§ 12.14 - Annual comprehensive review.

(a) The Agency will conduct an annual comprehensive review of the activities and responsibilities of each advisory committee to determine:

(1) Whether such committee is carrying out its purpose;

(2) Whether, consistent with the provisions of applicable statutes, the responsibilities assigned to it should be revised;

(3) Whether it should be merged with any other advisory committee or committees; or

(4) Whether it should be abolished.

(b) Pertinent factors to be considered in the comprehensive review required by paragraph (a) of this section includes the following:

(1) The number of times the committee has met in the past year;

(2) The number of reports or recommendations submitted by the committee;

(3) An evaluation of the substance of the reports or recommendations submitted by the committee, regarding the Agency's programs or operations;

(4) An evaluation of the utilization by the Agency of the committee's policy formation recommendations in: program planning, decision making, more effective achievement of program objectives, and more economical accomplishment of programs in general, with emphasis in such evaluation on the preceding 12 month period of the committee's work;

(5) Whether information or recommendations could be obtained from sources within the Agency or from other advisory committees already in existence;

(6) The degree of duplication of effort by the committee as compared with that of other parts of the Agency or other advisory committees; and

(7) The estimated annual cost of the committee.

(c) The annual review required by this section shall be conducted on a calendar year basis, and results of the review shall be included in the annual report to the Secretariat required by §12.16(b) of this part. The report shall contain a justification of each advisory committee which the Agency determines should be continued, making reference, as appropriate, to the factors specified in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) The review will examine all advisory committees, and committees found to be no longer needed shall be terminated. Advisory committees established by act of Congress or the President of the United States will be reviewed, and if appropriate, their termination will be recommended.