The Selection Committee is responsible for screening the applications (bids) from organizations worldwide requesting to host a World Organizational Conference. Applicants must be non-profit, privately held organizations, with the intention of hosting a WOC.
The committee evaluates the bids based on a set of criteria including the organisation’s track record, leadership, governance and financial stability. It also takes into account the organisation’s capacity to deliver a successful World Conference.
The WSC’s recommendations are forwarded to the Board of Trustees, and the final decision is made by the Board at a meeting in June or July of each year. The Board then approves two candidates as Provisional Hosts for the next World Conference.
Each candidate must have a clear and compelling plan, including measurable milestones and timelines for accomplishments. The Committee also evaluates whether the applicant is a good fit with the Forum’s mission and objectives and is in line with the programme priorities of Civic Dialogue and Peacebuilding, Open and Participatory Government, Women and Gender, and Environmental Sustainability.
To ensure fair evaluation, each member of the committee is asked to submit a list of their top three nominees. The rankings are not shared with the rest of the committee members during discussions, but individual committee members can share their reasons for choosing a particular nominee. This helps to limit the potential for social loafing – where members follow the voting of others on the committee.
Selection committees are tasked with ensuring they choose the best nomination package, as outlined in the prize description/principle guideline, without any unconscious assumptions or biases influencing their judgments. Despite this, research has shown implicit bias is still present in the decision-making process, and it is important for all selection committee members to understand this and be aware of how it may influence their decisions.
To avoid implicit bias, committees should discuss all of the nominated packages in a meeting that is planned in advance (most likely a teleconference). During this discussion, all committee members should be invited to participate. Exceptions should be made for conflicts of interest, if necessary. Ideally, the committee should take sufficient time to make a decision. This allows members to carefully consider all of the information, and has been shown to mitigate implicit bias.
A good chairman can help to guide the committee through a deliberation process, keeping the discussion focused and efficient. The chair is responsible for setting the rules of procedure, reminding committee members of their obligations and taking votes. The chairman should be able to do this in a manner that is confidential, free and open to all committee members.
Castiglione was proud of the work the committee had done over the past few days and wished more people understood the hours and deliberations that went into making the selections. It is not an easy task, but the committee’s goal was to stick to their charge: pick the best teams, based on objective, clearly stated criteria. The committee is looking forward to bringing together an exceptional team of athletes in Chengdu.