Introduction

SINDA adheres to the principles and guidelines of the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (Revised 2023) (“Code of Governance”), the Charities Act and the Societies Act. The SINDA Constitution governs the Association’s composition, powers and functions.

Executive Committee

SINDA is managed by an Executive Committee (EXCO) comprising ten (10) members of whom five (5) members are appointed by the Board of Trustees. The remaining five (5) members are elected once in two (2) years at an Annual General Meeting. The Executive Committee may co-opt up to a further five (5) members.

The key responsibilities of the EXCO are to:

• Manage all matters of the Association except as reserved to the Board of Trustees
• Manage and administer the funds of the Association in line with the Annual Budget and Investment Policy approved by the Board of Trustees
• Raise, by donation or otherwise, funds to finance activities of the Association.
• Make, repeal and amend bylaws not inconsistent with this Constitution for the internal management of the Association and the conduct of business at General Meetings, effective after approval by the Board of Trustees.

Sub-Committees and Resource Panels

EXCO establishes Sub-Committees and Resource Panels as required, to serve as advisory bodies to SINDA divisions. These Sub-Committees and Resource Panels are governed by individual terms of reference, which are reviewed every two (2) years.

The current Sub-Committees and Resources Panels are:

Members of these Sub-Committees and Resource Panels are selected from diverse fields for their expertise. All newly-appointed members receive orientation by the management. In addition, an appointment letter and the terms of reference, setting out the tenure, duties and responsibilities, are issued to the members.

Compensation and Remuneration

All Board and Committee Members are independent and do not receive any remuneration for their services to SINDA.

The compensation structure including that of Key Management is annually reviewed and approved by the Personnel Committee which endorses Human Resources policies, compensation, promotions and succession. There are no close members of the family related to the Board/Committee and Executive Head (Chief Executive Officer), in employment with the Association.

Internal Controls

SINDA’s financial reporting, risk management and governance, including internal and external audit functions are managed by the Audit Review Committee. It also reviews the effectiveness and adequacy of these internal financial controls and processes, for compliance with existing laws and regulations governing financial reporting standards.

SINDA’s investments are overseen by the Investment Committee which manages SINDA’s surplus fund, through establishing investment guidelines and parameters, appointing external fund managers and monitoring investment performance, on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

SINDA does not have endowment funds as all funds, as disclosed in the Statement of Financial Position, are unrestricted funds.

Policies

• Disclosure and Transparency Practices
  The Executive Committee conducts regular evaluation of its performance and effectiveness and ensures compliance with requirements of the Code of Governance. SINDA makes available to its stakeholders and the public, information on its corporate governance, programmes, activities, services, audited financial statements, Board and Committee membership, and key management details via its website, Annual Reports and Financial Reports.

• Ethical Reporting / Whistleblowing Policy
  SINDA is committed to high standards of compliance with accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, corporate governance, auditing requirements and all other related legislation. An ethical reporting policy, outlining various avenues for whistleblowing, is in place to enable staff to confidently raise concerns about possible wrongdoings, misconduct, or improprieties in financial and other matters.

• Conflict of Interest Policy
  SINDA has a Conflict of Interest Policy and operating procedures to ensure good governance and accountability in all its operations. This policy is acknowledged by the Board, Committee Members and employees upon appointment, and annually thereafter, during their term of office or employment. In the event a conflict of interest situation arises, a member or employee who has a potential conflict of interest in any particular transaction will recuse themselves and not be involved in any further matters related to the said transaction.

• Data Privacy Policy
  SINDA recognises its obligations to the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and respects its stakeholders’ privacy choices. SINDA has a Data Privacy Policy that governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data submitted to SINDA and processes are regularly reviewed to ensure compliance. SINDA ensures that its employees comply with the standards of security and confidentiality, in line with industry standards. The Data Privacy Policy is available on the SINDA website.