<P> As with other committees, the specific duties and role of the steering committee vary among organizations . </P> <P> A special committee (or working, select, or ad hoc committee) is established to accomplish a particular task or to oversee a specific area in need of control or oversight . Many are research or coordination committees in type or purpose, and are temporary . Some are a sub-group of a larger society with a particular area of interest which are organized to meet and discuss matters pertaining to their interests . For example, a group of astronomers might be organized to discuss how to get the larger society to address near earth objects . A subgroup of engineers and scientists of a large project's development team could be organized to solve some particular issue with offsetting considerations and trade - offs . Once the committee makes its final report to its parent body, the special committee ceases to exist . </P> <P> A committee that is a subset of a larger committee is called a subcommittee . Committees that have a large workload may form subcommittees to further divide the work . Subcommittees report to the parent committee and not to the general assembly . </P> <P> When the entire assembly meets as a committee to discuss or debate, this is called a "committee of the whole". This is not an actual committee but a procedural device that is more commonly used in legislative bodies . </P>

Describe the structure function and membership of the committee