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ITPAG By Laws
Article I
Name
The Information Technology Professional Advisory Group shall be referred to as the ITPAG.Article II
Purpose
The Information Technology Professional Advisory Group (ITPAG) of the Health Services Professional Advisory Committee (HS PAC) shall consider discipline-specific professional issues and advise the Surgeon General through the HS PAC and Chief Heath Services Officer regarding such issues.Article III
Objectives
The ITPAG functions in a resource and advisory capacity to assist in the development, coordination, training and evaluation of activities related to the information technology professional discipline in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) with the following specific objectives:
- Identify issues of interest and facilitate the resolution of concerns as they relate to Commissioned Corps and civilian information technology professionals.
- Assess personnel needs of the USPHS as related to information technology and assist in meeting the needs relative to recruitment, retention, training, utilization, and professional development.
- Develop position papers, statistical reports, and/or guidelines where appropriate, in order to advise and comment on matters relating to both the personnel and professional practice issues involving information technology professionals.
- Improve value to the USPHS by promoting all aspects of information technology throughout the agencies, operating divisions, and programs of the USPHS.
- Assess the professional development needs of information technology professionals assigned to the USPHS and develop strategies and opportunities to meet them.
- Assess and project the need for information technology staffing levels throughout the USPHS and provide advice on goals to meet those needs.
- Develop and/or review information technology specific USPHS recruitment materials, procedures and programs to ensure support to the USPHS mission and Commissioned Corps deployments.
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Article IV
Membership
Eligibility Requirement: Voting members shall be Commissioned Corps information technology professionals from The Health Services category serving the USPHS IT Community (defined by degree, position, or job description). Members must meet and maintain OFRD basic readiness requirements at the time they are nominated and appointed to the ITPAG and throughout their term or service on the ITPAG.
Size of ITPAG: The ITPAG shall have a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 voting members (members herein) who are nominated and appointed by ITPAG.
Terms: Each of the appointed members shall serve a term of up to three years. Elections will be held each year, with no more than approximately one third of the voting members rotating out of the ITPAG each year.
Organizational representation: Participation shall be elicited from each of the DHHS Operating Divisions and other agencies where Commissioned Corps information technology officers are employed to provide the range of experiences and perspectives necessary to address issues before the ITPAG.
Meetings will be open to all voting members and an unlimited at large attendance from all information technology professionals for all USPHS categories and civil service personnel. Any voting and at large member may participate on a committee.
Geographic consideration: Participation shall be promoted from members regardless of geographic location. Members will be actively solicited and provisions such as teleconferencing will be made so that any Commissioned Corps information technology officer can participate regardless of his/her duty station.
Diversity among officers of different cultures, race, ethnicity and gender shall be respected and participation welcomed. Efforts will be made to ensure that voting members of the ITPAG represent the ethnic and gender diversity of its officers.
Members will be solicited through Commissioned Corps publications, the HS listserv, and other appropriate means.
Article V
Leadership
The leadership of the ITPAG shall be composed of the Chair, a Chair-elect and a Secretary. Each officer shall be elected by the members of the ITPAG prior to the end of the calendar year, for a term of office, as defined in the by-laws, beginning on January 1. In the event of a vacancy of the Chair, the Chair-elect shall assume the responsibilities for the duration of the term. Vacancies in other offices shall be filled by appointment by the Chair for the remainder of the term.
Duties of the officers are the following:
Chair: Provides leadership to the ITPAG and provides liaison to the HS PAC. The Chair is considered an ex-officio member of the HS PAC and is expected to attend the HS PAC meetings and any other significant meetings affecting the ITPAG; the Chair may also designate a representative to attend such meetings. The Chair must be a voting member.
Term of the Chair: The Chair will serve a 1-year term.
Chair-elect: Assists the Chair and functions as the Chair when necessary. The Chair-elect must be a voting member.
Term of the Chair-elect: The Chair-elect serves a 1-year term and then succeeds as the Chair the following year.
Secretary: Provides a written record of the activities of the ITPAG. The Secretary shall record the minutes of meetings, maintain reports and official documents of the ITPAG, and assist the Chair and Chair-elect in carrying out the duties associated with their respective offices. It is not mandatory for the secretary to be a voting member.
Term of the Secretary: The Secretary serves a 1-year term.Back to top
The ITPAG operations and procedures shall include the following:
Operational Year: The operational year for the ITPAG is the calendar year January 1 – December 31.
Frequency of Meeting: Meetings will be held at least once per quarter. The Chair may call additional meetings, as needed.
Attendance: Members are expected to attend by telephone a majority of ITPAG meetings, and provide advance notice to the ITPAG Chair when they anticipate they will not be able to meet this expectation. Any member of the ITPAG who misses more than 50% of meetings without just cause can, at the discretion of the ITPAG Chairperson and in consultation with the ITPAG Chair-Elect, be asked to voluntarily resign from the ITPAG. In the event that any member finds he/she cannot fulfill the duties of voting membership due to job constraints or other limiting circumstances, the member may petition the ITPAG Chair in writing to resign with honor. Any vacancy created by the voluntary resignation of a voting member may either be filled immediately by a non-voting member (with no voting privileges extended) at the ITPAG Chair’s discretion to ensure continuity of the position, or it can be filled at a later date by the ITPAG Membership solicitation process.
Agenda: A meeting agenda and appropriate background material will be made available to the ITPAG members.
Recording and Reporting: Minutes of each ITPAG meeting will be recorded, and approved by the ITPAG. The ITPAG Secretary will maintain a permanent file of official minutes and reports.
Voting and By-law Amendments: Members will receive nomination forms for Chair-Elect and Secretary, and will be notified of nominees thirty days prior to voting. An individual selected by the ITPAG who is not running for an ITPAG position will tabulate votes. Where voting is required, action will be determined by the simple majority of those members present, assuming a quorum is met. By-law amendments will be made by a simple majority vote of those members who are present.
Quorum: A quorum shall consist of 50 percent of the voting ITPAG membership.
Voting either in person or by a valid proxy is acceptable by email using rules of time and date of vote submissions. A voting member can be a member of either group, but in no case can hold two votes. Issues requiring an ITPAG member vote but not reaching a quorum shall be brought to the HS PAC for resolution.
Operating Subcommittees: The ITPAG may have operating subcommittees to accomplish its objectives. These subcommittees will be organized and conduct business in a manner consistent with the ITPAG. The Chair of the ITPAG will appoint the Chair of each subcommittee. The operating subcommittees may include but are not limited to: (1) public relations, (2) recruitment/retention, (3) career opportunities, (4) professional development, (5) membership, (6) awards and (7) ITPAG website update.Back to top
Article VII
By-laws Update and Approval
The ITPAG shall review its by-laws every three years and recommend revisions to update its by-laws as needed. Any revisions to the by-laws must be reviewed and approved by the HS PAC. If in question, the ITPAG by-laws will be superseded by, and not conflict with, the HS PAC charter and by-laws
Last reviewed in April 2009.