IOI Regulations - Statutes

(Approved - Turkey IOI 1999)

Sections

  1. Preamble
  2. Definitions
  3. Objectives and Means
  4. Office Bearers and Tasks
  5. Host Nomination and Selection
  6. Responsibilities of Present Host
  7. Competition, Judging and Awards
  8. Revisions of the Regulations

Section 1: Preamble

S1.1

The Statutes, the Explications and the Appendices together form the Regulations of the International Olympiad in Informatics.

S1.2

Details of procedures and responsibilities are described in the Appendices.

S1.3

The official working language of the IOI is English.

S1.4

In the scope of the IOI the concept informatics means the domain that is also known as computer science, computing science and information technology, but not the domain computer engineering.

S1.5

In the Statutes the following abbreviations are used:

Section 2: Definitions

S2.1

The International Olympiad in Informatics (as an ongoing event) is an annual international informatics competition for individual Contestants from various invited Countries, accompanied by social and cultural programmes.

S2.2

The organization of the International Olympiad in Informatics in year n (IOI'n) is the responsibility of a the Host Country for year n.

S2.3

A Host Country consists of the responsible Ministry(ies), Institution(s), and/or Corporation(s) in that Country. A Host Country can have the status of Past Host, Present Host, Future Host or Host Candidate.

S2.4

For the IOI, a Country is a nation or state that has an officially recognized relationship with the United Nations, UNESCO, or which has already taken part in one or more past IOIs.

S2.5

A National Delegation of a country is to be headed by a Delegation Leader. If the status of the National Delegation is:

Participating, the Delegation includes in general a team of one to four Contestants and a Deputy Leader;

Observing, the Delegation may include only a Deputy Leader but no contestants.

All members of a National Delegation are from one Country.

S2.6

A Contestant is a student who was enrolled at a school for secondary education during the period September to December in the year before IOI'n, and is not older than twenty years on the 1st of July of the year of IOI'n.

S2.7

An Observer is a representative of:

A new Country for the IOI;

UNESCO, IFIP, or Board of Patrons;

Future Host, or Present Host;

the International Secretariat.

A country can only have Observer status for one year. Exceptions may be considered for previously participating countries that have not participated in an IOI contest for more than 3 consecutive years.

Section 3: Objectives and Means

The main objectives to be accomplished by the IOI are:

S3.1

To discover, encourage, bring together, challenge, and give recognition to young people who are exceptionally talented in the field of informatics.

S3.2

To foster friendly international relationships among computer scientists and informatics educators.

S3.3

To bring the discipline of informatics to the attention of young people.

S3.4

To promote the organization of informatics competitions for students at schools for secondary education.

S3.5

To encourage Countries to organize a future IOI in their Country.

Section 4: Office Bearers and Tasks

International Committee

Secretary - General of the IOI, Chair of the IC

International Secretariat

Board of Patrons

Host Team, Chair of IOI'n

Scientific Committee, Chair of the SC

General Assembly

President of the GA

S4.1

The International Committee (IC) is a long-term, standing committee, which consists of eleven voting members, all, apart from the Secretary-General, representing different Participating Countries:

To act on behalf of the GA between IOI'n-1 and IOI'n, and to inform the GA about the activities of the IC during this period;

To meet with the Host of IOI'n in the Host Country, at least six months before IOI'n, in order to

At meetings of the IC, the voting procedure is on the basis of "one voting member, one vote". The members of the IC are committed to share information about their tasks.

The IC may invite a representative of the IS and a representative of IFIP to attend the IC meetings. These representatives do not have voting rights, nor do any other invitees.

A quorum of at least five voting members must be present at any official meeting of the IC.

S4.2

The Secretary-General of the IOI (as an ongoing position) is the Chair of the IC, and remains in that position until the Closing Ceremony of IOI'n. This position is held by a member of the Host Team of IOI'n-1. After the Closing Ceremony of IOI'n the position is held by a member of the Host Team of IOI'n.

The Secretary-General is not a member of a National Delegation.

The Chair of IC must provide the minutes of the IC meetings and distribute them within 30 days to IC members. Once approved they must be published by IS.

S4.3

In the absence of the Secretary-General of the IOI, the role of the Secretary-General is taken up by one of the IC members present.

S4.4

The International Secretariat (IS) is a secretariat servicing the IOI. This secretariat is established by volunteer Ministry(ies), Institution(s), and/or Corporation(s) of a Country for a minimum period of three years. The IS is nominated by the GA. The IS has the following tasks:

S4.5

The Board of Patrons (BP) is a permanent body, constituted by the IC from respected members of the world of information technology and business. The BP has the necessary profile and influence to:

S4.6

The Host Team of IOI'n is the organizing committee which is nominated by the Present Host (i.e. the Host of IOI'n), and which acts on its behalf. The Chair of IOI'n is the Chair of the Host Team. The Chair of IOI'n is not a member of a National Delegation. The Host Team includes as members:

The tasks of the Present Host and Host Team are drawn up in section S6.

S4.7

The Scientific Committee of IOI'n (SC) is a temporary committee, which is nominated by the Present Host, and is composed of experts in informatics and/or informatics education from the Host Country. The Chair of the SC is a member of the Host Team. Members of the SC are not members of a National Delegation. The SC has the following tasks:

The Chair of the SC, or an SC member, is required to attend IOI'n-1 as an observer.

S4.8

The General Assembly (GA) is a temporary, short-term committee during IOI'n, which is composed of

The GA:

The GA has the following tasks:

S4.9

The GA must hold at least six private meetings:

The GA meetings should be attended by:

The GA meetings may be attended by the members of the SC, the members of the Host Team, and the Observers.

Guests may also attend meetings of the GA with permission of the President of the GA.

The GA meetings may NOT be attended by Contestants.

S4.10

The President of the GA of IOI'n is the Chair of the GA. In voting procedures the President does not vote, but the President may cast the deciding vote.

The President is a member of the Host Team. The President is not a member of a National Delegation.

The President of GA must provide the minutes of the decisions of the GA which impact on the future of operations and/or Statutes of IOI. After being ratified by IC at the first practical opportunity they will be passed on to IS for publicising.

S4.11

The role of the Vice-President of the GA is taken up by the Chair of IOI'n+1. By default,

the future Chair the Host Team of the Host Country for IOI'n+2 will be Vice-President.

The Vice-President takes over in the absence of the President.

S4.12

The IOI Scientific Committee (ISC) is established to work with the SC of each Host Country to ensure continuity and quality control for IOI competitions.

The ISC, a long-term standing committee, is responsible for ensuring that the problem set has been created, overseeing of the test data, and supervising the creation and implementation of the grading system. The ISC consists of 7 voting members all of them computer specialists with a background in Olympiad task creation:

This structure ensures that the committee has both long-term and experienced members along with representatives of present, past and future organizers.

The ISC has a chair elected from and by the committee members. The ISC reports directly to the IC.

The IC proposes a list of candidates for the ISC. The GA can extend that list with any candidate supported by at least five participating countries.

When a member is proposed to represent Host Country n+1, he will be a member for three years.

At meetings of the ISC, the voting procedure is on the basis of "one voting member, one vote". The members of the ISC are committed to share information about their tasks.

The ISC may select adjunct members who may include Host Country representatives and other suitable persons. Adjunct members will not have a vote on the committee nor do any other invitees.

The ISC meets during IOI'n-1, where guidelines for producing the problems of IOI'n will be fixed and

proposals can be made. The ISC will be in frequent communication with SC of the Host Country and will also meet 2-3 months before each IOIn to screen the problem set, test the grading system and therefore guarantee the smooth operation of IOIn.

The ISC members travelling costs are at their own expense but accommodation is at the Host Country expense. ISC members may also meet outside the Host Country provided suitable conditions are offered.

ISC members, including the adjunct members, may not have contact with the students after seeing the tasks. They are obliged to keep IOI task descriptions and all related material confidential until published at the IOI.

Section 5: Host Nomination and Selection

S5.1

An official representative of a Country that is capable and willing to organize an IOI in a particular year, must submit a Letter of Intent to the Secretary-General of the IOI.

S5.2

The IC performs a selection procedure and prepares a List of candidates who are willing to organize future IOIs. A Country has the status of Host Candidate after the List has been approved by the GA.

S5.3

The Secretary-General of the IOI issues an official written Invitation to the Host Candidate, more than two years before that particular IOI.

S5.4

A Host Candidate receives the status of Future Host when the Invitation is accepted by the Host Candidate, and confirmed in writing to the Secretary-General of the IOI, at least two years before that particular IOI. The IC informs the GA at the first General Assembly after this confirmation.

S5.5

The Present Host is the Host which prepares and implements IOI'n.

S5.6

It is the intention of IC that the status of Host Candidate be conferred no earlier than IOI'n-5 and the status of Future Host be confirmed up to IOI'n-4.

Section 6: Responsibilities of Present Host

S6.1

The Present Host of IOI'n is obliged to organize and implement IOI'n in accordance with the Regulations.

S6.2

The Present Host is obliged to establish a Host Team which acts on its behalf.

S6.3

The Present Host is obliged to establish a SC.

S6.4

The Present Host is obliged to prepare:

S6.5

The Present Host is obliged to organise a meeting of the IC in the Host Country, at least six months before IOI'n.

This IC meeting has the following tasks:

S6.6

The Present Host is obliged to empower the IC to invite to IOI'n:

and to send information to all invitees, at least four months before IOI'n, about the

S6.6.1

The Present Host can and should communicate it's own wishes concerning the invitation of the Participants to the IC.

S6.6.2

Participants will be invited and participate in IOI'n under the names which have most recently been used by the International Olympic Committee.

S6.6.3

The Present Host may want to have a second team in IOI'n. If so:

S6.7

The travel costs to and from the town where the IC has its meeting, or where IOI'n is located, are at the expense of all IC members and all Participants, Observers and Guests. Costs for board and lodging during the IC meeting, or during IOI'n, are at the expense of the Present Host for all IC members, all Participants and Observers of new Countries, UNESCO, IFIP, IS and BP representatives. Other Observers and Guests have to pay a reasonable fee which is fixed by the Present Host.

S6.8

The Host of IOI'n is obliged to produce a report of IOI'n, and send it to the Delegation Leaders of Observing and Participating Countries, members of the IC, IS, and BP, no later than six months after IOI'n. A draft report should be sent to the members of the IC no later than three months after IOI'n.

S6.9

The Host of IOI'n is obliged to:

by the end of the IOIn.

Section 7: Competition, Judging and Awarding

S7.1

The informatics Competition will take place during two Competition Days, which both are directly preceded and followed by a non-Competition Day.

S7.2

The Host should give the Contestants the opportunity to practise on the competition equipment, or comparable equipment, on the non-Competition Days.

S7.3

On both Competition Days the Host must ensure that GA members do NOT meet and/or come into any form of contact with Contestants before or during the Competition.

No communication devices may be used by the delegates or students from the time the problems are made known to the delegates and until the embargo is lifted by the President of the GA.

S7.4

On both Competition Days the IOI Competition and Judging must follow the general procedures described in statements S7.5 to S7.13. These procedures are described in detail in the Competition Procedures and Judging Procedures.

S7.5

The SC must present printed Competition Procedures, Judging Procedures and Competition Tasks to the meeting of the GA for approval. The Delegation and Deputy Leaders may translate the approved Competition Procedures and Competition Tasks into their national languages, without giving any additional information. All translated tasks must be made available for scrutiny by all Delegation and Deputy Leaders during IOI'n.

S7.6

The Contestants are required to solve the Competition Tasks given to them, together with any translations, but without any oral information.

S7.7

During the Competition each Contestant must work independently on a desk with an appropriate computer, printed Competition Procedures, translated if so required, and pencil and paper.

S7.8

During the Competition, Contestants must obey the Competition Procedures.

S7.9

From the start of the Competition the GA must be present for at least the first hour to translate into English any questions put by the Contestants about the Competition Tasks. The questions are to be answered by the SC, and if required, the GA, with YES, NO, or NO COMMENT.

S7.10

After the period of question-time the GA is not required until the Judging procedure begins.

S7.11

The Judging Procedures are to be carried out directly after the Competition.

S7.12

When a Leader has registered a disagreement, the Leader should be available for a consultation between a member of the SC and the Evaluator the day after the Competition Day in question.

The consultation may lead to a new allocation of points. If the Leader does still not agree with the evaluation, this will be registered on the Evaluation Form together with his arguments.

The arguments will then be discussed by the SC, and the SC will make a final proposal of points.

If this final proposal is not accepted by the Leader, the Leader can bring the controversy to the GA.

The GA will make a final decision after presentations by the Chair of the SC and the Leader.

S7.13

The number of points achieved by the Contestants may NOT be made public before the Awards and Closing Ceremony.

S7.14

After the second Competition Day and before the IOI Awards Ceremony the SC must make a proposal to the GA regarding the awarding of medals to the contestants on the basis of the number of points they achieved. Not more than half of the Contestants are to receive medals on the basis that:

This final meeting of the GA must confirm the scores and the awards of the Contestants.

Section 8: Revisions of the Regulations

S8.1

Revisions of the Statutes are prepared and proposed by the IC, and are adopted by the GA by a majority of votes.

S8.2

Revisions of the Explications and the Appendices can be proposed by the GA or the IC, and are to be adopted by the GA by a majority of votes.


Created by Tom Verhoeff on MAY-12-95
Updated on JUN-02-95 by daniel.weiler@ci.educ.lu from CIL
Updated on JUN-23-95 by Richard Verhoeven
Updated on FEB-05-96 by Peter Hanak
Edited and updated as at 17-AUG-98 by Per Stilborg
Updated as at 14-OCT-99 by Per Stilborg