What is an Ad Hoc Committee?

Ad Hoc Committee / Ad Hoc Committees

The term ad hoc means created or done for a specific purpose. An ad hoc committee, or a special committee, is just that — an interim committee formed to take care of specific matters in an organisation. The members of this committee are usually appointed by the executive officers and the board of directors. These individuals are chosen due to their experience and expertise in handling the issue at hand with professionalism.

Once this committee is established, they often serve as a task force to get a specific job done. Any requests made to establish an ad hoc committee have to be appraised and approved by the board of directors. This temporary committee reports directly to the board and falls under the supervision of the president of the company. Once their task is accomplished, the committee is dissolved.

Types of ad hoc committees

There are primarily two types of ad hoc committees established depending on the situation:

Ad hoc advisory committees

An ad hoc advisory committee is a temporary group assembled to develop new regulations or review/revise current ones. It also provides recommendations and advice regarding particular issues currently being considered for regulation. Committee members give feedback on the proposals sent to them.

Ad hoc inquiry committees

An ad hoc inquiry committee is formed from time to time to investigate internal issues. This group is responsible for examining records and interviewing the parties involved to resolve the matters at hand.

Primary functions of an ad hoc committee

Different ad hoc committees are established to address specific issues within an organisation.

  • Investigation or study of a specific issue: An ad hoc committee can be called to investigate a matter or study a certain issue that has arisen within an organisation. This is called an ad hoc inquiry committee. 
  • Recommendation of policy or action: Another common function of an ad hoc committee, specifically an advisory committee, is to recommend and give feedback on the company policies and/or action items referred to them.
  • Implementation of specific project or task: In some cases, a task-based ad hoc committee can be established to get a certain project completed. These can sometimes be referred to as ad hoc task force committees or just task forces.

Want to know more?

Do you have any additional questions about "Ad Hoc Committees"?
Speak to one of our consultants, we are here to help.

Get in touch