Working Group Handbook

WORKING GROUP HANDBOOK
For Working Group Volunteer Leadership Teams

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Working Group Handbook

Acknowledgements
The initial drafting of this document occurred in 2015 under the Working Group Steering Committee(WGSC) Chair Martha Adams’ guidance and leadership. Additions and revisions occurred in between
then and its release in 2018. A significant revision took place in fall 2020 and early 2021, under theleadership of WGSC Chair Vicky Tiase. There had been a growing desire within the WGSC to revise thisdocument to be a true Working Group handbook for all members, and a guide for WG officers inparticular, encompassing answers to the questions that officers always have and details about all of
the processes that AMIA WG leaders need to know. The 2020-2021 effort answered a growing desire
within the WGs for just such a handbook. This effort dovetailed with a significant 2021 AMIA initiative,
led by AMIA Board Chair, Patti Dykes, to re-examine AMIA structuring and governance and makechanges accordingly to best align our organization with current members’ needs and goals for theirprimary professional home and operate most effectively as the leading Informatics professional
association.
In 2015 and in 2021, members of the WGSC and WG leaders reviewed the handbook and offered input
and suggestions. In 2021, all WG leaders were asked for their input, and many provided excellent ideas
now reflected here. Staff members including former AMIA Membership Director, Rob Rader; current AMIA
Vice President of Membership, Lee Anne Pirrello; and AMIA Program Manager, Member Services andEngagement, Kelly Taylor, participated in this work and guided the handbook through the Board review
process and dissemination.
We thank the following AMIA volunteer leaders for their significant contribution in the development of the
AMIA Working Group Handbook. As members with longtime experience in volunteer leadership, e.g.,service as Working Group Chairs and/or members of the Working Group Steering Committee, they areespecially qualified in developing and communicating operating parameters and best practices forsmooth WG operations and success.
Catherine K. Craven, AMIA Working Group Handbook Primary Author, WGSC member (2018-2021;
2008-2011 as Chair, Membership Comm); Chair, Evaluation WG (2012-2015); Chair, Student WG(2005-2008)
Kirk Phillips - Chair, KDDM WG (2001-2002)
Jos Aarts - Chair, POI WG (2011-2012)
Radha Nagaraj – Chair, Open Source WG (2012-2013)
Li Zhou – Chair, KRS (2011-2012)
Laura Wiley, Chair, WGSC (2016-2017)
Albert Lai, Chair, WGSC (2018-2019)
Vicky Tiase, Chair, WGSC (2020-2022)
Martha Adams, Chair, WGSC (2010-2015)
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PrefaceThis Handbook provides a summary of WG leadership roles and responsibilities, WG activities withdescriptions, and success metrics based upon the experience of current leaders and review of bestpractices. In addition, basic information is provided on WG-related processes about which WG leaders
will most likely need to know. The Working Group Coordination Committee (WGCC) Chair, WGCC members,
and AMIA staff are always go-to resources for further details on processes, and additional, related AMIA
documents. https://amia.org/about-amia/amia-staff
The Working Group Coordination Committee, the AMIA Board, and other AMIA leaders are committed tothe success of each Working Group (WG), as they implement activities and programs for membershipand the profession at large. We recognize that WG leaders step forward with varied backgrounds,
experience levels, and aspirations for their WG, and offer this Handbook as a guide to clarify roles,
expectations, annual planning, and activity-related processes, and above all, to aid WG leaders and WGs in
success.

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements..................................................................................................... 2
The Volunteer Structure of AMIA—Working Groups ........................................................... 6
Working Group Coordination Committee (WGCC) .............................................................. 7
The WGCC Chair ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Expectations and Essential Elementsof Effective Working Groups ........................................................................................ 10
WG Leadership Team Expectations .................................................................................................... 10

WG Meetings and Activities ......................................................................................... 13
WG Activity Examples .................................................................................................. 14
Webinars ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Journal Club Discussions .................................................................................................................... 15
Issue/Topic Discussions ..................................................................................................................... 15
Pre Symposium Workshop and Tutorial Submissions ........................................................................ 15
Panels and Other Conference Submissions ........................................................................................ 16

Symposium Events..................................................................................................... 17
Face-to-face WG meetings .................................................................................................................... 17
Networking hospitality suites – (optional)......................................................................................... 17
WG leaders and WGCC breakfast ........................................................................................................... 18
Submitting a New Symposium Event .................................................................................................. 18
Other Activities...................................................................................................................................... 20
White Papers ........................................................................................................................................ 20

WG Operating Processes .............................................................................................. 20
Communicating and Publicizing Events ............................................................................................. 20
Discussions on AMIA Connect ............................................................................................................ 22
Obtaining Continuing Education Credits ............................................................................................. 22
Making Budget Requests .................................................................................................................... 22
Making Sponsorship Requests .......................................................................................................... 23

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Establishing a New Working Group—Pilot Process............................................................ 23
Discussion Forum ................................................................................................................................ 23
Starting a Discussion Forum/Working Group .................................................................................... 24
Statement of Explanation and Purpose ............................................................................................... 24
Charter .................................................................................................................................................. 24

Annual Review of WG Charter........................................................................................ 25
Transitioning a Discussion Forum to a Working Group...................................................... 25
WG Evaluation ........................................................................................................... 25
Period of Review and Sunset ............................................................................................................... 26

Reporting.................................................................................................................. 26
Planning ................................................................................................................................................ 26

WG Leadership .......................................................................................................... 27
Elections................................................................................................................... 27
Developing the WG Election Slate ........................................................................................................ 28
Elected Positions vs. Appointed Positions ......................................................................................... 28

Terms....................................................................................................................... 29
Term of Chair-Elect and Past-Chair .............................................................................................. 30

Duties of Officers and Other Members of the Leadership Team................................ 31
Resignation, Removal, and Vacancies ............................................................................ 31
Conflict of Interest ............................................................................................................... 32
Roles and Responsibilities ............................................................................................ 33
Working Group Chair-Elect/Chair/Past-Chair ...................................................................................... 33
Working Group Vice-Chair ..................................................................................................................... 36
Working Group Member-at-Large ......................................................................................................... 37
Working Group Content Administrator ................................................................................................ 38
Working Group Secretary...................................................................................................................... 39
Staff Accountability and Support ........................................................................................................ 40

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About AMIA
AMIA envisions a world where informatics transforms and improves health. AMIA’s mission is to improvehealth through informatics education, science, and practice.

AMIA VALUES• scientific integrity• impact• inclusivity and collaboration

AMIA ACTIVELY SUPPORTS
THE FIVE DOMAINS• Translational Bioinformatics• Clinical Research Informatics• Clinical Informatics• Consumer Health Informatics• Public Health Informatics

The Volunteer Structure of AMIA—Working Groups
As AMIA’s members, we are the center of this volunteer organization, and we are the reason that
AMIA is leading the way in transforming health care through trusted science, education, and practiceof informatics.
Our AMIA structure is organized to enable us to make rapid, thoughtful, and effective decisions, shareideas, and plan and implement actions and activities. The volunteer structure enables all of us to leadand participate in the ongoing development of the field with our peers, share our passion and expertise in
informatics, and advance the profession by doing so.
The Working Groups (WGs) are core AMIA units via which we engage deeply in our association, share ourexpertise and energies, and create opportunities for leadership and participation. Our WGs promote theobjectives of AMIA and provide a forum for increasing the professional knowledge and interaction ofmembers with similar interests in biomedical and health informatics.
The AMIA’s volunteer structure, including WGs, is organized around policies and practices that promote
ethics, transparency, diversity, and inclusion. AMIA leadership and staff work to identify and incorporate
best practices in management to mitigate risk and improve workflow for and productivity of theassociation.
The AMIA staff is responsible for maintaining handbooks, procedures, and manuals that detail functionsof the AMIA structure. AMIA staff work with committee chairs and members to create and revise
content. Updates are done periodically and included for approval in the Board of Directors’ consent
agenda.
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In November 2023, the AMIA Board voted to implement a new governance structure, developed over a 12month-plus process involving significant member input.
The changes include simplifying the structure, creating transparency and supporting responsiveness,
reducing duplicative efforts to better utilize member resources.
View the updated structure

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Qualifications
AMIA Working Group Coordination Committee members must be a member of AMIA in good standing.
Committee members have the overall responsibility for supporting the AMIA Board of Directors andcarrying out the committee charges as set forth by the Board. Specific composition, terms, roles andresponsibilities are maintained in AMIA’s Committee Manual.(https://www.amia.org/aboutamia/bylaws- and-policies)

Expectations
Committee members are expected to:• Support the mission of the organization and champion our programs• Participate in committee meetings (frequency varies by group)• Keep committee materials and conversations confidential• Respond timely to requests• Support the majority decision• Be familiar with AMIA’s Conflict of Interest Policy and AMIA’s Policy Regarding Speaking on Behalfof or Representing the Organization and Volunteer Reimbursement (https://www.amia.org/aboutamia/ethics/conflict-interest, https://www.amia.org/about-amia/bylaws-and-policies/volunteerreimbursement-policy)
The primary function of the WGCC is to ensure that the needs of the WGs are met and that WGs and theirleaders are effectively mentored and guided for WG success as active, engaged, contributing AMIA units
through which all members can participate, contribute, network, and engage with their peers.
WGCC work also includes weighing decisions about budget requests, scoring submissions for WGsubmitted pre-symposia events in conjunction with the SPC, communicating about Board-level plans,
initiatives, decisions, and objectives and our staff’s roles and work within these, and serving as advocateson behalf of all WGs.
The WGCC will continue to support and guide WG leaders as they design and implement activities foreach year. The WGCC assures continuity of WG leadership transitions for active and productive WGs. The
WGCC promotes steady growth in WGs as evidenced not solely by increased numbers of members whojoin a WG, but by number and quality of activities implemented, reflection of Board strategic plan goals
within these activities, level of WG member involvement and participation in activities, mentoring anddevelopment of new leaders with each WG, and WG member satisfaction.
Specific WGCC member responsibilities include:• Participating in monthly WG leaders calls for information sharing among all participants, including
AMIA membership staff members, and other guests as needed or desired (e.g., AMIA Board President,
VP of Education and Academic Affairs, Director of Meetings, etc.)• Participating in monthly WGCC calls with membership staff to discuss WG progress, continued WG
mentoring actions, WG issues, challenges, and requests, ways to resolve any problems, reports backon challenge resolution progress, and staff and Board requests and initiatives as they pertain to WGs;
8 P ageWorking Group Governance Manual• Mentoring WG leaders and working with them directly as a group and individually to ensure smooth
WG operation and success;• Holding a face-to-face event at the Annual Symposium (traditionally a breakfast) for all WG leaders and
WGCC members, in which each WGs leaders are introduced and the activities and achievements fromthe past year from each WG are shared and highlighted;• Weighing decisions about WG budget requests;• Scoring submissions for pre-symposium workshop and tutorial events in conjunction with
the Scientific Programming Committee and Education Committee;• Serving as champions for the WGs;
• Ensuring that WGs understand that any staff related requests are based on best practices for standard
operations, specific initiatives, and the Board’s Strategic Plan;• Ensuring that WG leaders and members are aware of the Board’s strategic plan and are actively
working to incorporate its goals at the WG level. The strategic plan is set by the Board in accordancewith AMIA’s mission. The Board is responsible for ensuring AMIA is meeting our strategic goals andthat our finances are sound. The Board is accountable to AMIA’s members.

The WGCC Chair
The Working Group Coordiantion Committee Chair is responsible for communicating the views of andrepresenting the voice of the Working Groups. The Chair is appointed by the Chair of the AMIA Board of
Directors as part of AMIA’s Committee appointment process as defined in the AMIA Committee Manual.
The Chair also serves as a member of AMIA’s Education Committee. The Chair may choose to appoint adesignee to serve as the liaison to the committee instead.
The WGCC Chair reports directly to the Working Group Steering Committee. The WGCC Chair will be amember of the Annual Symposium Scientific Program Committee as it relates to reviewing WG workshop
submissions and reviewing them with the Chair of the Education Committee to determine approved
submissions.

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Expectations and Essential Elements ofEffective Working Groups
WG Leadership Team Expectations
Overall:• Support the mission of the WGCC, the AMIA Board, and the AMIA Strategic Plan.

• Attend WG Leaders calls as an active, prepared participant.
• Plan, develop, and conduct activities critical to the success of the WG.
• Ensure WG presence at relevant AMIA meetings and membership events.
• Abide by the AMIA Connect Code of Conduct and remind community members of it when necessary.
• Communicate to WG Members—The Chair is responsible for keeping the WG Website up to date,monitoring email discussion lists, communicating details about and promoting upcoming WG
activities and events to WG members, updating WG members with highlights after every face-to-faceor virtual meeting and activity. These tasks may be delegated to another WG leader, but the Chairremains ultimately responsible.

• Demonstrate WG Purpose—Each WG must exhibit ongoing action that is consistent with the activities
needed for the WG to exist. Assessment of WG productivity, engagement, and success, is done
continuously by the WGCC in conjunction with the WG Chair, and AMIA staff.

Specific Tasks:• The elected officers, including Chair, Chair-elect, and Immediate Past Chair, are active participants in
WG activities and effective liaisons to the WG leaders, the WGCC, and the AMIA office, including
participation in:• The January WG leadership orientation session• Monthly WG leaders calls• The WG Leadership and WGCC face-to-face breakfast meeting at the Annual Symposium• The WG will review its Charter annually• The WG will hold an election (applicable in election years only)• The WG hold a meeting at the Annual Symposium that aligns with meeting format• The WG hold at least the minimum expected number of activities (4) in addition to those listed here
• The WG will submit its mid-year, end-of-year, and long-term planning reports• The WG will keep its WG content pages up to date
• The WG will communicate via and encourage active discussion on the AMIA Connect WG community

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WGs establish specific activity plans and goals at the beginning of each year, and can continue to add tothese. In conjunction, the following metrics are reported on the WG mid-year, end-of-year, and long-termplanning reports.
• Description of meetings and activities - planned, carried out, upcoming, and a brief explanation about“why” and the “benefit” of each

• Leadership Development - ways in which the WG is fostering leadership, including a pipeline forpotential candidates for elected positions• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - discussion/evidence of ways the WG is actively working to increase
DEI, which is a major aim of the 2020-2025 AMIA Board Strategic Plan

• Career Growth Mentoring - ways in which the WG is offering career advice, assistance, networking• Collaboration with Other WGs -- any cross-WG activities• New WG Member Engagement - any outreach to new members of the WG• Non-member Engagement - any professional interaction or joint events held with nonmembers orgroups who have shared professional interests and goals

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WG Planning Timeline
TASK

DATE

Become Working Group Chair, Chair-elect, Past Chair

Jan 1

Work with AMIA staff liaison to set up meetings for the year (Zoom)

Jan 7

Chair and other leadership attend Working Group Leaders Orientation

Prior to Jan 31

Chair and other leadership begin WG activity planning in earnest

Jan

Submit sponsorship request

Feb 25

If WG is submitting to AMIA Clinical Informatics Conference, submissions due in Feb

Feb

Call for working group positions

Mar 1

If WG is submitting to Annual Symposium submissions due in MarchMar

Positions for nominations due to AMIA

April 1

Online nominations open

May 3

Communicate with your WG re nominations opening for members to apply for FAMIA

May

Mid-Year report due

June 15

If WG is submitting to AMIA Informatics Summit, submissions due in Feb

June

Call for Annual Symposium business meeting date/time
Online nominations close

June 30

WG receives list of nominations

July 6

Annual Symposium business meeting selection due
Approved election slate due

July 30

Begin annual review of charter

Aug 1

Receive request for hospitality suites at Annual Symposium

Sept 1

WG elections open, AMIA Board and Committees- odd years

Sep 14

Annual review of Charter due to WGCC

Sept 15

Submit report for AS
Annual report due

Oct 1Elections close

Oct 25

Election notifications

Oct

Face to face WG meetings held at Annual Symposium

Nov

WG Leadership begin WG activity plan for next year

Dec

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WG Meetings and Activities
Each WG will hold an annual face-to-face (or a method that aligns with the meeting format) meeting
during the AMIA Annual Symposium. Face-to-face meetings at other AMIA events are also encouraged
and can be coordinated with AMIA staff for meeting space availability. Meetings are open to all
conference attendees and are an important AMIA member and WG recruitment opportunity.
Meetings can be conducted in accordance with the Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, or they can be run
more informally. To view the Rules online, visit: http://www.rulesonline.com/index.html
Throughout the year, a WG can hold as many leadership planning meetings, committee/task team work
meetings, or full group meetings as they choose. WGs also hold activities that are not generally termed“meetings,” e.g., webinars with presenters, journal discussions, guest speakers, etc. There is no upper
limit on how many of these you can hold.

Meeting Minutes and Activities
Meetings and activities may be conducted by mail, telephone, or electronic media. When business isconducted outside of formal meetings or activities, records of any correspondence, transactions, anddecisions should be posted by the WG leadership team into the WG Community site as part of thepermanent records of the WG. The Chair has the responsibility to ensure that all minutes, notes, andcorrespondence are posted and may delegate this task to another WG leader.
For all meetings and activities, in person or virtual, WGs should perform the following actions:• Record meeting notes and activity notes SEE APPENDIX GV-J Meeting• Upload minutes and notes to the WG’s online community library and send a post to the WG’s list on“AMIA Connect” informing the WG community that they are available.

• Highlights and action items from minutes and notes should also be shared with the WG
membership via its listserv.

• If action by AMIA staff is necessary, minutes/notes should be shared with the appropriate AMIA
staff person.

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WG Activity Examples
1. Webinars
WG webinars are one AMIA’s most popular engagement activities with content created by the members.
Webinars are a great way to present content in which WG members -- and many other AMIA members -are interested, in a way that makes the WG highly visible.
Because of members’ desire to share content openly and include others, AMIA webinars are now open to
the general public via our Open Science Webinar Program, which allows unrestricted access for viewing.
In doing so, we can reach many more people with timely, relevant and easily accessible content.
You can use any meeting platform to which you have access (e.g., Zoom, WebEx, etc.) and• Create your own WG webinar available to the public• No registration fee for non-member participants• No need to log into amia.org to register• Flexibility for members to design format and length• Fewer restrictions on planning ahead dates allow for more current content• Members may self-promote through their own networks and social media• No restriction on webinar platform – presenter’s choice• No restrictions on the amount of yearly webinars held
Webinar content and format is free choice. Topics have covered the gamut of informatics-related areas,
including but not limited to education issues, specific research projects, research methods, publishingissues, regulation and policy events, and areas of interest in frontline operations informatics.
In addition to serving as presenters in webinars, members of the WG can, themselves, choose tomoderate, coordinate, and organize a WG webinar, but they must do so with approval first by the WG
leadership team.
Communicating early and several times about webinar details is key to strong participation for webinars- and all activities! Make sure to start with an initial announcement to WG members via the community
listserv.
AMIA has dedicated Zoom accounts for your use. Please contact your staff liaison to set up.

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2. Journal Club Discussions
Journal club-style discussions focus on discussing and deconstructing one or two papers, discussing
significance to the field, overall approach, merits and strengths, limitations, and implications for future workand the field. Usually, a session focuses on one article that is newly published. However, the WG could also
look at a seminal, foundational paper as part of learning about/revisiting the early days of a topic before
having other sessions on current, cutting edge journal articles.
There will be a moderator/discussion leader who will take the group through some of the key points.
Then, however, healthy focus on participants adding discussion points and comments throughout is key.
Journal club sessions often take place via teleconferencing (e.g. Zoom, Webex), to show the actual
document as it’s discussed. However, these can occur via conference call line.
A link to the article/articles to be discussed should be distributed along with the announcement about
the event, so that participants can read in advance to prepare for the discussion.

3. Issue/Topic Discussions
Although this can be done webinar-style, the focus is generally less about a specific work or works
published, and more about an area of interest or concern with potential need for increased vigilance
and informatics involvement. Generally one person leads the discussion. It’s possible that more than
one person could lead a specific area of focus. The leader may start by going over recent events, policychanges, legislation, industry announcements, popular press coverage, etc. Then, the discussion leader
will ask for input from the group. Often, the discussion leader will have formulated specific questions/discussion points as a springboard for discussion.

4. Pre Symposium Workshop and Tutorial Submissions
Pre-symposium sessions comprise either workshops or tutorials, which can be either half-day or full day
offerings, which take place on the Saturday prior to and the Sunday at the start of the Annual Symposium.
In order to meet the mid-March submission deadline, this means that the WG leaders should startplanning in January to brainstorm an idea for a proposal, determine who will be involved -- which isusually one or more of the WG officers, but also other WG/AMIA members who have the expertise desired-- solidify the topic, and draft and polish the proposal, with time for all involved to review it, prior to thedeadline.
A member of a WG can approach WG leaders with an idea for a session. WG leaders, as part of planning, canput out a call for ideas to the WG. However, a WG-sponsored session must have the approval of
the WG leaders. Pre-symposium proposals are often great opportunities for cross-WG collaboration!
Approach another WG(s) early to kickstart ideas. A written proposal should be prepared by WG leadership-- or with WG leaders reviewing it if another member is leading and drafting -- and submitted to the
Scientific Programming Committee (SPC). Proposals are submitted via the AMIA Symposium submission
module -- which is linked to the AMIA website and clearly identified -- by the deadline for all annual AMIA
Symposium submissions. The Annual Symposium submission deadline date is always in mid-March.
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Please follow the specified formatting requirements for Pre-symposium submissions, which are postedon the AMIA website.
N.B. Short NIH biosketches or short-form CVs, and email addresses for each of the participants whowill be listed as “authors/participants” for proposal should be submitted. The submission module asks
for these at the start of the submission process, so they should be ready to go beforehand. NO member
should check the “WG Sponsored” box during submission unless the submission has been approved andreviewed in advance by the WG leaders. Sometimes people get confused about this and think it’s a way toalert folks who might attend that they are a member of a specific WG. It is not.
The SPC’s goal is to have the highest quality content for the Annual Symposium Workshops. We also
recognize the value of Working Group sponsored/affiliated proposals and wish to support their work at
the Annual Symposium. Accordingly, for proposals that are equally ranked and in accordance with priorreview practice, preference will be given to the Working Group affiliated submission. The SPC requests
that Working Group’s closely monitor “official” contributions to support the SPC’s goal of receiving thehighest quality contributions. This step is particularly important since there is a finite amount ofprogrammatic space. Immediately following the submission deadline, the AMIA staff will coordinate
with the Working Groups Chair to review and approve WG-designated contributions to confirm thesubmission as an “official” contribution.
The AMIA Vice President for Education and Academic Affairs is the primary contact for submissionprocess questions about Pre-symposium sessions.

5. Panels and Other Conference Submissions
Although WGs can sponsor any sort of symposium submission, panel proposals are the most popularand successful. WG-sponsored panel proposals may be for either of the currently accepted formats for
AMIA panel proposals: didactic or interactive. Both panel types are 90-minutes in length. The Scientific
Programming Committee (SPC) reviews and makes decisions about all panels. Accepted panels arescheduled by the SPC throughout the Symposium.
Competition for panel acceptance is stiff, and WGs are not guaranteed a slot. However, WG’s areencouraged to submit proposals, as well as to partner with other WGs to co-sponsor panel submissions.
WG leaders often initiate panel proposals themselves, including jointly with other WGs. However, amember of a WG can approach WG leaders with an idea for a WG-sponsored panel for which they would
like to lead submission and/or participate. WG leaders, as part of planning, can put out a call for ideas tothe WG. However, a WG-sponsored session must have the approval of the WG leaders.

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Symposium Events
1. Face-to-face WG meetings
Each WG holds a face-to-face meeting at AMIA Annual Symposium, and conference meeting rooms areavailable for WGs to use. These rooms are scheduled on a first-come first-served basis in the evenings on
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, each year at Symposium. AMIA staff liaisons will notify the WG chairs toschedule meeting times approximately two months before Symposium, and set the meeting schedule inplenty of time for WG leaders to promote their meeting times.
The content of these face-to-face meetings is up the WG. WGs leaders often do a brief review of theyear’s activities and ask for ideas for the upcoming year - with more to follow afterward through the WG
community. However, many WGs follow their meetings with some sort of interesting activity. There areseveral examples of success activities under the “Submitting a new Symposium event” heading, where it’s
discussed why it’s often best to incorporate such an activity into the face-to-face meeting.
N.B. The only caveat is that the SPC does not want such activities to conflict with the peer-reviewed
sessions. That doesn’t mean the WG can’t have someone speak or several members present briefly tokick off a group discussion. But avoid using the word “Panel” since that’s a primary type of peer-reviewed
AMIA submission or other similar language. Just be aware of the difference and communicate about theactivity with this in mind.

2. Networking hospitality suites – (optional)
Networking suites are held in suites in the hotel, which are offered to the WGs for two-hour slots
throughout the Annual Symposium. Each WG may select up to two of the slots to promote as their
Networking Suite times. WGs can share their suite times with other WGs if desired.
WGs use these for various purposes: to set group discussions about topics of interest to the WG, aplace to meet up for brown-bag lunch gatherings, a place where small groups from the WG can meet to
discussion potential projects, and often, for open social time in which members and friends drop in as
they can.
These rooms are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. A Working Group Liaison will email a signup sheet to the WG Chairs approximately one month prior to the Symposium. Once the Working Group
Liaison arrives onsite at the hotel for Symposium, WG Chairs will be emailed with information on how toaccess the Networking Suite - usually by picking up a key at the AMIA Registration area.
N.B. In order to avoid running afoul of hotel contract rules, please check with AMIA staff liaison if you
want to offer food in the suite other than what individuals carry in for themselves.

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3. WG leaders and WGCC breakfast
The Working Group Coordination Committee sponsors a breakfast with the WG leaders each year at theAnnual Symposium. This tradition was on hiatus for the last couple years, but it is being reinstated. It’s
held at 7 a.m. the Wednesday morning of the Annual Symposium because that’s one of the only noconflict times for so many people. It’s a great time to come together, connect, commune, and personal
introductions - which is especially important during election years when there are new “elects” - andcelebrate everything the WG’s have accomplished during the year!
After food and introductions, the WGCC Chair presents a slideshow of the highlights of all of the activities
and accomplishments and near-term upcoming plans laid out by each WG in their end-of-year reports.
It’s a great way to reflect on and take pride in the work done, to get ideas from others WGs, to identify potential
collaborator WGs for upcoming events, and get charged up for planning for the upcoming year.
A Working Group Liaison will let the WGCC and WG leaders know when the Meetings Director has the
specific room scheduled for Symposium. However, all WG leaders and WGCC members should reserve
this spot on their calendar in January each year.

4. Submitting a New Symposium Event
Creating a new event, separate from currently scheduled events during Symposium in the hotel, must be
done by working with the WGCC Chair, Working Group Liaison and likely other AMIA staff, including but
not limited to the Director of Meetings.
Although energy and creativity are encouraged (!), this can be a challenge to do given room availability/
cost and hotel contract constraints, the already packed conference schedule, which does not have any noconflict times ever, as well concerns regarding appropriateness of “fit” and the oversight responsibilities of
the SPC in these matters.
As such, it’s often best to incorporate WG-appropriate activities into the existing venues/times that are
already flexible regarding content, e.g. during WG meeting times, during WG Networking Suite times, andpossibly, as part of WG-sponsored Pre-symposium sessions, although these have tended traditionally to
be workshops or tutorials.
Some examples of how WGs have incorporated various activities into their face-to-face meetings include thefollowing:• KDDM WG has incorporated announcing details and winners of a student data mining competition
during their face-to-face meeting;•

CIS WG has garnered outside corporate sponsorship to pay for hotel catering their face-to-facemeetings and have held debates/skits on informatics topics and issues during this time;• Student WG has held a “Meet the Experts and Leaders” session during their face-to-face meeting inwhich half a dozen well-known leaders were invited, each introduced themselves and spoke briefly
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about their careers to date, and then student attendees asked questions. Leaders then stayed for a set timeto speak with individuals who wanted to talk with them directly. That year, the WG leaders did not seek
corporate sponsorship, but several volunteers each purchased a bag of candy for attendees to snack onduring the session;• Student WG has held an “All-WG: Meet The WG Leaders Roundtable” session during their face-to-facemeeting time. In this session, the WG invited leaders/representatives from all of the WGs to attend.
The Student WG members then divided themselves evenly and sat around each of the guests from theother WGs. The guests introduced themselves, briefly shared details about their research and careers,
talked about what their WG does, and answered questions. Every 15 minutes, the students rotated toanother “WG table” (there weren’t actually tables, just groups of chairs) to get to know other WGs.

•

ELSI WG had a series of discussions on a selected topic, including one during a face-to-face WG
meeting. The leaders then worked further together and turned the material and ideas generated fromthe discussions into a WG-sponsored paper. (N.B. Please see the permissions process for this in the
Handbook.)•

Occasionally, the SPC will try out a new idea, such as “Birds of a Feather” sessions, which arehighlighted at Symposium. Birds of a Feather sessions, held during Symposium in assigned meetingrooms, comprise group and small group discussions on predetermined topics. If there’s a topic that a
WG, or a coalition of collaborating WGs, would like to propose for a “Birds of a Feather” session, please
discuss the idea with the WGCC Chair. For conference planning purposes, it would be best to approach
the WGCC Chair with an idea early in the year.

•

In addition, several of the WGs have successfully created social and networking events held in theevenings outside the hotel to avoid hotel costs/contract issues, and allow folks to enjoy city
venues other than the hotel conference rooms. One such activity has been a WG-sponsored dinner,which is arranged at rotating restaurants that can accommodate large groups. It started out as an
ELSI
WG-sponsored dinner and grew into the “CIS, ELSI, EVAL, and POI WGs + Friends Dinner,” in which all
members and their spouses/families can sign up to participate. The leadership of the WGs makes allof the arrangements and promotes the events. Individuals pay for themselves.

• Another example is the “Women in Informatics Event (WINE)” which was held in the hotel bar.
Attendees paid for their own beverages. This started out as an event not sponsored by any one WG.
It was proposed by two individuals who approached the WGCC Chair and other staff members forapproval and to get the event published in the Symposium Program. The individuals then promoted theevent themselves via the listservs. Now, however, it has been folded into the offerings of the Women in
AMIA Initiative, and has become an official AMIA Symposium event with a designated hotel room.
Reminder - please *DO* notify the WGCC Chair and the AMIA VP of Education and Academic Affairs, todiscuss ideas, which will likely need to run by the SPC for approval. Just be mindful of the already packed
schedule and standing events each day and every night of Symposium.

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5. Other Activities
Just because it’s not listed or detailed above doesn’t mean the idea isn’t a good one! The activities
detailed above are popular and have been successful, but there is always room for creativity.
If the leaders from your WG are mulling an idea and want input, please bring it up to the WGCC Chair
individually or discuss it during the WG leadership monthly call. The WGCC and AMIA staff will help you
flesh out details, point out any pitfall, and guide you to success.
Some other creative activity examples include the following:• NI-WG put on a Maker Faire as the focus of a Pre-symposium workshop;• NI-WG did an oral history project to capture the history of nursing informatics via a series of interviews
with long-time AMIA nursing informaticists. They did seek and were awarded an AMIA budget to do so;• Every year, the POI WG awards the “Diana Forsythe Award” to the authors of the best paper publishedeach year at the intersection of informatics and the social sciences.

• A WG Zoom Happy Hour. These don’t cost anything, and they’re easy to do. A WG Happy Hour could beheld as a standalone event or after another informatics-focused activity such as a webinar.

6. White Papers
WGs have successfully written and published articles on topics of interest to the group, which the WG
has officially sponsored. However, there is an approval process for this, which involves the AMIA Board.
There is no guarantee that a WG’s idea or paper will be approved, or that it will be accepted by a journal,
including JAMIA. No WG or individual may go outside of this process to publish a paper or any sort ofstatement and claim that it is AMIA or AMIA WG-sponsored.
Authorship of any such paper should follow International Committee of Medical Journal Editors rules
for attribution; discussion contributors not participating as authors should be acknowledged in the
Acknowledgements section.
For further details and assistance regarding this process, please email the WGCC Chair and staff liaison.

WG Operating Processes
Communicating and Publicizing Events
It’s the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that all WG meetings and activities are communicated andpromoted to members in a timely fashion, with enough lead time in advance for members to reserve
space on their calendars. The Chair can delegate publicizing tasks to the other WG leaders or membersof the group.
The AMIA Community listserv is a key tool through which to communicate. Social media tweets/posts
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are additional ways to spread the word about upcoming events. The WG can also work with their
Working Group Liaison to announce activities through official AMIA channels, such as• AMIA weekly eNews• AMIA Daily Download• Social media
These come out on a set schedule, with content prepared in advance. So contact your staff liaison inadvance to find out when your announcement can be incorporated.
Several elements for effective communications about meetings and activities are:

• An informative subject line
• Who, what, where, when, how, and why
That sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget these basic elements. It’s also easy to accidentally “bury”
these in a lot of body text. The rule of thumb is just make it easy for your WG members to see the key
details quickly. Also, please be sure to make it easy for them to copy key details into their own calendars.
How much and how often you publicize a specific meeting or event is optional, but experience has
demonstrated that three rounds of messaging often works well.

• For example, send a message about an upcoming webinar to your WG Community 3-4 weeks
in advance, then 1-1.5 weeks in advance, and then a final reminder the day before or morning of
the webinar. Why three times? Because people pay attention to such messages at different
times, often just in time, and also as schedules shift and open up, which affords anopportunity to participate.
There is the option to cross-post your activity announcements on other WG lists, too, targeting the groups
whose members may be most interested. This can also be done by using the ‘announcements’ function in
the WG Community platform.
A rule of thumb is to post to one WG Community first (and the other WGs involved if it’s a cross- WG
collaboration event). Then, if desired, later post to the 2-3 other WG Community lists for the groups who
might be most interested. Do the same for each round of messaging. Many people belong more than one
WG, so they may get the message more than once that day. As long as you’re being thoughtful about who
you are messaging and judicious, you are not “spamming.”
If the WG wants to create an eFlyer for a WG event, or an ongoing WG newsletter, etc., contact your staff
liaison for guidance about AMIA branding, logos, etc. There are still creative opportunities, but there aresome guidelines to follow.

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Discussions in AMIA Connect
Members of a WG can start a discussion about an informatics issue, idea, policy, method, application,anytime they want and continue the discussion for as long as it’s productive. Leaders of the WG can doso, and can encourage other WG members to do so!
WG leaders will want to pay attention to posts, not to stifle or run conversations, but just to be aware incase there is an escalation that is not resolving itself. If there is, there may be a need to redirect theconversation. Please refer to the Code of Conduct (https://connect.amia.org/codeofconduct)
The lists are monitored, as well, by AMIA staff, but they rarely have to step in because as professionals,
WG members are generally congenial and respectful of differences of opinion, experience, and points ofview, and self-direct conversations.

Obtaining Continuing Education Credits
Obtaining education credits for WG programs is possible, although it requires considerable documentation.
A disclosure form is standard and the next steps depend on the type of CE (MOC, CME, CNE, pharmacy CE,or dentist CE). All faculty send CVs. MOC-Part II requires 3 assessment questions with rationale provided.
The AMIA Director of Education provides guidance for this procedure.

Making Budget Requests
Budget Request Form
AMIA WG group projects are funded by the AMIA budget on a yearly basis. Note: Budget requests can bemade as part of the activities plan and should be submitted by July 15th to be included in the AMIA
August budget process.
Funds will not be granted for travel to in-person meetings or funds to hire a grad student for WG project
support. Money cannot be requested to buy food for events at the Annual Symposium because of hotel
contract rules, however, snacks and drinks are provided for each WG face-to-face meeting rooms.
Please do not put in a budget request for the following: WG leadership planning conference calls or online
meetings.
Please contact the WGCC Chair and with any questions regarding budget requests andfundable proposals.

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Making Sponsorship Requests
Sponsorship Request Form
AMIA encourages WGs who wish to seek sponsorship for events and other activities, especially when
they have their own contacts and potential sources for sponsorship. The Director of Industry Partnerships
can provide guidance in approaching sponsors.
To make sure, however, that relationships with industry, vendors, and outside partners and stakeholders,many of whom are already corporate members or sponsors are managed, WG leaders must fill out a WG
sponsorship request form and submit to the Director of Industry Partnerships with WG ideas forsponsorship.

Establishing a New Working Group—Pilot Process
We are excited to introduce a two-stage pilot process for establishing new Working Groups within the
AMIA Community. This process begins with the formation of a Discussion Forum (DF), which serves as
the preparatory stage for launching a Working Group (WG).

Starting a Discussion ForumTo launch a new Working Group, the first step is to initiate a Discussion Forum. This requires a petition
submitted by at least five AMIA members to AMIA Staff. This group of members will serve as thefounding members of the DF, responsible for launching and managing it.

Discussion Forum
A Discussion Forum is preparatory platform that offers several rights and privileges, including:• A dedicated online AMIA community for communication and membership recruitment• Staff and technical support for AMIA sponsored webinars.
• Secondary preference for pre-symposia activity proposals to the AMIA Annual Symposium• Opportunity to reserve networking suites when not in use by formal WGs.
Please note, during the DF stage. The group does not have access to formal meeting space at AMIA
conferences, AMIA’s virtual meeting licenses for regular or ad hoc meetings, or budget requests fromthe Working Group Coordination Committee.
The DF phase lasts for six months, during which time the founding members can build their community,
plan their activities, and prepare for the transition to a formal Working Group. This only opens theopportunity to begin the process to start a new working group. There is no reason why a DF cannot
remain a DF for as long as the DF leaders wish it to be one. The WGCC and AMIA staff to reserve therights to close a DF if activity on the board stops (9 months of inactivity) or there is no identified
leadership of the DF, and no new leadership is found to take over.

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Statement of Explanation and Purpose (Appendix GV-A)
During the DF phase for communities who wish to move toward a WG, are encouraged to begin buildinga Statement of Explanation and Purpose. This document should outline the mission/purpose of the
proposed WG, demonstrate the need for its formation, and explain why an existing WG is not suitable toaddress the group's topic. The Statement may also include a proposed leadership structure.
Additionally, the founders will need to prepare:• A preliminary Working Group Charter that summarizes the Discussion Forum’s activities and future•plans
A signed state by the officers affirming they have read and understand the Working Group Handbook

When the leadership is ready to submit for WG status. The proposals will be reviewed by the Working Group
Coordination Committee Chair and AMIA staff. Based on the complexity of the justification, the proposal
may be sent to the full Working Group Coordination Committee for review.

Charter (Appendix GV-B)
The Charter, to be developed during the DF state, should contain:• A list of officers• Overview• Mission• Vision• Domains of Focus• Goals• Outcomes
Transitioning a Discussion Forum to a Working Group
Following the six-month DF phase, the group may petition to transition into a formal Working Group. The
WGCC will evaluate this request based on the balance of the group's activity, the completeness of theirCharter, and their adherence to the Working Group Governance Manual. All active Working Groups are
expected to meet the same standards. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the
WGCC. Group activity will be assessed based on the WG handbook, and innovative ideas for activities areencouraged.

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Annual Review of WG Charter
The WG Charter should be reviewed and updated, if necessary, at least annually. The updated WG Chartershould be available for review by September 15th. A copy must be sent to your staff liaison and the
WGCC Chair. After they have reviewed the charter, AMIA will add the latest version of the Charter to the
WG AMIA website and save the old version.

WG Evaluation
Throughout each year, particularly at the mid-year and end-of-year when WGs submit activity reports, the
WGCC reviews the WG program. The WGCC considers the following questions to determine if a WG is
active:1.

Are the elected officers, including Chair, Chair-elect, and Immediate Past Chair, active participants in WG
activities and effective liaisons to the WG leaders, the WGCC, and the AMIA office, including a)participation in the January WG leadership orientation session and b) Monthly WG leaders calls?

2.

Did the WG hold an election (applicable in election years only)?

3.

Did the WG hold a meeting during the Annual Symposium?

4.

Did the WG hold the minimum expected number of activities (4)?

5.

Did the WG do the annual review of its Charter?

6.

Are the WG content pages up to date?

7.

Is there active discussion on the AMIA Connect WG community?

8.

Does the WG demonstrate purpose and a need to exist?

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Period of Review and Sunset
Each year after the WGCC has performed an evaluation of each WG, the WGCC will place WGs that do notcomply with the eight basic requirements of being an active WG into a period of review. During this review, the
WGCC will engage its members and solicit volunteers to bring the WG back into active status. The WGCC
may replace the WG Chair or make other changes to the Leadership Team as needed. Once the situation
has sufficiently improved or been remedied, the group will be placed back in active status. The period ofreview may last no longer than six consecutive months.
If the WGCC does not see evidence of progress or sufficient improvement of the WG during the review, theWG will be assessed for merging with another WG or will sunset. A group of AMIA members may request
reinstatement (i.e., to be moved back to active status) by submitting the name of a Chair and signaturesof 25 AMIA members who believe there is a need for the WG to exist.
If the WGCC does not receive a request for reinstatement in a timely manner during the period of review, theWG will sunset. Once a WG has been sunsetted, the WG content pages and AMIA Connect community
discussions will be shut down, AMIA members will no longer be able to sign up for the WG community,
and the WG will be removed from all communication and marketing materials. In the event that a groupof AMIA members feel a need for the group to become active again, they should follow the steps forestablishing a new WG.

Reporting
Planning
The WG Chair, in conjunction with the leadership team, is responsible for these plans/reports.
[Table 1] Reports and Plans
Item

Month(s) Due

Owner

Long-Term Activity Plan

Oct. 1Chair and/or Chair-Elect

End-of-Year Report

Oct. 1Chair

Mid-Year Report

May 1

Chair

Annual Review of CharterFeb. 1Chair, Chair-Elect, Immediate Past Chair

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WG Leadership
Qualifications
Members of the Leadership Team shall be members in good standing of AMIA and the Working Groupat the time of their nomination, election, and service. Should any officer or member of the Leadership
Team, or any nominee or officer-elect or committee member-elect, cease to be a member in goodstanding of AMIA, her or his position shall be declared vacant. The Chair, with the advice and consent of
the Leadership Team, shall appoint a member in good standing to serve in the vacated position. At thenext regularly scheduled election, there shall be nominations and voting to fill the position. Should such
an election be held in an “off year” (e.g., in an even year for an office normally elected in an odd year), theperson elected would serve only for the unexpired term, so that the office could continue to be filled in odd
or even years, as scheduled.
Except for a specially elected officer who has served less than a full term in the elected position, officers
should not immediately succeed themselves in the same office. Exceptions can be made to this policy. It is
recommended that persons running for the office of Chair-Elect should have the advantage of having
served previously in a leadership capacity for a Working Group.

Composition
The leadership team of the Working Group shall be as follows:• Chair (required)• Chair-Elect (required)• Immediate Past Chair (required, 1 year)
The leadership team may also include the following positions:• Vice Chair• Secretary• Member-at-Large (may have more than 1)• Content Administrator• Other positions as assigned

Elections
Most WG elections are held every other fall in conjunction with the regular AMIA election for the Board of
Directors, with the exception of Student WG and NI-WG. The AMIA office will coordinate the WG election
process.
The term for the WG Chair is a four-year commitment: one year as Chair-Elect, two years as Chair, and

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the last year as Past-Chair. Elections are held every other year for Chair-Elect. There is not a limit on thenumber of times an AMIA member may run for Chair. * The official term for a new person taking office isJanuary 1.

Developing the WG Election Slate
Members of the working group are able to self-nominate for available positions during the open selfnomination period which takes place in conjunction with the AMIA Board of Directors nomination
process. This typically takes place in June/July of an election year.
During any election cycle, a candidate may not self-nominate for• chair of more than one working group (i.e., Chair-elect of GEN/TBI and Chair-elect of CRI)

• more than one position within a working group (i.e., Chair-elect and Member-at-Large)
Once the nomination period closes, a list of all candidates is shared with the working group leadership.
At that time the final slate is vetted and shared with AMIA staff to be included in the final election slate.

Elected Positions vs. Appointed Positions
Elected positions are the “elected officers” of the WG. They are part of the WG’s leadership team, which
comprises all elected and appointed positions.
Appointed positions can be created, amended, and ended on an ad hoc basis within the WG, by the
Chair, depending on the needs of the WG. The Chair must communicate the expected term of service andspecific duties to the appointed candidate when she or he is appointed. The Chair will submit adescription of any newly created appointed position, including its specific duties, to the staff liaison.
However, if a WG wants to create another elected position, the Chair must submit a request, with an
explanation of what the proposed new elected position is, what its specific duties are, and why it’s needed,
to the WGCC Chair and staff liaison before March 31 of that year, prior to the start of the elections
process. They will advise the WG whether or not the position can be added to the roster of elected
positions. The process is the same for eliminating existing elected positions.

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Terms
The Chair-Elect should be prepared to serve a total of four years. The time commitment for other WG
leadership is determined by the WG Administrative Committee and coincides with AMIA’s policies
and procedures, unless specific time commitments have been set forth in the individual WG operating
guidelines.
Here is an example of the Chair-Elect’s path:[Diagram 4] Four Year Chair-Elect through Past-Chair Term for Leader “X”

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Term of Chair-Elect and Past-Chair[Diagram 5] Term of Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair
When leader “X” is Chair-Elect, it will be when Chair “Y” is in
their second year as Chair. There is no Past-Chair at thistime.
When Chair-Elect “X” becomes Chair, Chair “Y” becomes
Past-Chair. There is no Chair-Elect position. In other words,
at no time is there a current Chair-Elect AND Past- Chair
position holding office at the same time. The Past- Chair
position takes place during the Chair’s first year. The ChairElect position takes place during the Chair’s second year.

Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past-Chair. The Chair-Elect shall serve one year in the position, and in the following two
years, serves as Chair. During the fourth year, he or she will serve as Past-Chair.
Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair shall serve two years in the position, with the term of office beginning in an
odd-numbered year.
Secretary. The Secretary shall serve two years in the position, with the term of office beginning in an oddnumbered year.
Member-at-Large. Each Member-at-Large shall serve two years in the position, with the term of office
beginning in an odd-numbered year.
Content Administrator. The Content Administrator shall serve two years in the position, with the term ofoffice beginning in an odd-numbered year.

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Duties of Officers and Other Members of the Leadership Team
Chair. The Chair shall convene and preside over and set the agenda for membership and Leadership teammeetings; represent the Working Group in AMIA; provide leadership for the AMIA Connect Working Groupand AMIA; and serve as the Working Group’s liaison to other groups and individuals concerned in theinformatics profession.
Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect shall assist the Chair as requested, and delegate and participate in the activities
and deliberations of the Leadership Team. The Chair-Elect shall manage and ensure the accuracy of themetrics.
Past-Chair. The Past-Chair will serve for one year and assist the incoming chair as necessary. The PastChair will also assist in mentorship activities and volunteer recruitment.
Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair shall participate in the activities and deliberations of the leadership team asnecessary and carry out related activities as requested by the Chair. The Vice-Chair will also assist in WG
recruitment and AMIA nonmember engagement.
Secretary. The Secretary shall assist in recording minutes of face-to-face and virtual meetings (in andoutside AMIA Connect) of the leadership team and shall participate in the activities and deliberations of
the leadership team as necessary.
Member-at-Large. The Member-at-Large shall participate in the work of the leadership team and carry out
related activities as requested by the Chair.
Content Administrator. The Content Administrator shall update the AMIA Connect WG pages and shallsubmit updates to the appropriate AMIA staff. The Content Administrator shall participate in the activities
and deliberations of the leadership team as necessary.

Resignation, Removal, and Vacancies
An elected member of the leadership team may resign upon presenting his or her written resignation to
the Chair of the WGCC. The resignation shall become effective at an agreed-upon date.

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Conflict of Interest
In their capacity as leaders of AMIA, WG leaders have an obligation to make decisions and conduct
affairs of the organization based upon the desire to promote AMIA and its mission. AMIA’s Conflict ofInterest Policy aims to educate leaders on what constitutes a conflict of interest or the appearance of aconflict of interest, to set standards for full disclosure of professional and relevant personal activities andrelationships that created a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, to remedy
and resolve conflicts of interest per AMIA’s conflict of management options, and to encourage leaders toremain aware of and take initiative to manage, disclose, and resolve conflicts of interest appropriately.
In order to proactively address any potential conflicts of interest, each WG Leader is required to annuallycomplete and submit a disclosure form in January. Disclosures and agreed to methods of management
are summarized yearly on the internal AMIA website, allowing all AMIA members to review the COI
disclosures of leaders.

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Roles and Responsibilities
Each WG must have a Chair and a Chair-Elect. Other leadership roles (i.e., Vice-Chair and Member-at- Large)
are optional depending on, for example, WG size and needs. Expected responsibilities for each leadershiprole are described on the following page.

Working Group Chair-Elect/Chair/Past-Chair
ACTIVITYAS CHAIR-ELECTAS CHAIR

AS PAST-CHAIR

Qualifications• AMIA member for at• AMIA member for at least• AMIA member for atleast two years.

• Member of the WG forat least one year.

two years.

• Member of the WG for atleast one year.

• Recommended but not • Recommended but not

Expectations

least two years.

• Member of the WG forat least one year.

• Recommended but not

mandatory: Previous
leadership position.

mandatory: Previous
leadership position.

mandatory: Previous
leadership position.

• Learns best practices• Attends assigned WG• Assists and mentorsof the role of chair.

• Attends all training
sessions.

• Assists Chair.

meetings as an active,
prepared participant.

• Plans, develops, andconducts meetings
assigned as critical to thesuccess of the WG.

Chair.

• Actively engages WG
members in the
Mentorship program.

• Leadership training andcultivation.

• Attends meetings andmembership events.

• Serves its WG membershipby keeping them updated
on information, news, andthe progress of initiatives.
Election

The term coincides witheven-numbered years.

The term coincides with oddnumbered years.

The term coincides with
odd-numbered years.

The Working Group Chair’s journey begins as the Chair-Elect. A Chair’s commitment is four years. [Table 2]
Chair Term/RolesTerm

The Chair-Elect shallserve one year in theposition.

The Chair shall serve twoyears in the position.

The Past-Chair shall serve
one year in the position.

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Working Group Handbook[Diagram 6a] Chair-Elect through Past-Chair Role

Roles and Responsibilities• Attends all meetings at which Chair is present and other meetings as needed.
• Attends all training sessions (orientation, coaching, transition).
• Works closely with the Leadership Team to engage WG community members and grow WG
membership.

• Assists the Chair as requested, delegates and participates in the activities and deliberations of the
Leadership Team.

• Manages and ensures the accuracy of the metrics.
[Diagram 6b] Chair-Elect through Past-Chair Role

Roles and Responsibilities• participates in WG Leadership Virtual Orientation training.
• Participates in monthly WGCC Leadership calls.
• Participates in the annual WG Communities Leaders meeting.
• Creates, reviews, submits quarterly activity reports.
• Creates, reviews, submits an annual review of the WG’s Charter to determine if updates are necessary.
• Sets the agenda and leads planning calls and virtual and face-to-face meetings for their WG’sleadership team and leads the team via ongoing related emails.

• Seeks the ideas, input, and advice of the leadership team, particularly the Past-Chair.
• Solicits ideas and participation from WG members for activities, topics, panelists, webinar presenters, etc.
• Communicates with the WG to promote the WG’s and other AMIA activities, news, and calls forelections, and to solicit input for activities.

• Oversees the planning and submission of WG-sponsored workshop proposals. The Chair may delegatepart or all of this process to one or more of the WG’s other elected officers, but she or he is responsible forreviewing drafts and providing input, including for the final draft, and provides the final authority and
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permission for other officers to submit.

• Oversees and submits WG-sponsored panels for the Symposium; the Chair may delegate part or allof this process to one or more of the WG’s other elected officers, but she or he is responsible forreviewing drafts and providing input, including for the final draft, and provides the final authority andpermission for other officers to submit.

• Coordinates, organizes, and executes WG-sponsored webinars.
• Coordinates, organizes, and executes other WG-sponsored activities (e.g., topical discussion
conference calls; journal-club sessions; Networking Suite gatherings during Symposium; other ideas).

• Delegates specific tasks to the other WG leaders to the extent and in amounts appropriate for theirroles in order to coordinate, organize, and execute WG activities.

• Works with the Vice-Chair and other WG leaders to determine if internal-to-the-WG committees should
be formed to plan activities related to specific topics.

• In conjunction with the WG leadership team, appoints new WG positions (e.g. Communications/Web
Liaison), if needed, and reports to the WGCC Chair regarding these positions.

• Collaborates, where possible, with leaders of other WGs to create and execute co-sponsored activities.
• Collaborates, where possible, with outside colleagues and stakeholders to plan and execute cosponsored activities.

• In conjunction with the WG’s leadership team and/or WG members, sets the agenda for the WG’s
face-to-face meeting at Symposium; the Chair communicates the agenda to the WG in advance ofSymposium (or delegates the communication), and hosts and leads the face-to-face meeting.

• The Chair, like all of a WG’s leaders, is expected to participate in/attend the WG’s planned activities
whenever possible.

• During the period of WG elections, offers to converse with any interested members who are
considering self-nomination to answer questions and discuss the experience.

• Mentors the Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair- during their year of serving as Elects. Seeks counsel of the
Past-Chair.
[Diagram 6c] Chair-Elect through Past-Chair Role

Roles and Responsibilities• Participates in monthly WG Leadership calls.
• Participates in the annual WG Leaders face-to-face breakfast meeting at the Annual Symposium.
• Mentors the Chair, Vice-Chair, the Elects, other leadership team members, and serves as their primarysource of advice for the successful continuation of the WG.
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Working Group Handbook• Actively seeks and matches volunteers to a role; recruits volunteers.
• Actively coordinates, mentors, and engages WG members in the AMIA Mentorship Program.
• Actively participate in their WG’s leadership team calls, emails, and meetings.
• May, in conjunction with other leadership team members, conduct some of the communication with
the WG to promote the WG’s and other AMIA activities, news, and calls for elections, and to solicit input
for activities.

• May, in conjunction with other leadership team members, oversee and submit WG-sponsoredworkshop proposals.

• May, in conjunction with other leadership team members, oversee and submit WG-sponsored panels
for the Symposium.

• May, in conjunction with other leadership team members, coordinate, organize, and execute WGsponsored webinars.

• May, in conjunction with other leadership team members, coordinate, organize, and execute other WGsponsored activities.

• Past-Chairs, like all of a WG’s leaders, are expected to participate in and attend the WG’s planned
activities whenever possible.

• During the period of WG elections, offers to converse with any interested members who are
considering self-nomination to answer questions and discuss the experience.

• Should the current Chair have to resign or vacate her or his position for any reason, the Past- Chair
immediately resumes the Chair position as Interim Chair. She or he works with the WGCC Chair, inconjunction with the WG’s other leaders, to determine if another person should be appointed Chair forthe remainder of the term, or if she or he will serve until the next election, and how/when during thatelection and on-boarding cycle of the officers the transition will occur.

Working Group Vice-Chair
Qualifications• AMIA member for at least two years.
• Member of the WG for at least one year.
Expectations
The Vice-Chair shall participate in the activities and deliberations of the leadership team as necessary
and carry out related activities as requested by the Chair. The Vice-Chair will also assist in WG recruitment
and AMIA nonmember engagement.

Election
The term coincides with even-numbered years.

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Term
The Vice-Chair shall serve two years in the position.

Roles and Responsibilities• Participates in virtual orientation training.
• Participates in monthly WG Leadership calls.
• Participates in the annual WG Leaders face-to-face breakfast meeting at the Annual Symposium.
• Actively engages in activities that culminate in WG membership growth.
• Manages and actively engages with AMIA nonmembers as well as the WG members.
• Assists the Chair in preparation of activity reports and other accountabilities.
• Although the Chair is ultimately responsible for ensuring that activities are executed and activity
metrics are met, the Vice-Chair will assist the Chair in carrying out tasks necessary to do so.

• Actively participates in their WG’s leadership team planning calls, emails, and meetings.
• In conjunction with the Chair, coordinates, organizes, and executes WG-sponsored webinars.
• In conjunction with the Chair, coordinates, organizes, and executes other WG-sponsored activities(e.g., topical discussion conference calls; journal-club sessions; Networking Suite gatherings during
Symposium; other ideas).

• In conjunction with the Chair, delegates specific tasks to the other WG leaders to the extent and inamounts that are appropriate for their roles in order to coordinate, organize, and execute WG activities.

• Solicits ideas and participation from WG members for activities, topics, panelists, webinar presenters,
etc.

• In a coordinated fashion with the Chair, communicates with the WG to promote the WG’s and other
AMIA activities, news, and calls for elections, and to solicit input for activities.

• Collaborates, where possible, with other WG leaders to create and execute co-sponsored activities.
• Collaborates, where possible, with outside colleagues and stakeholders to plan and execute cosponsored activities.

• Expected to participate in and attend the WG’s planned activities whenever possible.
• During the period of WG elections, offers to converse with any interested members who are
considering self-nomination to answer questions and discuss the experience.

Working Group Member-at-Large
Qualifications• AMIA member for two years• Interested and active in the WG

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Election
The term coincides with even-numbered years.

Term
The Member-at-Large shall serve two years in the position.

Roles and Responsibilities• Take on a specific designated annual task or tasks for the WG. The Chair may delegate other tasks to
the Members-at-Large as agreed.

• Participate in all of their WG leadership calls, emails, and meetings.
• Attend orientation training.
• Participate in the annual WG Leaders face-to-face breakfast meeting.
• Participate in/attend the WG’s planned activities whenever possible.
Working Group Content Administrator
Qualifications• Basic knowledge of HTML and other web interfaces.
• Basic knowledge of AMIA’s community platform and general website.
Expectations
The Content Administrator will attend leadership meetings and work closely with the chair to keep WG
pages updated in a timely fashion. This person will also work with the WG membership to gather any andall content necessary for publishing to the WG pages.

Election
The Content Administrator position will be elected in odd-numbered years during the normal WG election
cycle unless otherwise noted.

Term
The Content Administrator will serve a two-year term.

Roles and Responsibilities• Works with WG leadership to determine strategy for using AMIA’s platforms to promote WG activities(i.e., AMIA Connect, WG Public Web Pages, meeting websites).

• Works with AMIA staff to build out AMIA connect and public-facing web pages for the WG.
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Working Group Handbook• Works with WG membership as necessary to gather content for building out sections of thewebsite (i.e., headshots, meeting CFP, video files).

Working Group Meeting Minutes Scribe and Archivist
Qualifications• AMIA member for at least one year. Proficient in MS Word.
• Preferably proficient in MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.
Expectations• Be available for every face-to-face or virtual meeting to record minutes.
• Ensure all meeting minutes have been uploaded to AMIA Connect WG community library andannounced to membership of their availability.

Election
The Meeting Minutes Scribe and Archivist position will be elected in odd-numbered years during thenormal WG election cycle unless otherwise noted.

Term
The Meeting Minutes Scribe and Archivist will serve a two-year term.

Roles and Responsibilities• Record minutes of face-to-face and virtual meetings (in and outside AMIA Connect) of the leadershipteam.

• Archive minutes in the AMIA Connect WG library and post their availability to community members.
• Participate in the activities and deliberations of the leadership team as necessary.
Working Group Secretary
Qualifications• AMIA member for at least one year. Proficient in MS Word.
• Preferably proficient in MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.

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Expectations• Shall be available to the leadership team in the development of materials and reporting.
Election
The Secretary position will be elected in odd-numbered years during the normal WG election cycle unlessotherwise noted.

Term
The Secretary will serve a two-year term.

Roles and Responsibilities• Shall assist in recording minutes of face-to-face and virtual meetings (in and outside AMIA Connect) of
the leadership team.

• Shall participate in the activities and deliberations of the leadership team as necessary.
• Assist leadership team in development of presentations, reporting, etc.
Staff Accountability and Support
Turnaround time on requests is normally 24-72 hours and up to 1-2 weeks on more comprehensive
requests. For requests to update the AMIA website, simple requests can normally be taken care of in a few
days, but more complex requests will need to be scheduled.
SEE APPENDIX GV- L: Staff Support Services

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List of Appendices
GV-A – Statement of Explanation & Purpose
GV-B – Charter
GV-C – Signed Statement
GV-D – Long Term Activity Plan
GV-E – Annual Report
GV-F – Mid-Year Report
GV-G – Annual Charter Review
GV-H – Liaison Request Form
GV-J – Meeting Notes
GV-K – Position Request
GV-L – Staff Support Services
GV-M - Budget Request
GV-N - Sponsorship Request

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