Public Policy / Politiques publiques

2011-2012 Committee / Comité

Call for nominations to CPA’s Public Policy Committee.  Nomination deadline June 1st, 2012. 

In 2012, the CPA Board voted to revisit the mandate and constitution of its Public Policy Committee (PPC).  The Board voted to appoint a PPC that would be charged with a strategic function to recommend policy priorities to the CPA Board.  Given the Board’s approval, a task force with relevant experts will be struck to develop any specific policy priority identified.  The PPC would be responsible for overseeing the development of identified policy papers and positions and for recommending them for approval by the CPA Board. It is the vision of the Board that the PPC will have a proactive policy function – identifying those areas of science and practice about which the discipline and profession wants to advance its expertise.  Reactive policy work, work that responds to issues or legislation of public concern about which psychology has some expertise, remains largely a function of CPA’s leadership  and senior staff.  The PPC will be supported by CPA’s CEO and its Manager of Government Relations.
 
Any member with an interest in appointment to the PPC, please contact CPA President, Dr. David Dozois, at executiveoffice@cpa.ca by June 1st, 2012 with a letter of interest and c.v.
 

Chair / Président

David Dozois 

Members / Membres

Sylvie Bourgeois
Fran Cherry
Karen Cohen
Wendy Josephson
Jennifer Rouse
Lisa Serbin
Vicky Veitch Wolfe

Contact the Committee / Contactez le comité

publicpolicycttee@cpa.ca

The Committee aims to support and promote the application of psychology as a science and a profession to the advancement of human welfare through influence on public policy. Consistent with Principle IV of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, the Committee seeks to apply psychological knowledge to promote social structures and policies with beneficial purposes, specifically those purposes that maintain and enhance the welfare of all human beings, respect for the dignity of persons, responsible caring, integrity in relationships and responsibility to society.

Goals

  1. To increase awareness of relevant psychological research among policy makers 
  2. To inform the public of psychological knowledge relevant to public policy during times of public discussion and debate regarding that policy 
  3. To encourage psychologists to recognize and articulate the public policy implications of their research, where such implications exist 

Terms of Reference

In development

Accountability

The Committee on Public Policy will be chaired by the CPA President.

Committee Membership, Size and Activity

The Committee is composed of the CPA President who is its Chair and approximately 10 CPA volunteer members who are invited to sit on the Committee by the Chair, reflecting a diverse cross section of CPA members.  When particular issues are the subject of Committee discussion and action, additional CPA members with expertise on those issues may be added on an ad hoc basis.

The Committee members are responsible for pursuing the vision and terms of reference of the Committee. To this effect, members participate in all discussions pertaining to committee work and work on projects or issues brought forward by the Committee, the Board of Directors, the sections and the members, as appropriate. Communications typically occur at a frequency of at least once a month.

Membership Term

Committee members are appointed by the Board of Directors through the Board member responsible for the Committee for one year with the intention that members will serve for a three (3) year term. Membership recruitment and retirement is staggered to ensure continuity and Committee institutional memory.

Meetings and Reporting

The Committee meets annually at the CPA Convention. Throughout the year communication takes place primarily through e-mail. Conference calls will be arranged by the Chair, if needed. Motions at meetings are minuted. Regular communication of the plans and activities of the Committee are provided to the membership through the Committee’s Annual Report to the Annual General Meeting, articles in Psynopsis and information on the web site and to the Board of Directors through reports to each Board meeting by the Committee Chair.