Group of representatives from a particular community or with differing interests, who are selected by government bodies to advise, comment, review, or make recommendations for action on any given issue. Terms of reference outline the responsibilities of advisory bodies.

Formal meeting usually between government and a stakeholder organization (public or private), mainly used to identify or clarify issues and increase the knowledge base on the issues. These meetings are part of a public involvement plan or strategy and exclude intermittent (meaning periodic or everyday) business meetings with stakeholders.

A consensus conference, or a citizens' conference, is where an unaffiliated group of individual citizens becomes informed about an issue and formulates a set of recommendations for policymakers and the public. Similar to a "citizens' jury" approach, the main aim of the project is to influence the policy-making process by opening up a dialogue between the public, experts, and government.

Users or purchasers of the products or services of the Branch or Health Canada who are a segment of the public.

Structured and usually moderated process to discuss and deliberate on issues. This public involvement method enables participants with differing values and priorities to interact, exercise influence, and build a common understanding of the problems and opportunities. Types of dialogue include e-dialogues, appreciative inquiries, and deliberative dialogues.

Structured process where specifically selected individuals are brought together to provide reactions to a specific topic, policy, project, or issue.

Organizations representing the interests of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, hospital administrators, natural health practitioners, alternate medicine practitioners, and other types of health professionals, are a segment of the public.

Distribution of feedback letters or information kits to stakeholders or interested parties to provide knowledge of a subject and seek input or comments (including e-mail notification).

Individuals who require or who are under medical care and are a segment of the public. A patient may also be a consumer; however, not all consumers are patients.

A public forum is a meeting where the public is invited to contribute input to a working group or advisory panel. A public forum broadens the discussion relating to a specific activity or project to include input from a wider audience and provides additional information and a broader perspective to panel or committee members. The input is an important element of the information considered in order to make a decision on an issue.

Defined broadly and inclusively to cover all the individuals or groups who may be interested in or affected by the decision-making body. The definition does not require the certainty that any individual or group has such an interest, just that they may have. The public therefore includes consumers, patients, professionals, academia, industry, and the groups that represent them.

Meeting open to stakeholders and the public where the government makes a formal presentation on a policy, project, or issue and the public is given the opportunity to react with questions and comments.

Meeting where a group of people gather to discuss specific issues on which they have a common interest or expertise. The concept of a "round" table comes simply from the fact that no one is the "head" of the table.

Individuals, groups, or organizations that are affected by or interested in an issue or policy. Stakeholders, interested parties, and affected parties are segments of the public consisting of those that the Branch knows are interested in the specific subject matter, based primarily on previous experience with them. The Branch interacts regularly with different types of stakeholders, such as health professionals, academia, industry, patients, and others.

Method of primary data collection based on communication with a representative sample of individuals using different information-gathering methods, such as mail-out questionnaires, in-person or telephone interviews, and e-mail and Internet-based methods.

Consultation in which selected participants with scientific or technical expertise are invited to provide input and feedback on the development of government guidelines, research programs, and so on (including expert working groups).

Posting of an invitation to provide input on a question, issue, or document on the World Wide Web (including a call for briefs or proposals).

Interactive meeting in which participants expect to be involved in group discussion on one or more theme areas. The intent is usually to identify problems and expectations or to recommend solutions.

Group of representatives from a particular community or with differing interests who are selected by government bodies to work together on a specific activity or project, toward a specific outcome. Working groups can work at strategic or operational levels.