Structure

Indigenous Community Governing Committee (ICGC)

The ICGC will provide constructive direction regarding all aspects of IPHCPR Network initiatives and facilitate respectful engagement with Indigenous, PHC system, and PHC researcher communities. The ICGC will consist of Indigenous representation from First Nations leadership or delegates from each Treaty zone, and Métis and urban populations; ICGC will also reflect Indigenous knowledge keepers, community members at large, and knowledge users. Key to this committee will be to address power imbalance among community members, researchers and clinicians who will be represented in this committee.  We will start our work together by negotiating an ethical space to begin to understand, explore and share our thoughts, perceptions and experiences of power imbalance.  We will then use a consensus-based process to define principles, priorities and procedures to identify issues, negotiate an agreeable power balance and support engaging within a solution focused approach.  Considering how power difference can be perpetuated within language, we will ensure we keep communications respectful, refraining from any overly technical jargon or language rooted in oppression or authoritarianism.

Network Executive Committee (EC)

To achieve the vision and objectives of the proposed network, the EC will oversee all of the Network’s activities and deliverables. This committee will be comprised of the co-Principal Investigators and tasked with co-leadership of the network; EC will make final decisions on the direction of the network, define use of resources and address any risk management issues with input from the ICGC, and provide direction to the Operational Working Groups.  The Nominated PI, located in Calgary, will chair this committee for overall continuity of Network direction. The EC will have shared leadership planning and writing of any academic outcomes of the network. Decisions will be made by consensus, by a quorum members.

Network Secretariat (SEC)

The SEC will be responsible for all day-to-day administrative aspects of the network. Tasks include supporting the ICGC and EC; organizing activities related to each network objective in support of each Operational Working Group; coordinating and participating in network evaluation activities; tracking outputs, outcomes, and deliverables; preparing reports to funders and stakeholders; and facilitating communications including newsletters, website, and list serves. The Research Lead and Coordinator will attend ICGC and EC meetings to provide updates and receive directions for ensuring deliverable will be met. The Nominated PI will work in close collaboration with the Research Lead and Coordinator in achieving directions and deliverables.

Operational Working Groups (OWG)

Five OWGs, each led by co-PIs, will mobilize activities related to each of the five Network objectives with support from the secretariat. The responsibilities of the OWG co-PI leads are: produce and maintain the OWG work plan for achieving objective activities; work closely with the NPI and EC in resource allocation; determine the need for adaptation of activities and priorities, propose and justify to the EC and ICGC such changes; and liaise with other OWGs and ICGC towards aligning and harmonizing work. Each OWG will invite one to two ICGC members to provide input and direction. With Secretariat support, OWG activity reporting will occur at each ICGC meetings.