The Code Administrator as a Critical Friend

In order to ensure market participants are provided with the support they need, a Code Administrator has a role as a ‘critical friend’. The main aspects of the critical friend role are outlined below:

Our role

Providing Primary Contacts

Please follow the following link to key industry contacts.

If you have any questions, you can either contact your company Contract Manager

Providing key information to support code parties

Our team are here to help you and we can provide information on:

Our role as the Code Administrator and what you can expect from us;
The change process and how to go about raising a Change Proposal (CP) and explain what Working Groups do and how to get involved in one;
The content of the DCUSA and how best to navigate through the document to find what you are looking for;
The current progress of various CPs and the activities being carried out by any Working Groups and/or Project Groups; and
Any consultations, requests for information and/or voting periods for CPs

We have also created a DCUSA welcome pack to provide a plain English summary of the code and its requirements. We now issue the welcome pack to new parties, but if you would like a copy to circulate across your organisation, just let us know through contacting our helpdesk.

Providing website guidance to code parties

The DCUSA website is reviewed regularly to ensure it provides parties with the information they need in an area where they would expect to find it. The home page has a quick access section to aid parties to the main areas, such as:

The DCUSA document – where you’ll find the latest version of the DCUSA as an entire document alongside separate sections and schedules as well as
Guidance and Information – where you can find the latest guidance documents, forms and templates and information published in accordance with the DCUSA
Change Proposal Register – to view details of current Change Proposals as well as the Change Proposal Register – Archive, where you will find previous Change Proposals that have been implemented/rejected or withdrawn.
Contacts & Support – where you can sign up to regular updates or become a website user
Committees & Groups – where you can view details of DCUSA Panel Meetings and Project Groups

There is also easy navigation to specific areas using the toolbar on the top of the page.

Providing Pre-Panel Information

Each month, we issue all DCUSA Parties with an agenda for each Panel meeting where Parties are encouraged to feedback any comments to their company or constituency representative, in order for their views to be shared. If you have any questions regarding upcoming Change Proposals, we also hold a Pre-Panel tele-conference, the Monday before the DCUSA Panel meeting. If you’re interested in joining us, please let us know through registering your interest at our helpdesk.

Alternatively, you can sign up to our monthly DCUSA newsletter, by scrolling to the bottom of the home page and filling in your details.

The team is also here to answer your questions on activities under the DCUSA Panel.

Being Impartial

As an experienced Code Administrator, we provide an independent Secretariat to support industry meetings and also independent Chairs for each Working Group or Sub-Group set up by the DCUSA Panel.

We also support smaller market participants on all Change Proposals through asking basic questions and playing devil’s advocate in solution developments and when required.

The Code Administrator as a Critical Friend