General Assembly, Board of Trustees and Scientific Advisory Council
In keeping with its legal status as a registered association, the DJI is supported in its work by three bodies: the General Assembly, the Board of Trustees and the Scientific Advisory Council.
General Assembly
The main function of the General Assembly is to provide suggestions and representations on the focus areas of the institute’s work. It also approves the annual report and the Executive Board's annual financial statement as well as formally ratifying the latter’s policies. The General Assembly is the largest of the DJI’s bodies with 40 members. Members are appointed by the highest federal and state youth welfare authorities, the umbrella associations of the local authorities, the child and welfare service organizations and the family associations, as well as selected professional organizations and research institutions.
The General Assembly is supplemented with elected individuals reflecting the DJI's areas of work and scientific disciplines.
Duration of membership is four years, re-election and re-appointment are permitted. The regular general meeting takes place once a year.
The Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees advises the Executive Board of the DJI in the execution of its duties as well as supervising it in pursuing its activities in accordance with the statutes. The approval of the Board of Trustees is required in particular for the annual research plan, the draft budget and the extension or reduction of the institute’s functions.
The Board of Trustees consists of representatives of federal ministries, one representative each of the DJI home state and the higher regional youth welfare services, five members elected by the General Assembly from among their number and one representative of the DJI staff.
Members of the Board of Trustees are elected for two years, with re-election permitted. The Board of Trustees meets regularly, usually three times a year.
Members of the Board of Trustees
The Scientific Advisory Council
The Scientific Advisory Council advises and supports the DJI from the scientific perspective.
The Council discusses the DJI research profile and research planning and issues statements on these to the Board of Trustees. It supports the institutes with its regular divisional evaluations and provides recommendations on individual research projects.
The Scientific Advisory Council currently consists of 19 experts from both Germany and abroad, with the composition reflecting the scientific disciplines and topic areas in which the DJI is engaged.
The members are appointed by the Director of the DJI by agreement with the Board of Trustees for four years in each case. Re-appointment is permitted. The Scientific Advisory Council generally meets once a year for a two-day session.
