Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group - Terms of Reference

Preface

The Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group will advise Health Canada on the review and update of infant feeding recommendations for health professionals in Canada.

The Terms of Reference adheres to Health Products and Food Branch's Guidance on Advisory Bodies, which sets out best practices and standards for the establishment and management of advisory bodies.

The Terms of Reference of the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group was endorsed by members and approved on May 7, 2010.

Mandate

The Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group will provide Health Canada with advice and expertise on the revision of nutrition and feeding recommendations for the healthy term infant. The Department always retains decision-making authority and responsibilities.

The Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group will provide advice and expertise to the Department on the revision of infant feeding recommendations by:

• reviewing and commenting on the draft material prepared by the Infant Feeding Joint Working Group, including recommendations, background documents, supporting material and input from stakeholder consultation
• assisting in the identification of research and sources of information
• promoting the broad dissemination of the revised recommendations

Reporting Structure/Governance

The Department is represented by the Director General of the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, who acts as the executive secretary to the advisory body. The Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group will report directly to the Director General of the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Membership

Members of the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group are recruited through an open and targeted nomination process. This process is designed to ensure requisite expertise and experience and a variety of perspectives, promoting diversity and inclusiveness.

The chair and members are appointed by the executive secretary. In considering whom to appoint, the Department will consult with the members of the Infant Feeding Joint Working Group.

Membership considerations

Membership is determined by the mandate of the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group. The advisory group must have at least 4 core members, and it should have no more than 8. Membership may be periodically adjusted to ensure the appropriate representation of expertise and experience.

Membership of the advisory body should include, but is not limited to, the following areas of expertise or experience:

• Expertise in lactation, allergy sensitization, vitamin D, infant development and breastfeeding research.
• Experience in sectors such as public health and family medicine practice.

The Department will seek a variety of perspectives within the advisory body to ensure that the advice the Department receives is comprehensive. Members of the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group will include but are not limited to the following:

• Researchers and academics with specialized expertise.
• Health professionals, including those with practical and clinical experience.
• Leading experts professionally recognized in their fields.

In order to preserve the independence of both the advisory body and the federal government as decision maker, Health Canada staff will not serve as members of the group.

Ad hoc members

The executive secretary may invite ad hoc members to attend particular meetings or join the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group for a defined time period. Ad hoc members follow the same rules and procedures as core members and provide advice on a particular topic or agenda item.

Affiliations and Interests

To be considered for appointment, potential members of the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group are required to complete and return the Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form for Advisory Body Members. In keeping with the Privacy Act, a completed Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form is considered confidential. The Department will not make public any information in the form without the member's permission. However, as a condition of membership, members will allow the Department to publish on its Web site a summary of expertise, experience and affiliations and interests.

In addition to publishing the summary, the chair will also ask members to make a verbal statement of any changes to their relevant affiliations and interests at the beginning of each meeting.

It is incumbent upon the member to update their declaration in writing, should their personal situation change. The Department will review declarations prior to appointment and as updates occur.

Members are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner; the use of their positions cannot be reasonably construed to be for their private gain or that of any other person, company, or organization.

Confidentiality

In order to support their ability to provide well-informed advice, advisory group members may receive and discuss at meetings information from Health Canada that is confidential in nature.

Every person must sign a confidentiality agreement before participating in the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group as a member, invited guest, observer, or resource person. The agreement prohibits the disclosure of any confidential information received through participation in the group, including information received orally or in writing. The Secretariat will mark information according to the level to which it is protected under the Policy on Government Security. The executive secretary will ensure that everyone participating in the meeting, teleconference, and email exchange or in another form of communication has received clear instructions on the confidentiality of the proceedings.

Security Clearance

All members are required to attain an appropriate reliability status and/or security clearance. This may require the member to submit fingerprints to the RCMP should that be necessary. Once granted, a reliability status / security clearance will be valid for the applicable period. The secretariat will supply the paperwork to members.

Legal Assistance and Indemnification

All members serve on the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group on a volunteer basis. In keeping with Treasury Board's Volunteers Policy members acting within the mandate of the advisory body in a voluntary capacity are eligible for the same protection against personal civil liability as Crown servants.

Crown servants are eligible for legal assistance and indemnification at public expense when the criteria in Treasury Board's Policy on Legal Assistance and Indemnification are met. In determining eligibility, the approval authority is to determine whether the Crown servant acted in good faith, within the scope of their duties or course of employment; and did not act against the interests of the Crown."

In keeping with the above, Health Canada undertakes to provide its volunteer members with protection against civil liability provided the volunteer member acted in good faith, within the scope of their volunteer duties; and did not act against the interests of the Crown.

Travel and Expenses

Members will be reimbursed for expenses incurred during their work on the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group, such as travel and accommodation, according to the Treasury Board's Travel Directive and Hospitality Policy.

Tenure

Members are appointed by the executive secretary for the life of the advisory group - anticipated to be 2 to 3 years. Membership will be reviewed on a regular basis by the secretariat, which will make recommendations to the executive secretary.

Process of resignation

Members will provide resignation notice in writing and address it to the executive secretary. The letter should state the effective date of resignation.

Reasons for termination

A member's failure to act according to the Terms of Reference may give cause for termination. If this is the case, the executive secretary will advise the member in writing, stating the reason for the termination and the effective date.

Reasons for terminations could include the following:

• Failing to attend three consecutive meetings of the advisory group.
• Failing to respond to communications from the coordinator for a period of more than six months, without giving prior notification of the extended absence.

Roles and Responsibilities

Members

Members of an advisory body have a responsibility to Health Canada and, by extension, to Canadians to offer their independent and objective advice. Other responsibilities include:

• being available and prepared to participate in meetings;
• participating in discussions to provide advice on the revision of the recommendations;
• notifying the secretariat of any changes in the status of their affiliations and interests relevant to the mandate; and
• making a verbal statement of changes to their affiliations and interests at the beginning of a meeting.

Chair

In addition to all the responsibilities of a member, the chair is responsible for the following:

• chairing meetings;
• facilitating discussion among members in answering the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion's questions and preparing advice;
• ensuring that all members agree with, or note their disagreement with, the advice to the Department; and
• assisting in delivering the advice to the Department via the secretariat.

Secretariat

The secretariat, the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, liaises between members and chair, and the Department and acts a resource for members providing leadership and strategic advice in the management of the group and works closely with the chair and executive secretary. In addition, the secretariat:

• coordinates preparation of the meeting agendas and minutes, records of proceedings and draft and final document, and member biographies, and maintains any information about the group, its mandate, or work that may be posted on the Health Canada Web site;
• coordinates the processing of the Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form for Advisory Body Members, Confidentiality Agreement, and security clearance;
• coordinates preparation of information for the advisory body;
• coordinates meeting logistics including requests for travel reimbursement;
• helps to prepare the member designated as media spokesperson, as appropriate;
• monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of the advisory body; and
• carries out additional duties as appropriate in support of the advisory body.

The secretariat receives guidance and support from the Infant Feeding Joint Working Group with representation from within the Health portfolio, Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Executive Secretary

The executive secretary is the Director General of the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion who represents the Department and makes decisions about the advisory body and its advice. The executive secretary works closely with the secretariat. The executive secretary reports back to the group at the beginning of each meeting on next steps and, if applicable, the impact of the advice received.

Media and communications

Discussion of Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group's work with the media or at conferences or other external events should be done only with the prior authorization of the executive secretary.

All media requests related to the advisory group's statements or activities will be directed to Health Canada Media Relations who will coordinate responses with the executive secretary and the designated media spokesperson.

Management and Administration

Transparency

HPFB's Guidance on Advisory Bodies reflects the Branch's continued commitment to transparency as an operating principle. Transparency of the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group is served by:

• ensuring that meeting schedules are predictable, where possible; and
• posting Advisory Group materials, with confidential and personal information removed, on Health Canada's Web site. These materials include the following: Terms of Reference, membership, and biographies of members summarizing their expertise and experience, and affiliations and interests, meeting summaries and progress reports.

Meeting agendas

Specific questions and issues for advisory body discussions will be determined by the executive secretary with input from the members. Members may be canvassed for relevant agenda items at least four weeks before scheduled meetings.

Meeting notice and invitations

All meetings are held at the call of the secretariat in consultation with the chair. Meeting attendance is by invitation only. The secretariat sends invitations to attend a meeting. Members generally receive the agenda and briefing material two weeks in advance of a meeting.

Frequency, type, and location of meetings

Meetings will be held 1 - 2 times a year in Ottawa. Additional meetings and/or teleconferences may be held on a needs basis at the discretion of the executive secretary.

For meetings, members should make every effort to ensure that a secure line is used for teleconferences and that only people who have been approved by the secretariat can listen to the proceedings.

Observers

The executive secretary, may allow individuals, organizations, or members of the general public to observe a meeting, or parts of a meeting. Observers do not provide input on agenda items and do not participate in the formulation of advice to the Department.

Invited guests

The executive secretary, may invite individuals with particular expertise or experience to provide input on a specific topic or agenda item.

Public input

If the Department decides to seek broad public input on a topic related to the mandate of the advisory group, the executive secretary will advise on the process to be used and the organization of the public input activity. If a public forum process is contemplated, it will be guided by the HPFB Guidance on Public Forums.

Deliberations and reports

Advice from the Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group is in the form of a meeting summary. The advisory body is encouraged to reach a consensus in providing advice whenever possible. When a consensus is not possible, the meeting record will reflect the diversity of opinions. The advisory body would not provide recommendations unless a quorum is present. The quorum is determined to be two thirds of the members.

Meeting summaries will be prepared by the secretariat and circulated to members for review and for final approval by the executive secretary. Meeting summaries will effectively summarize the proceedings to reflect the advice offered and are non-attributable: there will be no references to comments made by individual members. An abbreviated version of the final meeting summaries will be posted on Health Canada's Web site

Review

The executive secretary may review the mandate, activities, Terms of Reference, and relevance of Infant Feeding Expert Advisory Group every two years to ensure that it continues to meet ongoing needs. The Department retains the prerogative to disband the body following such a review. Recommendations for improvement will be considered on an ongoing basis.