</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Dear Listserv Members:</font>
<br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">The National Cancer Institute (NCI)
is pleased to extend this "call for nominations" for the
Communications Development Group (CDG) that will provide input and
guidance for ongoing outreach concerning the public health impacts of
I-131 exposure from the Nevada Test Site (NTS).<br>
<br>
As you know, it was agreed at the January 11-13, 2000 meeting that a
strategic communications plan be developed to facilitate credible and
meaningful communications about I-131 exposure from the NTS. It was
also agreed by all that ongoing public participation in the planning
process was critical for the success of the program, and that a CDG would
be convened for this purpose.<br>
<br>
The NCI will play the lead role in the development of this plan, and
would like your input into the identification of CDG members. Based
on the recommendations at the January Workshop, we will convene a group
of approximately 5-8 individuals representing a wide variety of groups
and perspectives. As discussed in January, this group size is being
designed to ensure that the planning process moves forward efficiently
while providing significant public input and accountability. We will not
expect CDG members to travel and will conduct discussions via conference
call. It is anticipated that CDG members will be involved in the
planning process through the end of July 2000. The NCI will
compensate CDG members with a modest stipend recognizing the time and
energy spent on this public service effort. We will
compensate group members at a rate of $35/hour with a ceiling of
$1500.<br>
<br>
This letter includes a summary of the roles and responsibilities for CDG
members as well as the criteria we will be using to make the final
selection of individuals. The selection criteria are closely based
upon the discussions at the breakout session on this effort held during
the January meeting. Please review these carefully before you
nominate yourself or someone else. It is very important that those who
serve on the CDG are able to make the full commitment required.
Recognizing the importance of ensuring adequate public input into this
process, NCI reserves the right to address any significant individual
shortfall in participation by discussing this with the individual and, if
necessary, removing and replacing him or her.<br>
<br>
<b>Please submit your nominations no later than Friday, April 21,
2000.</font></b> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">In your nomination, please include
the name of the nominee, what group(s) he or she represents or whose
perspective he or she represents, and a brief summary of the
qualifications and expertise that this person can bring to the review of
the plan NCI develops. We will review the nominations, carefully
select the group members based upon the criteria outlined in this letter,
and post the selections on the Listserv no later than April 28,
2000. We would like to hold a kick-off conference call with
the group during the first week of May, preferably on Thursday, May 4
from 2-4 P.M. EST. During this call, we will review the roles and
responsibilities of group members and review a proposed timeline for the
project. The outcome of all conference calls and/or meetings will
be posted on the Listserv to keep everyone informed of our progress over
time.<br>
<br>
<b>Proposed Roles and Responsibilities of NCI</font></b>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<ul>
<li>The National Cancer Institute will have the primary responsibility for developing the I-131 communications plan.</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>The NCI will host and facilitate all conference calls, develop call summaries, and distribute them to CDG members. The NCI also will review and discuss all comments and suggestions made by CDG members during the planning process.</font>
</ul><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><b>Proposed Roles and Responsibilities of CDG Members</font></b> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">The CDG provides a mechanism to ensure broad public input and to keep public representatives involved as partners with NCI as it develops effective public outreach about the health effects of exposure to I-131 fallout from the NTS. If this communications effort evolves over time, the CDG will serve as a model for continued public representation in an expanded program, one that might address other radionuclides (strontium-90, cesium-137, etc.), diseases other than those of the thyroid gland, and possibly multiple exposures. Therefore the role of the CDG (with both Government and community members) will be to:
<ul>
<li>Provide community representation in the ongoing program development.</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Provide guidance in development of the communications plan's elements, including identifying target audiences, delineating messages by target audience, providing input about additional consumer research, and helping to articulate the strategies and tactics necessary to reach communication objectives.</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Serve as the Government's "touch stone" to the community. The CDG will not be required to draft documents or write the communications plan. The role of the CDG will be to provide feedback on the documents developed by the NCI, based on workshop and CDG input.</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Commit the time to participate in this process. At a minimum, this will require at least four 2-hour conference calls, reviewing materials (draft planning documents) to prepare for those calls, and providing written comments and suggestions to the NCI if requested. It is anticipated that the members will be involved in communication planning activities through July 2000.</font>
</ul><font face="Times New Roman, Times">In assuming these responsibilities, the CDG members agree that after NCI takes the first steps (in identifying audiences, developing messages, proposing consumer research, and outlining strategies and tactics) that they will review NCI's proposals/plans and provide individual advice and guidance to NCI. The NCI, while recognizing that the CDG's advice and guidance are essential, will have final responsibility for all communication elements. <br>
<br>
<b>CDG Membership Criteria</font></b> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Based on the input of those attending the January workshop, it was determined that the five to eight individuals to be selected for the CDG meet the following criteria:
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>Those selected should be able and willing to make a time commitment to the project that could possibly affect professional or family time. This will include regularly scheduled conference calls (probably about one per month) which may last up to two hours, reviewing materials prior to the calls, preparing written feedback or input into planning documents via e-mail or regular mail, reviewing a potentially high volume of e-mail messages, etc. </font>
<li>Individuals selected should have the ability to do informal outreach on behalf of the campaign to their constituents and to their communities. Among the membership, the most important constituent groups-by virtue of number of people, exposure levels, health consequences, etc.-as well as those identified in the January workshop, should be represented, while still keeping the number of community representatives to eight or fewer individuals.
<li>Individuals selected should represent a diverse geography assuring that communities and regions with different exposure levels and varied adverse health affects are included on the group. Individuals should be able to represent a broad constituency or points of view. Where possible, it will be helpful to identify individuals who can represent multiple groups. For example, a physician member of a health professional group or a representative of the American Thyroid Foundation who is a health educator. <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Members should have a long-term perspective to give this process the potential to serve as a model for projects related to other radionuclides and non-thyroid diseases should they be undertaken in the future.</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Potential groups to be represented in the CDG include the following:</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
</ul>
<li>"Downwinders" from the Nevada Test Site</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>The African American community</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Hispanic community group and migrant health center worker</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>American Indian tribal nation (s)</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>State health departments and local health departments</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Health professional organizations and/or practicing physicians</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>Thyroidologists
<li>The health education community</font> <font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<li>The radiation activist community.</font>
</ul>
</ul><br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Please send nominations by email, mail, or fax to:</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Clare Collins</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">National Cancer Institute</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Office of Cancer Communications</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Bldg. 31, Room 10A03</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">31 Center Dr.</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Bethesda, MD 20892</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>clarec@mail.nih.gov</font></u> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">301-435-7784</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">301-402-0894 fax</font> <br>
<hr>
<br>
From: "Vina Colley" <vcolley@earthlink.net> <br>
Reply-To: downwinders@egroups.com <br>
<br>
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