Intersectoral Healthy Living Network

Terms of Reference

Background

At their annual meeting in September 2003, Ministers of Health approved the creation of an Intersectoral Healthy Living Network (IHLN) that would be responsible for addressing Healthy Living in a comprehensive, sustained manner. The purpose, structure and guiding principles of the IHLN are found below.

The IHLN will support and promote the vision for the Healthy Living Strategy - "a healthy nation in which all Canadians experience the conditions that support the attainment of good health". Two overarching goals have been identified for the Strategy, which will guide the work of the Network: to improve health outcomes, and to reduce health disparities.

The IHLN will be made up of a grouping of various existing and newly formed structures and/or networks that have a vested interest in healthy living and are committed to moving the Strategy forward. At present, existing networks across the country address a wide range of issues (chronic disease, healthy living, physical activity) within their own jurisdictions and collaboration across sectors (governments and stakeholders - voluntary, public, and private sectors) is varied. The establishment of a national level network will be the catalyst which will bring together key players across governments and sectors. The Network will act as the Pan-Canadian forum to facilitate broad intersectoral involvement, integration and alignment in action, and enable the operationalization of the principles of the Strategy Framework. A national network will also act as a body that will set the specific outcomes, targets and indicators for the Strategy, and advise the ACPHHS on priorities, development, implementation and evaluation of the Strategy. These are key actions that are critical to arriving at and advancing a strategy ready for implementation.

Purpose

The Intersectoral Healthy Living Network is responsible for:

• Acting as a vehicle to direct and advance the development of the Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy and its implementation
• Advising the Advisory Committee on Population Health and Health Security (ACPHHS) and other stakeholders on the effective and efficient development and implementation of the Healthy Living Strategy;
• Encouraging and promoting the integration and coordination of ongoing activities related to healthy living, with a first emphasis on physical activity, healthy eating and their relationship to healthy weights;
• Fostering partnerships and opportunities for collaboration among sectors and across jurisdictions;
• Communicating consistent messages on key issues; and
• Providing a platform for discussion and debate around future priorities and directions of the Healthy Living Strategy.

Guiding Principles

Consistent with the overall Strategy, the work of the Network will be guided by principles of integration, partnership and shared responsibility and best practices.

Inclusiveness and intersectoral participation is considered key to ensuring adherence to these principles and the success of the Strategy. It will be ensured by broad representation, including:

• government, private and non-profit organizations;
• various sectors (e.g., agriculture, education, environment, finance, health, infrastructure, sports & recreation, transportation, health promotion processes);
• target populations (children & youth, seniors, women, people with disabilities, immigrants and refugees);
• issues (e.g., nutrition, healthy weights/obesity, physical activity, chronic disease prevention/health promotion, social capital, community development and relevant health determinants, such as income);
• professions (academia/research, marketing/communications, health, etc.); and
• Aboriginal Peoples.

Note that sectoral representation may change depending on focus for each area of emphasis of the Strategy.

Structure

The Intersectoral Healthy Living Network will be composed of:

• National/provincial/territorial networks
• Coordinating Committee: comprised of one representative from each of the intersectoral national/provincial/territorial networks and additional sector-specific representatives, as needed

Meetings

Members of the Intersectoral Healthy Living Network will meet on an annual basis.

National/provincial/territorial networks

Mandate

The specific mandate of each national and provincial/territorial network will be determined by each jurisdiction. Networks will be well positioned to support the development and implementation of the Strategy across the country and to foster partnerships and opportunities for collaboration among sectors and across jurisdictions.

Membership

Membership will consist of representation by government, private and non-profit organizations, and various sectors, target populations, issues and professions.

Coordinating Committee

Mandate

The Coordinating Committee provides leadership for the Intersectoral Healthy Living Network, and ensures that the purpose and guiding principles are upheld. The Coordinating Committee oversees the work of the Working Groups, formulates advice and recommendations for the ACPHHS and other stakeholders, and maintains communication with members of the Network.

Membership

Co-Chairs

The Coordinating Committee will have three co-chairs: one federal government representative; one provincial/territorial government representative; and one representative of the non-government sector. The Co-Chairs serve two-year terms; the governmental Co-Chairs' terms will be staggered. The Co-Chairs of the HLTG will be the first governmental Co-Chairs.

Co-Chairs will:

• Call and chair meetings of the Coordinating Committee and of the Executive.
• Solicit agenda items for meetings of the Coordinating Committee.
• Arrange for the completion and distribution of minutes from Coordinating Committee meetings.
• Through a defined communication mechanism of the Coordinating Committee, maintain communication with members of the Network on relevant issues of the Network.

Executive

In addition to the co-chairs, members of the Coordinating Committee will nominate 4 to 5 members to sit on the Executive to interact directly with the ACPHHS. The Executive will forward advice from the Coordinating Committee to ACPHHS and other stakeholders and prepare annual reports.

Coordinating Committee

The Coordinating Committee is comprised of representatives selected from each of the intersectoral national/provincial/territorial networks. Members will represent the views of their national/provincial/territorial network, not the interests of their specific organizations or sectors.

The Coordinating Committee is itself intersectoral, ensuring balanced representation by government, private and non-profit organizations, and various sectors, target populations, issues and professions.

During the initial call for nominations, each jurisdiction/network via ACPHHS will be asked to provide three nominations for their representative on the Coordinating Committee. Members will be selected to achieve intersectoral representation. Subsequently, the Coordinating Committee will issue calls for nomination, asking networks to identify representatives who meet sectoral criteria to fill gaps/needs on the Coordinating Committee.

Additional representatives will be appointed to round out the Coordinating Committee (for a maximum of 20 to 25 members).

Specific organizations represented will depend on the current focus of the Strategy. Initially, representatives will be sought from:

• Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada ;
• Council of Ministers of Education of Canada ;
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities;
• F/P/T Deputy Ministers Responsible for Sport, Fitness and Recreation;
• 2-3 private sector representatives (e.g., food industry, sports equipment retailers, etc.);
• Aboriginal representation;
• Representation from the environment sector (tbc)
• Childhood and Adolescence Task Group
• Coalition for Active Living
• Network on Healthy Eating

Coordinating Committee members will:

• Contribute to and endorse the purpose and guiding principles of the Intersectoral Healthy Living Network.
• Be transparent about their personal and organizational agendas for the benefit of the Intersectoral Healthy Living Network.
• Bring a high level of expertise and relevant information to the Network.
• Disseminate information in a timely manner among members of their jurisdiction's network and organizations in their sector.
• • Oversee the ongoing work of the Network's Working Groups.
• Strive to participate fully in meetings and the work of the Coordinating Committee to the best level of their capacity and update identified alternates in a timely manner.
• Be prepared to be replaced if they (and their designated alternate) miss two consecutive meetings.

Alternates

Each Coordinating Committee member will identify an alternate from their jurisdiction (based on the two other nominations from their respective jurisdiction). Alternates are welcome to attend all meetings of the Coordinating Committee, but each jurisdiction shall only have one vote at meetings.

Term and Selection

The Coordinating Committee will ratify its slate of members every two years. A quorum decision-making model shall be used to nominate replacements for vacant positions on the Coordinating Committee. Approval for appointments will be sought from the ACPHHS.

Operations and Logistics

Meetings

The Coordinating Committee will meet four (4) times per year.

Decisions

The Coordinating Committee shall use the following guide to decision-making:

• A quorum decision-making model shall be used, whereby at least 2/3 of members must be in agreement.
• Decisions made for all agenda items will be circulated one week prior to the meeting.
• Decisions made on topics added to the agenda after agenda circulation or at the meeting may be re-opened for further discussion and/or decision.
• It is the members' responsibilities to respond to decisions within deadlines or forego the opportunity to be involved with that decision.

Minutes

Meetings of the Coordinating Committee will be recorded in minutes prepared by the secretariat and distributed to members and alternates in a timely fashion. Once approved, minutes are public and will be posted on the web.

Expenses

Coordinating Committee members will be expected to cover their own time and travel expenses. Expenses will be covered from a shared pot of resources for organizations which would otherwise be unable to participate (criteria to be developed).

Proposed Activities

Initially, activities for the Coordinating Committee could include:

• Identify existing environmental scans of policies, programs, data and gaps at various jurisdictional levels, integrate information gathered, identify gaps in information to guide further work in this area and, where appropriate, develop and conduct work on policies, programs and research;
• Determine specific outcomes, targets and indicators of the Strategy;
• Further develop and advise ACPHHS on the first areas of emphasis of the Strategy according to the Strategy Framework endorsed by F/P/T Ministers in September 2003, based on outcomes and indicators of the Strategy;
• Develop and forward recommendations on the implementation of healthy living activities to other F/P/T fora (e.g., sports and recreation, education, environment), as appropriate;
• Explore and determine mechanisms to integrate existing strategies;
• Explore options around the coordination of ongoing research activities;
• Recommend objectives, criteria and priorities for the Intersectoral Community Fund;
• Establish mechanisms to ensure ongoing communication among Network members;
• Consider Aboriginal needs in the development of future actions;
• Establish and oversee working groups, as required;
• Prepare annual report to ACPHHS on activities of the IHLN.

Working Groups

The Coordinating Committee will establish Working Groups to undertake specific actions/tasks to facilitate the implementation of the Healthy Living Strategy. Initially, Working Groups would be formed to address the action items that have been approved by Ministers.

Working Groups will be composed of members from national/provincial/territorial networks and external representatives, as required, who possess relevant expertise for identified tasks. Appointments will be made by the Coordinating Committee. Working Groups will be led by a member of the Coordinating Committee, who will be responsible for reporting to the Coordinating Committee on work undertaken.

Secretariat

The responsibilities of the secretariat will include:

• organization of logistics for face-to-face and teleconference meetings of the Coordinating Committee, Executive and Working Groups;
• preparation of agendas (with co-chairs) and minutes for these meetings;
• administration of contracts for projects undertaken by the Coordinating Committee and its Working Groups; and
• support to the Coordinating Committee and the Executive in the preparation of annual reports to ACPHHS.