Learn more about SIGS

The Special Interest Groups (SIG) are organizational units within SHPIK, that are established as a community within, with a shared interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where the members will cooperate to affect or to produce solutions within their particular field, and will communicate, meet, organize and run symposia, conferences, exhibitions, shows, festivals, presentations, auctions and other events, including those international by nature, incidental or conductive to any of the objectives of the SIG’s.

SHPIK Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are specialist communities within and across the many disciplines of ICT. SIGs engage with their communities through a broad range of activities including (but not limited to):

• Building platforms of engagement
• Organising events
• Creating publications

SIGs are led by an organising group of SHPIK members and manage their own membership. SHPIK encourages SIGs to collaborate together.

SIGs comprise of an organizing group, who will manage the activities and membership of the SIG and are members of the SHPIK. There are no formal requirements to become a member of a SIG. SIG members will also be SHPIK members. Depending on the membership level and type of membership, every SHPIK member can join one or more SIG’s.

Through the membership in one specific SIG, SHPIK members can intensify the exchange of knowledge and networking in that related field of ICT.

The establishment of Special Interest Groups (SIG’s) will allow for further breakdown of the association services to the specific stakeholder groups and sub-groups. SIGs will be treated as committees of SHPIK, and as such, SIGs will constitute publicly acknowledged sub-groupings of the SHPIK membership. Our approach in building new SIGs is to co-create proposals with proposers. If SHPIK members have an idea for a SIG they are encouraged to contact SHPIK and SHPIK’s secretariat will guide them through the application process so that the proposal is as strong as it can be and fits the scope and objectives of the SHPIK.

SIGs should be concerned with a defined or developing discipline area within the broad field of ICT. We particularly encourage applications in new and emerging areas. The primary objective of all SIGs is to foster open collaboration and exchange between SHPIK members.

Any member of the SHPIK can propose a new SIG by completing the new SIG Set-up proposal form.

Once approved by the Board, new SIGs will receive:

• visual identity in consultation with the SHPIK marketing team,
• a page on the SHPIK website, and a discussion forum (open only to members of the SIG / SHPIK).

SHPIK and SIG visual identity should be used when promoting and holding activities. SIGs are free to use / develop their own platforms for communication and exchange linked to their webpage on SHPIK. The SHPIK will endorse, promote, and support the activities of the SIG.

SIGs gain access to resources such as a SHPIK marketing, a SIG telecommunication account, event management, and mailer system. SIGs can apply for seed funding, should reasonable additional costs be incurred.

SIGs should be financially self-sustaining, raising any income through the events and activities that they hold. The SHPIK website has an event management module that can be used to register participants and take payments. Guidance about budgeting can also be obtained from the Secretariat of SHPIK.

Publications arising from SIG conferences and events, can be included in the SHPIK Digital Library.

SIGs are expected to contribute to the SHPIK Conference by running a theme-track session or other event enhancing the quality and richness of the conference. However, participation is not guaranteed and depends on the quality and innovation of SIG services.

SIGs are required to report annually, providing a short account of the activities that have been held along with future plans for development and other key information. SIG reports will be included in the annual report of the SHPIK.

The guidelines that follow provide an overview of what is required for an application together with a description of what is expected once SIGs are approved and operational.

The rules that will apply for setting up a new SIG are:

• All new SIGs must have a minimum of 10 fully paid SHPIK members affiliated at launch, with the expectation that SIGs achieves and maintains the minimum number of 50 paid SHPIK members throughout the duration of one membership year.
• Therefore, individuals who are interested in forming a new SIG should first reach out to the wider community to test interest and to build the SIGs quorum.
• Once the individual members have established the viability of the SIG, they should then complete the short ‘SIG Set Up Form’ and email this to the SHPIK Board
• Once the ‘SIG Set up Form’ has been submitted, upon fulfillment of all criteria, the SHPIK Board will approve the new SIG at the next scheduled Board Meeting (for reference, the SHPIK Board aims to meet at intervals of 3 months).
• Once approved, the SHPIK website will be updated to reflect the new SIG’s status.
• At this point the SIG’s membership will be free to apply for financial support to host SIG-organized, SHPIK-supported events (the amount and availability of SIG-specific funding will be announced annually during the General Assembly at the annual conference). All applications of this nature must be coordinated through the SIG Convener (the named individual/s who has been elected by the SIG members).
• SIGs are encouraged to participate fully at the annual conference. For example, SIG Conveners might consider coordinating – in agreement with the conference Convener – an evening social event, the submission of a SIG pre constituted panel, or a SIG poster presentation.
• Under the coordination of the SHPIK Management, responsible for SIG oversight, SIG members will also be able to negotiate (with the journal editor) opportunities to guest edit an issue of journal, as well as to contribute SIG newsletter for the main SHPIK website, or guest curate a theme of the conference or similar event.
• No fixed term is outlined for the role of SIG Convener, but it is expected that succession planning, and the rotation of Convener duties will be fundamental to the healthy running of SIG activities.
• The SIG, their numbers, and their related activities, will be reviewed annually (during the main SHPIK conference) to re-confirm their sustainability and qualification for financial support. SIGs recorded as falling below the 50-member threshold during annual review will be given 3 months to recover SIG membership, after which point the SIG will be considered dormant (and removed from the SHPIK website) if the membership to that SIG has not reached and / or failed to maintain the number of 50 members.