12.1 The Joint Waste Partnership shall establish an Officer Support Group ("OSG") consisting of the senior officer responsible for waste functions within each Partner, and any Partnership Project Manager, to advance the aims and objectives of the Joint Waste Partnership.
12.2 The OSG may appoint and co-opt to the OSG a legal adviser and a financial adviser, and may invite other officers of the Partners to attend meetings of the OSG.
12.3 The OSG shall bring forward proposals for recommendation by the Joint Waste Partnership for the agreement of each Partner for the employment of a Partnership Project Manager by one Partner as Lead Authority to act on behalf of all the Partners.
12.4 The work programme for the Partnership Project Manager will be determined and monitored by the Joint Waste Partnership.
12.5 The OSG will prepare reports and recommendations for consideration by the Joint Waste Partnership. Officers forming the OSG shall be at a senior level and be in a position to represent their individual authority views on strategic waste issues, including taking decisions on submission of bids for external funding. For the avoidance of doubt, the OSG should be in a position to agree the submission of joint funding applications on behalf of the Joint Waste Partnership without the need to refer the matter back to a formal meeting of the Joint Waste Partnership.
12.6 The Officers of each Partner shall be responsible for implementing Joint Waste Partnership decisions (once adopted by all Partners).
12.7 The Joint Waste Partnership, through the OSG, may agree to the setting up of other officer working groups to discuss and take forward any particular issues with particular emphasis on Joint Working.
12.8 The Joint Waste Partnership, through the OSG, may employ consultants to take specific projects forward. The funding of such consultants will be achieved via applying pooled resources. Any additional groups or consultants engaged will be accountable to the Joint Waste Partnership through OSG.