An advisory committee consists of a (non-voting) chair and at least three members. Members of the advisory committees work for the Mondriaan Fund on a contract basis. They are appointed and discharged by the board of the Mondriaan Fund. The period of appointment is determined in the letter of appointment and the protocol. The Mondriaan Fund designates a chairman/chairwoman.
The advisory committee advises about the substantive/qualitative value of the current applications in light of the schemes and goals of the Mondriaan Fund. A recommendation is issued by majority vote and in the presence of at least three committee members (the chair included). A tied vote counts as a negative recommendation. The advisory committee is objective and impartial in its judgment. Committee members are expected to look beyond their own preferences in their formation of a judgment. The basic principle in the assessment of all applications is an inclusive concept of quality that takes into account the context within which each application is submitted or carried out.
The information that is submitted to members of the advisory committee will be kept strictly confidential by them. The discussion at the meeting is also confidential. The same applies of course to digital documentation of the applicants, which cannot be shared with a third party. The committee always speaks with one voice, although recommendations do not have to be reached unanimously. Consequently, advisors refrain from giving any information to applicants or third parties about the content of the deliberations, and refer to the Mondriaan Fund for information.
When an advisor has submitted an application, or the organisation that the advisor works for, or when the advisor has a private or professional interest in an application by others, this advisor cannot participate in the advisory meeting in question. In such cases the advisor will not be invited for this meeting, or the invitation will be withdrawn. If there is any involvement with a particular application, the advisor should inform the Mondriaan Fund about this as soon as possible. During their period of appointment, advisors are also not permitted to write personal letters of recommendation for potential applicants to the Mondriaan Fund.
The Mondriaan Fund aims to contribute to the pluralism that is characteristic of art and cultural heritage. The composition of advisory committees takes specific areas of expertise into account and strives towards an accurate representation of the structure of society. The advisors are furthermore expected to be informed of this aim of the Mondriaan Fund and to be aware of the fund’s vision regarding pluralism.
The advisory committee meets at the invitation of the Mondriaan Fund. The meetings take place at the premises of the Mondriaan Fund. The members of the advisory committee are supposed to have read the applications well beforehand, and, if applicable, to have gone through the accompanying documentation materials. Normally, financial aspects are excluded from the assessment. The Mondriaan Fund can, if it considers that appropriate, request the committee to evaluate these aspects of an application.
An employee of the Mondriaan Fund is secretary of the committee and in that position is responsible for the substantive preparation and the reporting of the meetings. The committee deliberates on the basis of assessment criteria and analyses that have been drawn up by the Mondriaan Fund. These analyses are not binding to the advisory committee. The secretary monitors the evaluation process, in consultation with the chair.
Version December 2021