ICE Organization and Proposed Operation

Strategic Plan Update

Two sessions were held to discuss the future of ICE – its organization and future operation. At the first forum during the ICE symposium, it was proposed that there would be two operational Sub-committees that would oversee the main functions of the ICE on Injury Statistics. These would be:

1. The Information and Outreach Sub-committee whose remit would be to promote ICE. Specifically this committee would
   1. Produce a regular ICE column in an Injury journal
   2. Market ICE products c. Scan the environment for potential collaborators and/or funders
   3. Liaise with relevant bodies in pursuit of mutual interests
2. The Research Sub-Committee whose remit is to monitor the various research activities of the ICE. Specifically this committee would
   1. Develop a research agenda
   2. Oversee the operations of the research working groups (WGs), ensuring that there is some structure with a lead person, some proposed activities with products and timelines and monitoring their progress toward their stated objectives
   3. Maintain an inventory of all research projects

Several questions and concerns were voiced, mainly centered around the fact that with busy schedules, commitment to activities was difficult. Communications, other than when directed to a project, were hard to maintain. This obviously has implications for the operation of all of the Committees, especially the Steering Committee and its relevance. Because there was little time for discussion at the Symposium, a second meeting was held, which allowed participants to select the Committees they wished to join and to have Committee members determine their modus operandi, tentative workplans, with at least one tangible product and deadlines, hopefully easier to achieve in face-to-face meetings than via email.

The following persons agreed to serve on the Information and Outreach Sub-Committee:

C. Clavel-Arcas, B. Frimodt-Moller, O. Kubosingye, S. MacKenzie (Chair), R. Matzoupoulos, M. Steenkamp (Co-chair), T. Miller. The initial output from this Sub-Committee will be the 10-Year Review, a draft of which has been completed and feedback and insertions requested from members. It was suggested that the Review could be submitted to both journals to give ICE and its work maximum exposure. Whether this could be done, with appropriate formatting and orientation of content to the readership of the two journals was to be explored.

The Research Sub-Committee thus far, comprises of –
L. Annest, L. Fingerhut (Chair), C. Cryer, C. Griffiths, I. Guitierrez, C. Santikarn, K. Wilkins. The inventory of research activities, past and current, would be the first product of this Sub-Committee. It is envisaged that members of the individual Research Working Groups would apprise the Sub-Committee of major developments such as the production of papers, new collaborators etc.

It is to be noted that membership in a Research Working Group does not preclude membership in one or both of the Sub-Committees.

Sponsorship and funding issues were not resolved, although it was suggested that Research Working Groups seek funding for their ICE projects, as with any other research project.