DOC NATIONAL COMMITTEES

DOC has several National Committees, and we encourage our members to join and become more involved in how our Organization is governed and our advocacy work.

Should you wish to join a National Committee or if you have any questions about what’s involved, feel free to reach out! Email us at info@docorg.ca

Advocacy Committee: Terms of Reference

The purpose of the Advocacy Committee is to advise the organization with respect to the public policy and regulatory matters to be addressed and strategies for doing so.


The Advocacy Committee should include representatives from the National Board and from every region, including at least one from each of the Chapter Boards, as well as the Executive Director.


Committee members should have a good working knowledge of the industry and, in particular, applicable public policies and regulatory history and processes.


The Committee will ordinarily meet once every two months. Ad hoc meetings may be convened from time to time by the Committee’s Chair or DOC staff in response to pressing public policy or regulatory matters. Meetings shall be conducted on an informal basis with the intention of sharing information and building consensus on particular regulatory matters. Formal rules of order will not generally be applied.


As this is an advisory committee, no quorum or voting provisions are required.

Responsibilities are:

  • To assess the need for the organization’s involvement in various regulatory matters, to provide staff with guidance as to positions to be taken in such matters and to review draft regulatory and government submissions;
  • To represent and coordinate the regulatory positions of member companies;
  • To review, as required, the need for outside resources to assist with the organization’s public policy and regulatory initiatives and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the retention of such resources;
  • To make recommendations regarding the organization’s positions and actions on important or contentious public policy or regulatory matters;
  • To review, at least once in each year, the committee’s Terms of Reference and work plan and, as necessary, to recommend for Board approval and required changes to the Terms of Reference.

In all matters of advocacy, the Chapter’s representative on the Advocacy Committee must present the issue to the Advocacy Committee in order for the members of the Committee to share their input and align National strategies.

Governance Committee: Terms of Reference


The purpose of the Governance Committee is to advise and support the DOC National Board on governance by periodically reviewing the organization’s governance practices and as required, recommending to the Board changes to such practices.

Authority

  • The Governance Committee is an advisory committee to the board, mandated in section 9.0 of the DOC Policy Manual as a standing committee

Composition and Qualifications

  • The Governance Committee will be composed of at least three persons, at least two of whom must be directors.
  • Committee members must commit to attending meetings regularly
  • Members should be familiar with governance practices applicable to small and medium sized organizations;
  • The committee chair must be a board member and will review and present non-board committee members to the committee for approval; and
  • Where appropriate, the Committee should rely on independent professional legal expertise in developing its recommendations.

Meetings

  • The Governance Committee will ordinarily meet as needed, at least once per year.

Quorum and Voting

  • As this is an advisory committee, no quorum or voting provisions are required.

Responsibilities

  • To maintain currency with applicable legislation and not-for-profit corporation and charitable organization governance practices;
  • To oversee the creation of and periodically review bylaws and policies which define:
    • The roles and responsibilities of the Board and its committees;
    • Duties and responsibilities of directors and officers;
    • Codes of conduct including ethical and conflict of interest standards and procedures with respect to directors and committee members; and
    • Procedures for nomination, selection, and removal of directors.
  • To review such specific issues relating to structure and governance of the organization as may arise from time to time and to provide recommendations to the Board for disposition of such issues.
  • To review, at least once in each year, the committee’s terms of reference and schedule and, as necessary, to recommend for Board approval and required changes to the Terms of Reference.