Meet the CPAG Members
CPAG helps advance AIHA’s mission and values by providing input and advice to the AIHA Board and staff regarding the content AIHA provides to members and other stakeholders. Content may include documents, articles, white papers, fact sheets, publications, and more. Here you can find information on how you can contribute to the development and advocacy of AIHA content.
In 2019, AIHA invested in a rigorous, multi-year research study to identify current and future industry trends. These findings were translated into an actionable content strategy for the Association. The CPAG Content Priorities Summary, released at the end of 2019, is a direct result of those findings. Read AIHA's 2020 Environmental Scan Report.
Background
CPAG was developed to help AIHA determine the key content priorities that AIHA should focus on to maximize relevancy and impact on the occupational and environmental health and safety profession. These priorities are reviewed and modified on an approximately 5-year cycle based on input from stakeholders inside and outside the Industrial Hygiene (IH) community.
Purpose
CPAG has three primary roles:
- Recommend Content Priorities to the Board and facilitate their implementation.
- Make recommendations to the Board regarding approval of publication content proposals.
- Review existing content and makes product lifecycle recommendations.
Additional information regarding CPAG activities can be found as follows:
- CPAG Roles and Responsibilities. This document describes CPAG's current role and responsibilities in relation to AIHA.
- CPAG Proposal Review Process Document. This document describes CPAG's review process for content proposals.
- CPAG Content Priorities Summary. This document describes what AIHA’s current content priorities are and how they were determined.
- Dashboards & Content Priority Resource Pages. CPAG maintains a “Dashboard” for each content priority describing AIHA's visions and initiatives. Additionally, each content priority has a webpage that contain resources relating to that priority. The dashboards & resource pages can be viewed using the links below:
Content Channel Policy Document for Volunteer Groups. This document provides an overview of the different types of content that can be submitted through the Content Proposal Form.
Existing Content Review Tracking Sheet. This document provides information regarding the review status of existing AIHA content.
Submitting a Proposal for Content
AIHA members can participate in any current initiatives through AIHA Volunteer Groups. Volunteer Groups interested in leading, participating in, or creating one or more of the CPAG Initiatives, should contact their respective Board Liaison or Tara Laptew to discuss how that participation might be developed.
To submit a proposal for new and existing content click on this link: Content Proposal Form
To view a sample content proposal click on this link: Sample Content Proposal
Proposal Review Process for New Content Proposals:
STEP 1: The proposal is reviewed by AIHA staff, volunteer group leadership, and the volunteer group Board liaison(s) concurrently.
STEP 2: Comments are compiled, and an email is sent to members of CPAG to notify them that a proposal is ready for review.
STEP 3: CPAG members are given approximately five business days to review the initial proposal and provide preliminary feedback to the project leader. Once the project leader receives CPAG's feedback they have the opportunity to revise the current proposal to address, eliminate, or mitigate CPAG’s concerns. The project leader also has the option of modifying their proposal to incorporate CPAG's recommendations on how the proposed product can better incorporate the content priorities. Then, the modified proposal is resubmitted to CPAG for final review. CPAG has approximately five business days to score the final proposal. The possible scoring decisions are as follows:
- An overall average score of ≥3.5 – the proposal has been approved without further discussion.
- An overall average score of <3.5 means that the proposal is declined. However, the project leader can submit a new proposal that addresses, eliminates, or mitigates CPAG's concerns
STEP 4: For Publications EXCEPT for Position Statements that CPAG has approved are sent to the AIHA Board for review and final decision-making. Depending on the complexity of the issue, the Board may decide via a vote by electronic ballot (generally within five business days and requiring unanimous agreement) or defer discussion until its next scheduled meeting. If a Board member recuses themselves, this does not count against the unanimous agreement provision. That is, if the remaining members are all in accord, the proposal is approved.
There are two possible outcomes during this review stage:
- The AIHA Board approves a project that CPAG has approved. If the proposal does not need funding, then the project leader and the originating volunteer group may start work. If the proposal is approved and requires funding, then the volunteer group officer will submit a funding request via the funding request form by July 1.
- The AIHA Board disapproves a project that CPAG has approved. In this case, the project leader may submit a new proposal that addresses, eliminates, or mitigates the Board's concerns.
STEP 5: Staff communicates the final decision to the project leader, proposal sponsors such as the volunteer group chair and vice-chair, CPAG members, and any staff who provided input on the Board's decision.
STEP 6: Once the manuscript has been drafted and peer-reviewed, the AIHA Board liaison(s) must review and approve the final document prior to being published.
For New Position Statements:
STEP 1: All proposals for NEW position statements must first be preceded by the development of a corresponding white paper (on a case-by-case basis a guidance document or other peer reviewed publication can be considered and will go through the normal CPAG/Board approval process).
STEP 2: CPAG will perform an initial high-level review of the content proposal.
STEP 3: After appropriate supporting content has been developed and CPAG completes an initial review, the position statement proposal is sent to the Board for final review and approval. The Board will evaluate whether the supporting content provides sufficient background and justification for the proposed position statement.
STEP 4: Once the position statement has been developed, CPAG reviews the document and recommends the final draft to the Board.
STEP 5: The final document must be reviewed and approved by the Board prior to publication.
For additional information on AIHA content development, click here.
Proposal Review Process for Existing Content Proposals:
All publications are reviewed on a five-year basis by CPAG and the responsible volunteer group to ensure content is relevant and up to date. CPAG issues a position on whether the content should be retained as is, amended, or archived. Ultimately, the staff communicates CPAG's final decision to the author, proposal sponsors such as the volunteer group chair and board liaison.
Updated content will be available via access to the AIHA webpage, while archived content will not be visible. Volunteer group leadership may send a request to staff for access to archived data. Archived content is not considered existing content, therefore, proposed projects to update archived content are regarded as new projects.
For publications that need to be updated prior to their next review cycle, proposals must be submitted to CPAG for review and approval via the Content Proposal Form. Proposals for existing content are not reviewed by the Board. AIHA staff may consult with the project leader regarding issues with content (i.e., vague statements, unclear references, potentially controversial material, and poor writing).
For Existing Position Statements:
STEP 1: All proposals to update EXISTING position statements are initially reviewed by CPAG.
STEP 2: After CPAG’s initial review, the proposal is sent to the Board for final review and approval.
STEP 3: Once the position statement has been updated, CPAG reviews the document and recommends the final draft to the Board.
STEP 4: The final document must be reviewed and approved by the Board prior to publication.
Recognition
2022 Critics’ Choice Award
The Critic’s Choice Award honors a publication completed in 2022. The Content Portfolio Advisory Group (CPAG) evaluates all publications and selects one to recognize for their impact on the profession, originality, and quality of writing. This year’s recipient is The Noise Manual, 6th edition, edited by Deanna K. Meinke, PhD, CCC-A, Elliot H. Berger, MS, FAIHA, Richard L. Neitzel, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, Dennis P. Driscoll, PE, FAIHA, and Kathryn Bright, PhD.
Questions?
Please contact Tara Laptew, Lead Project Manager, Technical Initiatives, +1-703-846-0786 OR Stacy Calhoun, Program Director, Technical Initiatives, +1-703-846-0797.
Total Worker Health® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Participation by AIHA does not imply endorsement by HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.