GOVERNANCE POLICY: GP-13  Council Planning Cycle and Agenda

1. The Council shall maintain control of its own agenda by developing each year no later than the second quarter of the Council’s term of office, an annual schedule which includes, but is not limited to:

1.1  Considered review of the Ends in a timely fashion which allows the Registrar to build a budget.

1.2  Consultations with selected groups in the ownership, or other methods of gaining ownership input, prior to the above review.

1.3  Scheduled time for education related to ends determination (for example, presentations relating to the external environment, demographic information, exploration of future perspectives which may have implications, presentations by advocacy groups, and staff).

1.4  Scheduled time for monitoring of the Council’s own compliance with its Governance Process policies, and for review of the policies themselves.

1.5  Scheduled time for monitoring compliance by the Registrar with Executive Limitations policies, and for review of the policies themselves.  Monitoring reports will be provided and read in advance of the Council meeting, and discussion will occur only if reports show policy violations, if reports do not provide sufficient information for the Council to make a determination regarding compliance, or if policy criteria are to be debated.

1.6  Scheduled time for governance education.

2. Based on the outline of the annual schedule, the Council delegates to the Chairperson the authority to fill in the details of the meeting content.  The detailed agenda shall be prepared jointly by the Council Chairperson and the Registrar.  Potential agenda items shall be carefully screened to ensure that they relate to the Council’s job description, rather than simply reviewing staff activities.  Screening questions shall include:

2.1. Clarification as to whether the issue clearly belongs to the Council or the Registrar.

2.2. Identification of what category an issue relates to - ends, executive limitations, governance process, Council-executive linkage, practice of medicine.

2.3. Review of what the Council has already said in this category, and how the current issue is related.  Has the Council already dealt with the issue - if so, in what way?  Is the issue one level below current Council policy, or several levels lower?  What is the broadest way to address this issue so that it is still “under” the Council policy that already exists?

3. The Chairperson of the Council will assign agenda items to the draft agenda for the open and in-camera meetings in a manner that:

3.1  Is compliant with Council Policy GP-15, and

3.2  Regulatory proceedings convened under Section 54 and/or Section 48 of The Medical Profession Act, 1981 are scheduled on the open Council agenda.

4. The Secretary to the Council shall identify by number on the Council agendas each of the information documents relevant to each agenda item.