This section is designed to give a brief outline of the structure and function of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) and how it operates.As a statutory public/private partnership, PNWER is unique in its design and purpose. Not only does it serve to facilitate cooperation and coordination among 5 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces and the Yukon, it also promotes communication between the public and private sector within these jurisdictions. By combining the GDP of each PNWER jurisdiction, PNWER represents the 11th largest economy in the world. PNWER achieves its goals through the work of the following bodies:
- Executive Committee
- Delegate Council
- Private Sector Council (PSC)
- Private Sector Board of Directors
- Secretariat
- Working Groups
Each of these bodies is briefly explained in this manual and a structural chart sums up how these bodies interact with one another.
PNWER FOUNDATION
The articles of ratification were passed in 1991 by similar statutes in the four states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Alaska passed these same articles by action of its legislative council. British Columbia adopted them by ministerial action, and Alberta passed them by government resolution. Amendments were passed in 1994, adding the governors and premiers, and updating other positions of the statutes.
PNWER MISSION STATEMENT
To increase the economic well-being and quality of life for all citizens of the region.
To coordinate provincial and state policies throughout the region; to identify and promote “models of success;” and to serve as a conduit to exchange information.
PNWER Mission Statement Goals
- Promote greater regional collaboration
- Enhance the competitiveness of the region in both domestic and international markets
- Leverage regional influence in Ottawa and Washington D.C.
- Achieve continued economic growth while maintaining the region’s natural
PNWER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Participants
The PNWER Executive Committee consists of one legislator from each PNWER jurisdiction, one private sector board member chair from each jurisdiction, four governors/premiers (or their designee), and the PNWER Executive Director. This includes the PNWER President and First and Second Vice Presidents, whom, according to PNWER statutes, must be elected legislators.
The private sector board members chairs and the executive director were added in 1999 to the Executive Committee as ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.
Responsibilities
The Executive Committee is the decision-making body of PNWER. It is responsible for reviewing all PNWER activities. In addition, the Executive Committee has the sole responsibility for electing the PNWER President and the two Vice Presidents. The PNWER President and the First Vice President must be from different nations as required by PNWER statutes (i.e. if the President is from Canada, then the First Vice President must be from the United States and vice versa).
Decision-Making
As in many international organizations, the basis of decision-making in the Executive Committee is by consensus, and within PNWER, both the official and ex-officio members of the Executive Committee define the consensus. The method of consensus in international organizations guards against infringing on the sovereignty of participating nations.
However, the Executive Committee recognizes that with regards to approving working group plans, as long as three or more states or provinces support the proposed ideas, the working group has the approval of the Executive Committee. This allows for a state or province to have the option of withholding its participation in a specific working group plan if necessary.
Although the Executive Committee is the decision-making body of PNWER, it remains accountable to state and provincial laws as a statutory organization. As a result, the underlying statutes of PNWER cannot be amended without following appropriate state/provincial legislative procedures.
Executive Advisory Team – new as of 1999
The Executive Advisory team consists of members from the Executive Committee (both official and ex-officio) as appointed by the PNWER President. This group serves as year-round contacts for the Secretariat with regards to financial and urgent concerns. They also have the responsibility to review PNWER budgets, audits, provide advice, and serve as liaisons to the rest of PNWER. Decisions made by the executive Advisory Team are to be ratified at the following Executive Committee meeting.
PNWER DELEGATE COUNCIL
The Delegate Council is the founding entity of PNWER. The Delegate Council consists of the governors/premiers (or their representatives) from each of the state/provinces, as well as four legislators (and four alternates) from each state/province. The Delegate Council is encouraged to hold meetings of the delegates and alternates within each jurisdiction to discuss implementing legislative policy forwarded by PNWER working groups.
The Delegate Council is responsible for coordinating the agendas from the public sectors of each jurisdiction, promoting participation in each working group, as well as ensuring that the PNWER organization continues to adhere to its original mission and regulations as outlined in PNWER’s founding statutes.
The Delegate Council encourages bilateral and regional interaction between legislative members. The Council is by design bipartisan, and Delegate Council members are chosen by all four party caucuses in the states, and the Canadian provinces are encouraged to include opposition party delegates in their delegations.
PRIVATE SECTOR COUNCIL (PSC)
Every PNWER private sector member sits on the PSC; this includes business, the non-elective public sector, NGOs, and other non-profit organizations. Each state/provincial delegation within the PSC selects four members from its jurisdiction to sit on the Private Sector Board of Directors. Each jurisdiction then selects one of their four to serve as the chair of their private sector jurisdiction, and the chair will then sit on the Executive Committee. In addition, from among the chairs of each jurisdiction, one is selected via consensus of the PSC to serve as PSC Chair. The PSC Chair may then appoint any PSC vice-chairs from the Board members as needed.
The purpose of the PSC is to provide a forum for the private sector to meet and discuss issues of concern and communicate these through the working groups and the Private Sector Board of Directors to the PNWER Executive Committee. Furthermore, each state/province delegation is encouraged to hold meetings as needed in their own jurisdiction and promote business leadership within all aspects of PNWER.
PRIVATE SECTOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Private Sector Board of Directors is made up of four members from each state/provincial jurisdiction as selected within the PSC (process described above). The Board is responsible for administering the concerns of the Private Sector Council, developing action plans as to how these concerns can be addressed and resolved, and recruiting new PSC members. In addition, the board is responsible for ensuring and promoting private sector participation in each working group, and developing activities which provide deliverables for Private Sector Council membership.
PNWER SECRETARIAT
The PNWER Secretariat manages the PNWER organization from its office in Seattle, Washington. It consists of an Executive Director, Program Managers who oversee specific working groups, and other support staff. The Secretariat is the administrative arm for the President, Vice Presidents and the Executive Committee, and serves as the fiscal manager for the PNWER organization. Among its responsibilities are to coordinate communication among all PNWER divisions and assist them in their various activities.
PNWER WORKING GROUPS
PNWER currently has nine working groups: Agriculture, Environmental Technology, Forest Products, Government Procurement, Recycling, Telecommunications, Tourism, Trade & Finance, and Transportation. In 1991, PNWER originated with six working groups, and have since retired one and added four. Working groups are initiated and/or terminated by the Executive Committee. Working groups or task forces may also be developed around a specific project as opposed to an entire sector.
Each working group meets at the PNWER conferences and may also meet outside of PNWER conferences according to the discretion of the working group chairs.
Participants
There are two types of participation within the working groups. First, official working group members are those individuals with a paid PNWER membership and who regularly participate in working group meetings and projects. Second, anyone may observe PNWER working group meetings, and participate in the meetings, according to flexible parameters developed by the working group chairs.
Working Group Chairs
Each working group selects its own chair and two vice-chairs to guide the development and organization of the working group. These three positions should represent one each of the following: the private sector, the legislative sector, and the government sector. Each chair and vice-chair must be formal members of PNWER. While state/province representation among the three chairmen is decided by the working group, PNWER encourages multi-state/province representation among chairs. Once selected, the working group must submit the chairs’ names to the Executive Committee for review. The term of appointment for each working group chair shall be two years, with no limit on the number of terms.
Working groups shall operate by consensus, but the chair and vice-chairs must identify what parameters define consensus. If a working group becomes too large, it is up to the discretion of the working group chair to form sub-groups based upon the interest of the participants. Working group chairs are also encouraged to form a core group of members with representation from all jurisdictions so as to better manage the group.
The chair of each working group is requested to report to, and entitled to appear before, the Executive Committee during their meeting at the PNWER conferences. If unable to attend, the chair may select a vice-chair to attend in his/her place. The chair or vice-chair may also seek advice from, or report to, the Executive Committee between meetings via contacting the Secretariat.
Should it become evident that a chair or vice-chair is neglecting their responsibilities within the context outlined above, the Executive Committee, in conjunction with the working group involved, has the right to remove that person from their working group position.
Working Group Work Plans
Working groups are responsible for developing their own work plans as guided by the chair and vice-chairs. Issues of interest or concern may come from the Executive Committee or from the working group itself. Working groups may be utilized as a forum for addressing contentious issues so long as participants in the discussion remain committed to an amiable and respectful environment, and recognize that by doing so, everyone is in a position to benefit from the sharing of perspectives. Work plans must be submitted to the Executive Committee and Secretariat for review on an annual basis.
While the content of the work plans is defined by the working group itself, the following initiatives may not be implemented without the prior approval of the Executive Committee: 1) anything that requires any financial commitment by PNWER 2) anything that commits extraordinary PNWER resources, including secretariat time or funding. Any press release/public statement requires approval by the PNWER President and Executive Director.
Working groups are responsible for developing their own meeting agendas and procedures for prioritization of agenda items. Agendas must be submitted to the Executive Committee and Secretariat by the chairs 30 days prior to the meeting date. The Working Group Chair, in consultation with the Executive Director and the President, may decide that the working group is not prepared to hold a session in an upcoming PNWER meeting.
Working Group Sponsors
The working group chairman and vice-chairmen have the authority to negotiate with and engage sponsors for their activities; all sponsorships should be reported to the Secretariat. Sponsorship in a non-monetary form may be traded for PNWER membership dues upon approval from the President and Executive Director. The Executive Committee reserves the right to limit sponsorship from any specific organization.