The NQF consensus development projects is overseen by a standing committee. The standing committee shapes a project's scope, develops specific plans for the project, offers expert advice, ensures that input is obtained from relevant stakeholders, and makes recommendations to the NQF membership about standards that are proposed for endorsement.
Standing Committee
Nominations for a Standing Committee
As a consensus development project begins to seek nominees for a Committee, NQF issues a call for nominations for the project's standing committee. Within the consensus development process, the standing committee is analogous to the expert advisory committees typically convened by federal agencies to provide input and advice to the agency in the development of draft regulations, position statements, and other products.
Any interested party can electronically submit one or more nominations for the standing committee via the NQF nominations page or the project page. For a standing committee, the call for nominations is open for a minimum of 30 days.
Selection of a Standing Committee
The members of a standing committee are selected to reflect the diversity of key healthcare stakeholders and in accordance with NQF's Conflict of Interest Policy. Members of a standing committee are selected based upon their expertise, their potential contribution to the project, and the need for input from a particular stakeholder perspective.
The standing committee also includes expert reviewers--- an important adjunct to NQF’s standing committees—to ensure broad representation and also provide specific technical expertise when needed. The expert reviewers are explicitly for CDP standing committees. An expert reviewer cannot serve on any other type of committee without entering the nomination process. All expert reviewers will adhere to the Standing Committee Policy and be required to disclose any conflicts of interests, similar to the requirements of the members of the standing committee.
Technical Advisory Panel
Constituting a Technical Advisory Panel
Based upon the expertise present on a standing committee, a technical advisory panel may also be seated. Members of a technical advisory panel are experts in their field and provide guidance to a standing committee around specific technical issues related to some or all of the consensus standards under review. At the direction of the standing committee, members of a technical advisory panel may be charged with reviewing the evidence supporting candidate consensus standards and/or completing other reviews requiring technical expertise.
Nominations for a Technical Advisory Panel
Members of a technical advisory panel are selected primarily for their content expertise and experience. Members are also selected based upon their potential contribution to the project and the need for input from a particular stakeholder perspective.
Comment on Proposed Committee Rosters
After the nomination period, the provisional roster(s) are made available for a review and comment period on the NQF website. NQF members and the public can electronically submit comments or concerns about the provisional candidates that will make up the committee. The review and comment period for the roster(s) are open for 14 days.
Once the comment period closes, the final committee roster is posted on the NQF website.
