A subcommittee is a smaller committee within a larger one, focusing on specific issues. There are two types: standing and working. Members are chosen based on experience and qualifications, and meetings may be closed to the public. Diplomatic skills are required, especially for executive subcommittees.
A subcommittee is a subordinate committee made up of members who belong to a larger committee. For example, within the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, there are several subgroups dedicated to specific issues, such as the subcommittee on children and families. These groups are a key part of the committee organization, as they allow committees to focus on different issues without having to involve all members, and they create more flexibility within the committee structure.
There are two main types of subcommittee: standing and working. A standing subcommittee is one that is in place at all times, covering specific issues affecting the committee at large. A special type, the executive subcommittee, can make executive decisions on behalf of the larger group. A working subcommittee is tasked with dealing with a specific and often temporary issue: for example, a city council might create one to deal with civilian complaints against the police force.
Members of a subcommittee are typically chosen or elected by other committee members and are selected based on experience, qualifications, and willingness to serve. The group usually agrees to meet at set intervals, taking care not to overlap with regular committee meetings, and members may be assigned to make periodic reports to the general committee on their progress and concerns. Meetings may also be closed to the public for privacy reasons, particularly when open committee meetings cannot be held in closed sessions for legal reasons and committee members wish to be able to meet officially without public oversight.
You may not always hear a subcommittee specifically referred to by this name. Sometimes words like “commission” and “workgroup” are used instead. In these cases, it can be identified by looking at its membership. If a group’s membership is taken from a larger committee, board, or commission, and members have been specifically nominated by the larger organization, they are considered a subcommittee, whether or not they identify themselves as such.
Serving on a subcommittee may require some diplomatic skills. Members must keep the spirit of the larger group in mind, and because they may end up speaking on behalf of other committee members, they must take care to ensure that their official statements and positions are appropriately worded. In the case of a standing executive subcommittee, members must also consider issues such as budgeting, which can become critical when making executive decisions.
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