Terms of Reference s30

CHUMS Network

Terms of Reference

Background

The CHUMS project promotes the fast take-up of car-pooling by a mix of solutions that include personalised travel planning, incentives and targeted awareness campaigns. CHUMS is a 30 months project funded within IEE programme in 2014 and it has 5 European cities that demonstrate the CHUMS approach: Craiova (RO), Edinburgh (UK), Leuven (BE), Perugia (IT), and Toulouse (FR). The project was considered interesting even at the proposal phase when 19 cities across EU and Accession Countries showed their interest in the project and even in following the CHUMS approach in their own cities.

The CHUMS Network was set up as an initiative of the CHUMS project.

The CHUMS Network promotes car-friendly sustainable mobility solutions and it is envisaged as a platform to exchange experience, good practice examples and lessons learned to serve organisations interested in developing carpooling schemes. We aim at developing a network with members from each EU28 countries and each EU Accession Countries; to use communication and dissemination channels to foster the take-up of the CHUMS approach.

The CHUMS Network aims at transferring the CHUMS philosophy and experience through communication and dissemination actions (webinars, exploitation events, newsletters, website and social media). We encourage the Network members to share their experience to other members and the public through the established dissemination channels of CHUMS.

The objectives of the CHUMS network are: - to gather a large number of organisations and local authorities in a dialogue about the advantages of car-pooling schemes; - to promote the CHUMS approach for a faster take-up of car-pooling schemes across Europe; - to facilitate the exchange of experiences between the members of the network on carpooling schemes; - to be a platform to facilitate exchanges and solve any challenges related to the car-pooling implementation; - to foster new initiatives for car-pooling schemes and to promote these initiatives to the

1 members; - to capture and validate the knowledge generated on car-pooling schemes by all the members of the network.

Main activities and services

The activities organised and developed by the CHUMS Network in the first year of activity are linked with the CHUMS project major activities: Webinars, Meetings, Conferences, Mentoring trips and the use of Social Media Channels are in order familiarise the members of the network with the CHUMS approach and to facilitate the exchange of information between the members. During the same period, direct communication by email will be set up. Many dissemination materials will be made available on the classical communication channels.

CHUMS Network members are encouraged to participate in the various meetings, activities and services organised by the Network. The greater the participation the greater the flow of expertise and solving of common challenges. The Network intends to organise an annual meeting, hosted by one of its members.

Another major activity of the Network is to establish working groups (virtual or in-person) that will allow the members to have a more in-depth discussions and interaction on specific topics of interest.

After the end of the CHUMS project, the activities of the network will concentrate on developing a solid platform for capturing and exchanging the knowledge in the car-share domain.

Membership

The members of the CHUMS Network are: representatives of local authorities that have or intend to implement a car-pooling scheme; private organisations that develop and promote the shared usage of cars; representatives of the academic environment interested in the impact of carpooling on sustainable mobility; private consultants; NGOs, and anyone who wants to share and learn on mainstreaming such schemes.

In order to become a CHUMS Network member an organisation has to sign up and agree to the Network Terms of Reference, to agree to receive information on CHUMS (newsletters, social media), to participate at the events organised for members (webinars, conferences) and to share their own relevant experience with other members of the network through specific communication and dissemination channels (website, social media, newsletters).

Out of the Network members 5 organisations will be selected to become CHUMS followers and will be paired with one of our implementation organisations, which will act as mentors. An implementation plan will be developed with and for the followers in order to structure the future introduction of a carpooling scheme in their region.

2 Benefits for members/followers

Members - Information on CHUMS progress and results - Updates on carpooling schemes in Europe and beyond; - Access to the projects communication and dissemination channels (website, newsletters, webinars, social media, events) in order to share own examples, good practices, lessons learned and overall experience with the CHUMS audience - Access to CHUMS Network events (webinars, exploitation events, final conference) - Access to guidelines, showcases and recommendations developed in the frame of CHUMS - Will receive the CHUMS Package for onward take-up (brochure) that will contain information on how to set-up a carpooling scheme, based on the experience of the CHUMS implementation sites - Access to the Appraisal of Suitable sites Tool and support in interpreting the results - Invitation to the CHUMS Final Conference

Followers Except the above mentioned benefits, the followers will also: - Have an appointed CHUMS partner to serve as mentor and to give support and advice to followers on how to implement a carpooling scheme - Be able to publish their experience/good practice/showcase/article in the CHUMS Package for onward take-up (project brochure) - If required, study visit to one of our implementation sites or on-the-ground support from a CHUMS partner - Have an implementation plan drafted to be used in launching and operating a carpooling system

Governance

Our ambition is for the CHUMS Network to grow in members and in expertise such that we will consolidate the position of being the first destination for carpooling best practice in Europe. In fulfilling this intention we intend to set up a governance structure which would see the appointment of 7 Board members who in turn will elect a President. Their main responsibility will be to represent the Network, to increase its visibility, agree and set priorities and to promote its activity. Until the end of CHUMS project, 5 members of the CHUMS partners and 2 invited from the interested members will form the Board.

The President and the Board will be supported by a Secretariat that will be in charge with all administrative, members’ issues, communication issues, etc. European Integrated Projects (EIP), represented by Mr. Radu Gaspar, will ensure the Secretariat of the network.