Role description template

This template is designed to help you develop a role description for a public member of a group such as a project advisory group or panel. The suggested headings and questions are not intended to be prescriptive but will give you some ideas based on what other people have included in their role descriptions. The ‘See also’ boxes on this page contain a Word version of this template which can be edited or adapted to suit your needs (for non-commerical purposes), together with some real-life examples of role descriptions.

Title: Role description for [insert role and name of group]

Background: for example

• what is the broad purpose / role of the group?
• what are the aims / responsibilities of the group?
• who else is in the group?
• what will the public member be expected to contribute to the group in broad terms?

Your responsibilities: for example

• what are the expectations of the group member in relation to attending meetings, for example how many meetings is the member expected to attend and what perspective will they be expected to bring?
• what preparatory work will the group member be required to carry out in advance of meetings, for example reading paperwork?
• will there be any additional responsibilities apart from preparing for and attending meetings, and how much time will the member be expected to spend on these activities?
• what are the expectations in relation to maintaining confidentiality and declaring any conflicts of interest?

Our responsibilities: for example

• what support will you offer to the group member, for example will they be offered an initial meeting or will they be allocated a named contact?

Duration of role: for example

• how long is the term of office and can it be extended?

Payment and expenses: for example

• will people be paid for their time and if so, how much are they entitled to receive and are there any restrictions on who is eligible to claim such payments?
• what travel and other expenses will be covered and what is the procedure for claiming them, for example will you provide a claim form?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Person specification: for example use a grid to list the essential and desirable attributes of the role in terms of experience, knowledge, skills and personal qualities (see Word template for sample grid).

Contact details: for example

• what is the name, address and contact details (email and telephone number) of the person to contact with any queries in relation to this role?
• is there a web page where prospective members can find further relevant information?

Closing date for applications: [insert closing date if applicable]