handbook

Future Directions Handbook

Version 1.0, November 2017 

The purpose of this Future Directions Handbook is to provide guidance while creating and developing an IEEE Future Directions Initiative through its entire life cycle. This includes best practices, lessons learned, ideas for building new products and services, ideas for revenue generation, identifying proper organizational roles and responsibilities, and establishing budgets and financial goals. As part of the life cycle for an initiative, guidelines will be provided on completing an initiative, possible outcomes, and exit strategy. It will be continuously updated as new ideas and processes are identified.

The audience for the document is volunteers and staff who will be working on a Future Directions Initiative at any point during its life in Future Directions. The document can be used in its entirety by a chair of the initiative or a steering committee member, or individual chapters can be referred to by volunteers working in a particular area, such as Conferences and Events or Publications.

Acronym and Term Glossary

FDC = Future Directions Committee, also referred to as Future Directions or FD.

TA = Technical Activities, IEEE Technical Activities’ mission is to foster the development and facilitate the exchange of scientific and technological knowledge that benefits members, the profession, and humanity. It comprises of IEEE Societies, IEEE Technical Councils, IEEE Technical Communities, and the Technical Activities Board (TAB). For more information, visit the IEEE Technical Activities website.

TAB = Technical Activities Board, the IEEE Technical Activities Board is the governing body of IEEE Technical Activities and is the largest of six major boards within IEEE. Its voting members include Presidents of all Societies and Technical Councils, as well as officers, Division Directors (who also sit on the Board of Directors), and chairs of key TAB committees. For more information, read the TAB Operations Manual (PDF, 2 MB).

S = Society, IEEE Societies provide benefits to members within specialized fields of interest. Society memberships enable you stay current within your chosen technology profession, keep in touch with your peers, and invest in your career. For more information, learn about IEEE Societies on IEEE.org.

TC = Technical Council, Technical Councils are groups of Societies working together in broad areas of technology. Technical Councils sponsor activities that benefit individuals in all of the member Societies. For more information, learn about IEEE Technical Councils on IEEE.org.

C = Technical Community, IEEE Technical Activities is home to a growing number of Technical Communities, each responsible for fostering new and emerging technologies. For more information, learn about IEEE Technical Communities on IEEE.org.

OU = Organizational Unit, an IEEE Organizational Unit is a subset of the entire IEEE membership that has been formed to carry out particular educational, geographic, professional, technical, or other appropriate activities of interest and service to those who are members of that organizational unit as permitted by law.

 

Table of Contents

  1. Goals, Strategic Plan, and Measures of Success
  2. Funding
  3. Organization Structure, Roles, and Responsibilities
  4. External Presence, Marketing, and Promotion
  5. Conferences and Events
  6. Publications
  7. Education
  8. Products and Services
  9. IEEE Standards
  10. Building External Relationships
  11. Transition