PI 101

Health Canada relies on your involvement to enable us to launch new initiatives and build public trust. We use public involvement techniques to:

• Inform the public.
• Give the public a voice on issues of public concern.
• Include the public in our decision-making process.

When we engage the public, we not only engage citizens but also the individuals and groups affected by an issue.

Who Are We?

There are many experts in Public Involvement and Consultation spread among the branches and programs of Health Canada. Some examples of centralized groups that provide such expertise are The Corporate Consultation Secretariat and The Office of Consumer and Public Involvement.

What Is Consultation?

Consultation is a general term that encompasses techniques used to facilitate a two-way flow of information where there are options for consideration and opportunities for feedback.

Consultations are one way that Health Canada involves the public in our decision-making processes.

Health Canada conducts more than 100 consultations a year and the department interacts regularly with different types of stakeholders, that is, individuals and groups that have a "stake" in a particular issue and its outcome. From time to time, Health Canada seeks input from citizens on strategic issues.

Whom Do We Consult?

Health Canada interacts regularly with different types of stakeholders - individuals and groups that have a "stake" in a particular issue and its outcome - by using a mixture of public involvement techniques. Here are some examples of the ways that we have engaged stakeholders in the past.

Examples of Stakeholder Interactions