Infant Feeding Joint Working Group - Terms of Reference

Preface

The Infant Feeding Joint Working Group will be responsible to:

1. Identify and prioritize infant feeding recommendations for revision
2. Guide the development of revised, evidence-informed, infant feeding recommendations for the healthy term infant.

Mandate

The Infant Feeding Joint Working Group, hereafter referred to as the Joint Working Group , will guide the revision of infant feeding recommendations for the healthy term infant by:

• assisting in the collection and review of current evidence to inform the revision
• reviewing and commenting on the draft documents and supporting materials
• liaising with their respective organizations to coordinate their review and sign-off of the recommendations prior to publication
• coordinating the broad dissemination of the recommendations

The Minister of Health retains final decision-making authority and accountability for the recommendations.

Responsibility Centre

Responsibility for the Joint Working Group rests with the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada.

Coordination and Secretariat

A member from the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion shall serve as the coordinator of the Joint Working Group.

Secretariat and administrative support services to the Joint Working Group will be provided by the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Membership

Membership on the Joint Working Group will include representatives from:

• Canadian Paediatric Society
• Dietitians of Canada
• Breastfeeding Committee for Canada
• Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada
• First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada
• Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada

The Joint Working Group may agree to invite ad hoc members to attend particular meetings or join the Joint Working Group. Ad hoc members follow the same rules and procedures as core members and review and provide advice on a particular topic or agenda item.

Responsibilities of the Joint Working Group Members

The primary responsibilities of members of the Joint Working Group are:

1. To participate in meetings of the Joint Working Group.
2. To contribute to the development of Joint Working Group initiatives by:
   • participating in planning activities;
   • providing input on draft recommendations and other materials prepared for the Joint Working Group;
   • serving as advocates for relevant issues to senior management of their respective organizations; and
   • liaising with their respective organizations to keep them informed of progress and ensure that the needs of their organizations are taken into account.
3. To provide any other support as deemed appropriate.

Travel and Expenses

Members expenses incurred during their work on the Joint Working Group such as travel and accommodation will be covered by the members' respective organization.

Security Clearance

Members are required to undergo a security clearance to the level of "reliability status". This may entail taking a member's fingerprints should the RCMP require them. The secretariat will supply the necessary paperwork to members.

Affiliations and Interests

Joint Working Group members external to government are required to complete the Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form. In keeping with the Privacy Act, a completed Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form is considered confidential. The Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion will not make public any information in the form without the member's permission. It is incumbent upon the member to update their declaration in writing, should their personal situation change. Joint Working Group 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 or company.

Media

Request from the media pertaining to the Joint Working Group's work will be directed to Health Canada , Media Relations who will coordinate responses with the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion and designated media spokesperson.

Transparency

Transparency of the Joint Working Group is served by posting the Terms of Reference and the membership list on Health Canada's website following their approval by the members of the Joint Working Group.

Meetings

The agenda for meetings of the Joint Working Group will be prepared by the coordinator with input from the Joint Working Group. Meetings of the Joint Working Group will be conducted by teleconference two to four times a year.

In addition, in-person meetings will be held one to two times a year. Meeting attendance is by invitation only. Invitations to attend a meeting are sent out by the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Meeting Summaries

Summaries of each meeting of the Joint Working Group will be prepared by the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion and circulated to members for their approval. The summaries will not contain references to comments made by individual members.

Tenure

Joint Working Group members are appointed by their organizations for the duration of the recommendation revision process (approximately 24 months).

An individual may withdraw from service on the Joint Working Group at any time with written notification addressed to the Director General of the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Funding

The ongoing operations of the Joint Working Group shall be funded through the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Financial contributions may be sought from the organizations represented by the Joint Working Group members to support selected activities, such as the development of background documents or issue papers.

Publication

The revised recommendations and any support material will be published in electronic format by Health Canada. Health Canada's website will present the revised recommendations as a product of the Joint Working Group.