What is a SIG?

What are SIGs?

Strategic Interest Groups (SIGs) are a great way to network and build connections among a subset of APP members with a common identity or interest.  SIGs operate in a manner similar to committees but are often more independent or self-directed.

MAC currently has the following SIGs:  

Bank Consortium

The mission of the Bank Consortium is to connect and educate people in the banking industry on issues related to the processing of payments. To help them gain confidence to support the protection of the payments infrastructure, stay in compliance with their obligations as clients of the payment networks, and stay updated on industry best practices.

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Government Relations SIG

The Government Relations (GR) SIG is dedicated to keeping the membership educated and aware of legal and regulatory issues that affect the payments industry. The SIG is also charged with providing advice and counsel to the Board related to public policy and legislative or regulatory advocacy efforts. In 2022 the MAC Board approved elevating the Government Relations (GR) Committee to SIG status.

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Fraud-SIG

Launching in 2023, the Fraud Trends SIG was one of the most requested new member benefits in our most recent member survey.  This will be a forum for members to gather and share information about fraud trends in payments, and contribute to the education of the membership about those trends.

Why is APP Creating SIGs?

SIGs provide several benefits for APP's members, and align with our current CREATE strategic framework:

C:    They provide a vehicle for members and/or subject matter experts within the membership to easily communicate and collaborate.  We have additional technology resources (via APP Alerts, Polls, and other aspects of the APP Website) to support these communities in ways that we could not in the past.
R:    They have potential to create or support non-dues revenue streams for APP.  This could come in a few forms.  For example, SIGs have the option to charge a member fee to support initiatives or activities of the group (requires Board review and approval).  SIGs may support the creation of new products (e.g., publications like the MAC PACK) or new programs (e.g., a specialty conference, training series, M@Cademy courses, etc.).  SIGs may also support existing APP events (e.g., Level Up) and APP membership in general by enhancing their attractiveness and value to APP members.
E1:   As a community with interest in a topic of strategic importance to APP members, we look to SIGs to be thought leaders for the APP community and share educational content with the broader community.  This could be via sessions at APP conferences, newsletters, blog posts, M@Cademy courses, special white papers, or other formats.
 A:    SIGs fill a critical function for the future growth and sustainability of APP:  developing content and visibility of APP members and their expertise in topics of strategic importance to the payment ecosystem.  APP's reputation is based on delivering practical education and doing it well.  SIGs enable us to highlight expertise within the APP membership and create a stronger voice on topics and issues of importance to the APP community.
 T:    SIGs are different from APP Committees.  They may define their own leadership model and agenda, and have no direct operational obligations to APP as an organization other than an expectation to contribution educational content in some format.  SIGs may operate under one of two models:
Open: Any member may join, without restrictions. These SIGs are focused more on networking among people with common interest.      Invitational: Membership may be restricted based on standardized criteria such as industry, participation level, and/or subject matter expertise as long as the criteria are applied consistently and fairly in accordance with APP’s antitrust compliance guidelines.  These groups further support APP's strategic goals by contributions of content and expertise to the community.  
 E2:   SIGs allow members to engage and provide value to the community without necessarily serving on a traditional committee.  It creates more opportunities for members to engage meaningfully within APP, network more easily with peers who have common interests, resources to go to when members have questions about a strategic topic area, and more volunteer leadership opportunities to support future succession planning.  We are also looking at opportunities to have special networking events exclusively for SIG members linked to Level Up conferences in the future.

How do we create a new SIG?

So you want to form a new SIG?  Fantastic!  New SIGs are created by submitting an application to the Governance Committee.  A SIG's application becomes the group's charter to guide its successful growth. Staff and volunteers can assist you with the application process.

Applications must include the following information:

  • SIG name.
  • A primary contact person for the application.
  • Explanation of how the proposed SIG fits within APP's mission.
  • An estimate of the number of potential SIG members.
  • An explanation of how marketing to those potential members will occur.
  • An explanation of how vetting those that apply to be part of the SIG will occur.
  • Explanation of the need for the new SIG, including its specific purpose.
  • The topical areas to be included or encompassed.
  • Description of the pool of committed leadership available to establish and maintain the proposed SIG. 
  • A list of at least five individuals who will serve as the initial leadership for the SIG.

Upon receipt, APP's Governance Committee will review the application, request any clarifications, and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors.  The Board will vote on the application and notify the applicants of their decision. 

Do SIGs have rules?

Yes.  SIGs adhere to many of the same policies as APP Committees. However, SIGs are more independent in that they establish their own goals and activities. There are some policies that apply specifically to SIGs that can be found in Section 2 of the Board's Policy and Procedure Manual. 

There are three major requirements for SIGs:

  • SIGs are required to have a charter, where they define their mission and focus, and where they may define additional rules or restrictions--such as any restriction on membership.
  • SIGs must also closely monitor potential conflicts of interest and adhere to APP's antitrust compliance policies.
  • SIGs must remain active, with evidence of leadership, multiple members, regular meetings, and a brief annual report on SIG activities.

For more information, please contact us at info@paymentpros.org.