The five-member Appeals Board (PDF) is responsible for adjudicating all submitted appeals regarding measure endorsement decisions.
NQF's Consensus Standards Approval Committee (CSAC) makes final measurement endorsement decisions. NQF’s Board, Executive Committee, and CSAC no longer participate in the appeals process for measure endorsement decisions. These changes took effect in early 2007.
The Appeals Process
NQF standing committees—,expert panels organized by subject matter—,evaluate measures and make recommendations to the CSAC regarding measure endorsement. The standing committees evaluate measures based on the NQF Consensus Development Process (CDP) criteria. The CSAC reviews the recommendations of the standing committees and the rationale for those recommendations, then provides a final endorsement decision on a given measure. The NQF Board of Directors no longer ratifies measures.
Once the CSAC’s decisions are made public via the NQF website, a 30-day appeals period begins. Any interested party may file an appeal with the Appeals Board during the appeals period.
The Appeals Board reviews all submitted appeals.
Any party may request an appeal of a CSAC decision to endorse or not endorse a measure, except in the case where a Standing Committee does not recommend a measure for endorsement and the CSAC concurs.
Eligible measure endorsement decisions may only be appealed on the following grounds:
- Procedural errors reasonably likely to affect the outcome of the original endorsement decision, such as a failure to follow NQF’s CDP; or
- New information or evidence, unavailable at the time the CSAC made its endorsement decision, that is reasonably likely to affect the outcome of the original endorsement decision.
Once the appeals period for a measure has ended, the Appeals Board meets to review an appeal within 45 days. All Appeals Board reviews all appeals submitted to NQF for consideration.
The Appeals Board may render the following decisions:
- Uphold the CSAC endorsement decision
- Overturn the CSAC endorsement decision
- Dismiss the appeal because it does not meet the grounds for appeal
All decisions made by the NQF Appeals Board are final.
The NQF Appeals Board’s actions and decisions regarding an appeal are publicly available on the Appeals Board section of the NQF website.
For questions regarding the NQF appeals process, please contact NQF staff.
