The Academy provides three types of assessments as described below. It is important to note that these are not mutually exclusive and a particular topic may merit a combination of these approaches.

MAJOR ASSESSMENTS

A Major Assessment is a formal report prepared under the direction of an independent Assessment Panel assembled by CAHS. Members of the panel are chosen from the international health sciences community for their relevant expertise, freedom from real and perceived conflicts of interest, and contributions to a balance of views on the Panel. The Panel reviews the evidence in open sessions and when the evidence has been assembled, convenes privately to prepare a report. This report is then reviewed by independent external experts selected by CAHS and their comments form the basis of editorial revision of the report. The final report contains conclusions and recommendations in the name of CAHS. The final report is approved by the Board of CAHS prior to its release to the sponsor(s) and appropriate further dissemination.

FORUMS

A Forum is a meeting or series of meetings convened by CAHS as an ongoing opportunity for public and private-sector experts, sponsors, and other interested parties to discuss important issues in an open environment that facilitates evidence-based dialogue. This "convening" activity brings people from government, academia, industry, NGO’s, and professional associations together in a neutral environment created by CAHS. These Forums are generally convened with the expectation that there will be a continuing activity on the subject; they may be part of a scoping exercise for a larger formal full report, or a test vehicle intended to lead to the initiation of an ongoing series of meetings. They may be convened on a particular theme that brings participants together with some periodicity to discuss topics under the theme -- such as microbial threats or health workforce planning. Depending on the agreement between CAHS and the sponsor(s), the summary report of the "convened activity" may range from informal notes for the Forum participants only, through to a Summary Report for more general distribution. Such reports do not issue conclusions or recommendations in the name of CAHS, because the Forum process includes the sponsors and other interested parties, and the Reports reflect the points of view of these committed groups and individuals.  

TRIPLE C - CASTING IN THE CANADIAN CONTEXT

This type of assessment is concerned with the review of the reports of other academies, governments and countries. Interest in better health knows no borders, and there is a continuing stream of reports on topical health issues released from other countries and international organizations. These have important implications for relevant organizations in Canada, and so a frequent question relates to the Canadian applicability of the report and its recommendations. Recognizing the value of these international reports, and the importance of framing them in the Canadian environment, CAHS offers an assessment called the "Triple C -- Casting in the Canadian Context". At the request of the sponsor(s), and following agreement on the "statement of task", CAHS will convene a specially appointed independent Assessment Panel to review the foreign report(s). Members of the panel are drawn chiefly from Canada and are chosen for their relevant expertise, freedom from real and perceived conflicts of interest, and contributions to a balance of views on the panel. Their review is sent for peer-review and revision prior to approval by the CAHS Board and subsequent dissemination.