ASRL Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
Purpose
The main role of the TAC is to advise ASRL on the priority of the research program as viewed by the member companies. This is done by reviewing the proposed research program with ASRL senior management, and ranking the proposals. TAC members provide a ranking based on their experience, industry knowledge, and the requirement to formulate a balanced and progressive research program that meets the near and long-term needs of the sulphur industries. The individual rankings are pooled to provide a consolidated ranking that is passed on to ASRL. ASRL take the prioritized list, match it to the available resources, and finalize the program.
Working Principles
The TAC is a committee made up of representatives from member companies. The composition of the TAC is flexible, but an attempt is made to have a broad representation, including people from operators, suppliers, EPC firms, and from different geographic regions. Diversification is thought to provide a wider window on the industry and potential research needs.
The time commitment is not large. TAC members should try to attend the Special TAC meeting in Calgary in January in conjunction with the Chalk Talk. This is followed up by a half-day meeting in mid February to review the proposed research plan for the year and clarify the scope of work. This meeting is held via teleconference or videoconference. An updated proposed research program is then circulated to the TAC, who provide their prioritization of the program.
TAC members can contribute research ideas to ASRL throughout the year, and can collect ideas from colleagues or clients for contribution.
TAC members may find that they attend the same conference as other TAC members. These events can be used to get together on an Ad Hoc basis and discuss research ideas and progress.
A regularly scheduled conference call (quarterly) is also proposed as a means to have TAC members stay in touch and exchange ideas. The committee chair works closely with the senior management of the company to coordinate and facilitate the committee work and to manage the composition of the committee. The chair may occasionally make a report to the company Board of Directors.