Like any organisation, Open Africa uses words and terms to describe specific functions and people. Here, we define some of the most important terms:
- Route = the legal body through which the destination route is governed, such as a voluntary association or nonprofit organisation.
- Route M/members = individuals, businesses or organisations that have joined as members or shareholders. If the route member is not an individual, it will be represented by an individual authorised by the route member to represent the route member.
- R/route P/participants = R/route M/members.
- General Meeting = a properly constituted meeting of the route body.
- Route Forum = the governing structure of the route body, consisting of the executive committee (if the route is a voluntary association) or board of directors (if a company).
- Route Establishment Working Group = the individuals who came together to initiate and manage the launch of a route, up to the point where the Route Forum is elected or appointed by route members.
- Working Group = short for the Route Establishment Working Group.
- T/task T/team = any short-term team put together to deal with specific tasks or specific outcomes on behalf of the General Meetings, the Route Forum, or the Route Establishment Working Group.
- P/project T/team = any team of members, co-ordinated by a member of the Route Forum, mandated to implementing a route project.
- Route Co-ordinator = a regionally-based person appointed on a part-time basis by Open Africa Head Office for ongoing support to routes. A Route Co-ordinator does not have to be a route member, but may also be involved in a business that is a route member.
- Project M/manager = an Open Africa employee who is responsible for overseeing and managing the implementation of Open Africa projects, including projects aimed at supporting routes. Project Managers work from the Open Africa Head Office.