# Presentation: 007673

## NIH Governance: The NIH Steering Committee and Working Groups

- Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D.
- Deputy Director, NIH
*Scientific Directors Meeting*
*November 21, 2007*

- NIH Steering Committee

## Definition of Governance

- The process through which a group of people who come together to accomplish an end makes decisions that direct their collective efforts (*Institute on Governance*)

- NIH Steering Committee

## Purpose of NIH Governance System

- Provide efficient, transparent, and shared governance at NIH.
- Purview includes corporate governance issues.
- Maintain stewardship over corporate resources,
- Provide policy oversight to assure achievement of NIH’s mission, and
- Assure that mechanisms are in place so that NIH is operating within established standards.
- Issues are those that have NIH-wide implications other than the setting of scientific priorities.
- Includes those that affect all ICs or where actions taken by one or more ICs have implications for other ICs or the collective NIH.
- Does not include IC-specific issues that have no implications for other ICs or the collective NIH.
- _Does not include the setting of scientific priorities_ – reserved for the “Committee of the Whole”.

- NIH Steering Committee

## Background

- 2003
- NIH Director tasked Funding Advisory Review Board (FARB) with developing governance models for IC Directors’ consideration.
- Operating premise – shared governance, with active participation of the IC Directors, will foster collaborative identification of corporate issues and transparent decision-making.
- Two options developed by FARB.
- Option 1 – NIH Steering Committee with standing/ad hoc Working Groups for corporate functions other than setting of scientific priorities.
- Option 2 – NIH Steering Committee without Working Groups but with enhanced authority for OD functional leaders.
- IC Directors expressed strong preference for Option 1.

- NIH Steering Committee

## IC Directors’ Decision

- Continue to formulate NIH-wide scientific direction and priorities through participation of the NIH Director with all IC Directors.
- Establish Steering Committee
- IC Directors (3 permanent, remainder rotating).
- Chaired by NIH Director.
- Has governance purview for all corporate functions, resources, or policies other than the setting of corporate scientific direction and priorities.
- Would bring issues of highest significance to all IC Directors.
- Establish Working Groups for major corporate functions.
- Chaired by IC Director who is a member of the Steering Committee.
- OD functional Deputy/Associate Director would co-chair.
- Would subsume functions of most current advisory committees.

- RES
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- OD/
- ORFDO

- CIT

- CC

- CSR

- RES
- 4

- DDM                                   EOs

- DDIR                                  SDs

- DDER                                 EPMC Reps.

- CIO                                     ITMC Reps.

- NIH Director

- Reporting relationship
- Advisory relationship
- Governing relationship

- NIH Steering
- Committee
- Chair: NIH Director

- IC Directors
- (for scientific priorities)

- Facilities
- WG

- Management
-  and Budget WG
- HR Subcommittee

- Intramural
- Research WG

- Extramural
- Research WG

- IT WG

- NIH Steering Committee

## Steering Committee

- Membership
- Director, NIH – Chair
- Permanent Members – Directors NCI, NHLBI, and NIAID
- Rotating Members – Balance of small and medium-size Institutes
- Ex-Officio Member – Deputy Director, NIH
- Rotating members appointed initially for one year, later to an additional 2 or 3 years to establish rotation.
- Meetings are on the first and third Thursday and are principals only.
- Agendas provided to all IC Directors/OD small staff in advance and summary of actions taken provided the same day.

- NIH Steering Committee

## Working Groups

- Co-chaired by SC Member and senior OD functional head
- Management and Budget – Co-Chair, Deputy Director for Management
- Extramural – Co-Chair, Deputy Director for Extramural Research
- Intramural – Co-Chair, Deputy Director for Intramural Research
- Facilities – Co-Chair, Director, Office of Research Facilities
- Information Technology – Co-Chair, NIH Chief Information Officer
- OPASI (formed 2005)– Co-Chair, Director, OPASI
- Role is to make corporate policy and resource recommendations to the Steering Committee and provide oversight; it is not to manage the function.
- Issues related to Science Policy, Legislation and Communication are coordinated by Deputy Director, NIH and brought directly to the Steering Committee.

- NIH Steering Committee

## General Principles in Forming Working Groups

- Committee size should be large enough to provide sufficiently broad views but small enough to be manageable.
- Members do not “represent” their ICs or their professional community
- Membership should contain one or more IC Directors in addition to co-chair.
- Membership should contain mix of subject matter experts.
- Working Groups should be appropriately staffed (usually by office of senior staff co-chair).
- Nominations are proposed by Co-chairs (with input from IC Directors) and approved by NIH Director

- NIH Steering Committee

## Governance System Continues to Evolve

- Initial HR subcommittee of MBWG later disbanded
- Formation of OPASI Working Group (Fall, 2005)

- NIH Steering Committee

## Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives Working Group

- _Tasks identified in Charter include:_
- Develop formal criteria for the types of initiatives that fall within the purview of OPASI.
- Define, in broad terms, the parameters/dimensions of initiatives to be considered/supported.
- Determine the most appropriate processes for review and evaluation of initiatives.
- Develop guidance on the periodicity/timeframe for assessing and launching initiatives (e.g., incubation in OPASI v. graduation to ICs).
- Over time, the role of the WG will evolve to monitor the overall effectiveness of the office, advise on policy and planning issues, and forecast the need for changes in its activities.  Ultimately, the need for such a working group may dissolve, as the work of OPASI becomes institutionalized.

- NIH Steering Committee

## Governance System Continues to Evolve

- Initial HR subcommittee of MBWG later disbanded
- Formation of OPASI Working Group (Fall, 2005)
- Review of Steering Committee Functioning (February, 2006)

- NIH Steering Committee

## Review of NIH Steering Committee (February, 2006)

- Findings:
- General agreement that the governance model has brought a discipline and efficiency to decision-making that heretofore has not existed; Steering Committee members thought their additional workload was worth the investment in time.
- Some IC Directors not on SC do not consider the decision-making process to be sufficiently transparent and feel disenfranchised
- Identifying and addressing corporate issues by the Working Groups is the key to the success of the governance model but there appear to be growing pains.
- Succession planning is critical to ensure that IC Directors rotating on to the Steering Committee have been active in Working Groups and ready to assume the role of Chair of a Working Group.

- NIH Steering Committee

## Review of NIH Steering Committee (February, 2006)

**Recommendations:**
- No structural changes to the governance model.
- Present recommendation of the Steering Committee to the IC Directors on a regular basis; more rigorously identify issues of significance to all IC Directors that should be presented for final resolution; and hold regular retreats.
- Establish an intranet site to post information related to the Steering Committee and the Working Groups.
- Promote wider Working Group consultation with interested parties and better define the role of the Working Groups vis-à-vis other Committees:
- In developing policy proposals, WGs should identify and consult with appropriate interested parties.
- WG co-chairs should review their charter with representatives of their counterpart committees and revise as necessary to more clearly distinguish their respective roles.
- Promote the objective of addressing the most pressing corporate issues by establishing an Agenda Setting Committee to identify corporate issues for action.
- Promote succession planning by asking that WG co-chairs “groom” IC Directors on their Working Group; also, develop a comprehensive NIH-wide leadership development/succession planning program needs to be developed.
- Promote continuous improvement by regularly evaluating the governance process.

- NIH Steering Committee

## Slide 14

- NIH Steering Committee

## Communication

- Recently initiated Principals-only IC Directors briefing by a Steering Committee member summarizing discussions of issues at previous SC meeting
- 8-8:30 prior to all IC Directors’ meetings

- NIH Steering Committee

## Governance System Continues to Evolve

- Initial HR subcommittee of MBWG later disbanded
- Formation of OPASI Working Group (Fall, 2005)
- Review of Steering Committee Functioning (February, 2006)
- Review of Working Group Functioning (forthcoming)

- NIH Steering Committee

## Issues Addressed by Steering Committee

**Annual Process**
**Recommendations for Central Services Organizations’ budgets.**
**Recommendations for FTE allocations. **

- NIH Steering Committee

## Funding Sources by Office/Activity

- NIH Steering Committee

## Budgetary Decision-Making Process

**EAWG: Drs. Landis/Ruiz Bravo**
**CSR Director: **
**Dr. Scarpa**

**OD CSAC: Dr. Alexander**
**Office of the Director: **
**Dr. Kington**

**Unanticipated Needs**

**Department Taps**

**IWG: Drs. Sieving/Gottesman**
**CC Director: Dr. Gallin**
**ORS Director: Dr. Johnson**

**MBWG: Dr Nabel; Ms. Barros**

**NIH Steering Committee**

**Director, NIH**
**Dr. Zerhouni**

**Buildings & Facilities**
**ORF Director: Mr. Wheeland**

**FWG: Dr. Insel/Mr. Wheeland**
**ORF Director: Mr. Wheeland**

**ITWG: Drs. Katz/Jones**
**Acting CIT Director: Dr. Jones**
**IT Enterprise Systems**

**IC Directors**

- NIH Steering Committee

## MBWG Budget Review Process- 2008

- Followed the premise that the role of the MBWG is to integrate priorities; the Working Groups are to perform detailed budget review.
- For FY 2008, the MBWG requested FTE and dollar information, by fund, for commitment base, FY 2007 level, FY 2007 level -2%, and an optional professional judgment budget.
- Presentation provided by Working Group co-chairs.
- Appeal process following initial review to ensure that the MBWG did not overlook any major issues.

- NIH Steering Committee

## Issues Addressed by Steering Committee 

- Administrative Restructuring Advisory Committee (ARAC) Recommendations
- Administrative Space Guidance
- Basic Behavioral and Social Science Research
- Bench to Bedside Program
- Campus Master Plan
- Clinical Research Curriculum Award
- Clinical Research Data Warehouse
- Corporate Reporting and NBS Accounting Classification Structure
- Data Safety and Monitoring Board Policies
- DEAS
- A-76 Related Employee Transitions

- NIH Steering Committee

## Issues Addressed by Steering Committee (cont.)

- Extramural T42(f) Policies
- Genome-Wide Associations Studies Policies
- Use of eRA by Other Federal Agencies
- Human Capital Plan
- Intramural Clinical Research Blue Ribbon Panel Recommendations
- Intramural Graduate Partnership Program and MSTP
- IT Security
- Knowledge Management Governance
- Loan Repayment Program
- Locus of Review
- Minority and Health Disparities Reporting
- Model Organism Sharing Policy
- NBS/nVision

- NIH Steering Committee

## Issues Addressed by Steering Committee (cont.)

- NIH Diversity Program Policies
- NIH Ethics Office Reorganization
- Open Access/Public Access
- Pandemic Flu Action Plan
- Peer Review Advisory Committee Structure
- Performance Management Program (PMAP)
- Risk Management Program
- Public-Private Partnership Policy
- Roadmap Implementation
- SBIR/STRR Programs
- Scientific Review and Evaluation Award (SREA) Program
- Tobacco-free NIH Campus Policy
- T32 Training Grant Tuition Policy

- NIH Steering Committee

## The End

- NIH Steering Committee