what are guiding principles?

“Guiding Principles” are a broad philosophy that encompass your personal beliefs and values and guide an organization throughout its life in all circumstances, irrespective of changes in its goals, strategies or type of work. They create a company culture where everyone understands what’s important.

article 1
Name

The name of this collaborative will be the New Hampshire HIV Planning Group (HPG).

article 2
GOAL

Achieve a more coordinated statewide response to the HIV epidemic that will reduce new HIV infections, increase access to care and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV as well as reduce HIV-related health disparities.

ARTICLE 3
mission statement

To promote and develop strategies that enhance seamless access to coordinated and collaborative HIV services for residents of NH.

article 4 : organization

The NH HPG is a public-private collaborative supported by federal resources including the CDC and HRSA consisting of a general membership and other HPG workgroups and subcommittees guided by the NH HPG Advisory Committee. The HPG provides recommendations and input toward the development and refinement of the Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan (IHP) that reflects work toward the HPG goal and mission.

A. General Membership
Persons and organizations who share the goal and mission of the NH HPG are welcome to participate in the general membership. The NH HPG’s general body will meet a minimum of 3 times a year to review pertinent information related to HIV, to receive technical assistance and to discuss the progress of the workgroups.
All NH HPG meetings are listed on the nhhiv.org website calendar.

B. Committee Membership
Standing committees include the Advisory Committee, Medical Advisory Board and the Case Manager Group. These groups are closed and by invitation only.

C. Workgroup Membership
Workgroups are established by the Advisory Committee. Workgroup chairs can either be self-nominated or appointed by the Advisory Committee. Workgroup chairs will communicate with the Advisory Committee regarding responsibilities and planning tasks as well as accomplishments and challenges.

ARTICLE 5: Advisory Committee

The makeup of the Advisory Committee is as follows:

  • State Health Department Co-Chair
  • Community Co-Chair
  • State Health Department Vice-Chair
  • Community Vice Chair
  • Workgroup Chairs
  • Medical Advisory Board Representative
  • Case Manager Group Representative
  • Community Stakeholder(s)
  • Immediate Former Chairs
  • State AIDS Director

Nominations/Elections to Advisory Committee

    1. State Health Department Chairs and Vice Chairs will be appointed by the State Health Department leadership.
    2. The Community Vice Chair will automatically assume the Community Chair position upon completion of the sitting Chair’s term. Nominations for election for the Community Vice Chair position will be accepted in the spring bi-annually. Persons may nominate themselves or others. Nominees will need to complete an application (which includes a brief biography and statement of interest) prior to consideration. The election of the Community Vice Chair position will occur during a summer meeting of the general membership, by secret ballot with a majority vote; or, by an anonymous electronic vote via SurveyMonkey. In the case that no nominations are received, the Advisory Committee can appoint an interim Community Vice Chair. The Community Co-Chair term is two years, with a maximum of two consecutive 2-year terms.
    3. Workgroup chairs and Medical Advisory Board and Case Manager Group Representatives are automatically seated. Additional consumer representatives can either be self-nominated or appointed by the Advisory Committee.

Roles and Responsibilities

    1. The roles of the Advisory Committee members are to:
      1. Serve as leaders in promoting and developing strategies that enhance coordinated, collaborative and seamless access to HIV services across NH.
      2. Enhance collaboration between HIV stakeholders in the state or specific community.
      3. Serve as consultants; sharing data, technical assistance, emerging best practices, and other resources to help support the mission and goal of the NH HPG.
    2. The Advisory Committee will have the following responsibilities:
      1. Provide leadership, guidance, and recommendations to the general membership of the NH HPG to ensure that its activities, priorities and perspectives are reflected in the IHP.
      2. Monitor and assess progress of workgroup activities as they relate to our goal and mission, and provide feedback and advice on relevant issues.
      3. Plan content and develop agendas for the NH HPG general membership meetings. Coordinate any needed technical assistance or special programs.
      4. Designate ad-hoc workgroups to address emerging needs, facilitating the NH HPG in achieving its goal.
      5. Confirm Chairs Chairs for workgroups.
      6. Receive, review and approve recommendations for action issues from NH HPG workgroups. Present recommendations with guidance to the full NH HPG for feedback.
      7. Cultivate leadership to maintain accountability and sustain the Advisory Committee and workgroups.
      8. Ongoing evaluation of the HPG process.
    3. The roles of the Health Department are to:
      1. Apply for and report on the federal funds used to support the HPG.
      2. Select the Logistics coordinator.
      3. Make decisions about the HPG budget and approve spending on HPG activities, with input from HPG members.

Advisory Committee Leadership

    1. The tenure of the Chair(s) is two years, beginning in September. In addition to the Advisory Committee responsibilities, the Chair(s) shall also have the following responsibilities:
      1. Foster and maintain communication channels to facilitate NH HPG Advisory Committee activities.
      2. Approve agendas, make decisions about meeting content/logistics in between Advisory Committee meetings.
    2. The tenure of the Vice Chair(s) is two years,  beginning in September. In addition to the Advisory Committee responsibilities, the Vice Chair(s) shall also have the following responsibilities:
      1. Serve as Chair in the absence of Chair.
      2. Assume all duties and responsibilities of the Chair in the event the Chair relinquishes the position.
      3. Assist Chair as needed with their responsibilities.

Requirements

    1. All members of the Advisory Committee will be required to maintain active membership as demonstrated by participating on an on-going basis via in-person meetings, conference calls, e-mails and other duties as determined.
    2. The Advisory Committee will meet at least every other month. Record of meeting activity will be kept. Advisory committee members missing more than three consecutive meetings, including full membership meetings, will be asked to reaffirm their commitment to serve to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee, or to resign from the committee.
    3. Advisory committee members are required to observe the ground rules for meeting participation. If a member repeatedly violates any of the ground rules stated below, the Co-Chairs will address the concern with that member. If the member continues to violate the ground rules after concerns and expectations have been made clear verbally and in writing, the member may be asked to step down from the Advisory Committee.
    4. Ground Rules:
      1. All remarks should be addressed to the Chairs or presenter.
      2. Limit getting up and down.
      3. Set cell phones and pagers to silent or vibrate and limit use during meetings.
      4. All voices are equal. Don’t make it personal or take it personally.
      5. Stay on topic.
      6. Define acronyms.
      7. Limit side conversations.
      8. Speak clearly.
      9. Treat each other with respect.
      10. Speak up.

Decision-Making

Decision-making for the NH HPG rests with the Advisory Committee. In areas that are potentially controversial, the Advisory Committee will make an effort to solicit input from the full NH HPG.

    1. Decisions for action can be presented to the Advisory Committee via presentation at an Advisory Committee Meeting, or electronically in the form of an e-mail to Advisory Committee members.
    2. The Advisory Committee attempts to reach decisions by consensus.
    3. When consensus is not possible, decisions will be made by a majority vote.
    4. Financial decision-making rests with the Health Department with transparency and input from the HPG community.

Conflicts of Interest

Advisory committee members are responsible for performing their role and responsibilities in good faith and in the best interests of the NH HPG. A conflict of interest occurs when an Advisory committee member, a relative of an Advisory committee member, or the organization the Advisory committee member works for has self-interest, (personal, business, financial, or other) that conflicts with or has the potential to conflict with the best interest of the HPG. Advisory committee members are required to disclose conflicts of interest when they arise, in particular when the Advisory committee member is aware of circumstances that might reasonably cause his or her impartiality to be questioned. The intent of this policy is to promote transparency.

Advisory committee members are responsible for performing their role and responsibilities in good faith and in the best interests of the NH HPG. A conflict of interest occurs when an Advisory committee member, a relative of an Advisory committee member, or the organization the Advisory committee member works for has self-interest, (personal, business, financial, or other) that conflicts with or has the potential to conflict with the best interest of the HPG. Advisory committee members are required to disclose conflicts of interest when they arise, in particular when the Advisory committee member is aware of circumstances that might reasonably cause his or her impartiality to be questioned. The intent of this policy is to promote transparency.

ARTICLE 6: Amendments to the Guiding Principles

These guiding principles may be amended, repealed, or altered in whole or in part at any point via the decision-making process identified in Article 5.

ARTICLE 7: Dissolution

The NH HPG may dissolve by a two-thirds vote of the NH HPG Advisory Committee.