Minutes of the
Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group meeting,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 20-22 April 2007

[These minutes were approved by the Steering Group Executive on 31 May 2007.]

Subject	Item no.
Academic vs practical evidence-based health care	35.2; 35.3
[Advisory] Group, Cochrane Library Users’ (CLUG)	20.3
Advisory Group, Colloquium Policy (CPAG)	20.4
Advisory Group, Feedback Management (FMAG)	20.5
Advisory Group, Handbook (HAG)	20.6
[Advisory] Group, Information Management System (IMSG)	20.7
Advisory Group, Quality (QAG)	20.8
Advisory Groups, budget requests for 2007-2008	24.4
Advisory Groups, proposed reporting to the Executive by the	16.1
Bill Silverman Prize, proposal for	28
Budget, proposed Steering Group and Secretariat, for 2007-08	24.3
Budgets, sub- and advisory group requests, for 2007-08	24.4
Campbell Collaboration report	20.9
Carbon footprint, reduction in relation to Cochrane Colloquia	31.2
Cash flow forecast	24.2
CENTRAL, the future of	9
Centre issues	21.4
Chief Executive Officer’s report	4
Co-Chair of the Steering Group [election of]	15
Cochrane Library, publication of The	11
Cochrane Library Users’ Group (CLUG) report	20.3
Cochrane Opportunities Fund	5
Cochrane products (non-scientific), translation of	13
Cochrane Prioritisation Projects Fund	6
Cochrane Review Group (CRG) issues	21.1
Cochrane Review Groups, succession planning for	29
Cochrane reviews, planning for implementation of changes to	8
Colloquia, reducing the carbon footprint of	31.2
Colloquia, dates of future	22.1; 22.3
Colloquia, invitations to host	23.3
Colloquium 2006 in Dublin, lessons learned from webcasting plenary sessions	31.1
Colloquium 2007 in São Paulo	22.1; 23.1
Colloquium 2008 in Freiburg	22.3; 23.2; 35.4
Colloquium 2009 in Singapore	23.3
Colloquium Policy Advisory Group (CPAG) report	20.4
Commercial sponsorship policy, three-year review of	27
Decision-making, delegated responsibility within The Cochrane Collaboration	16.2
Declarations of interest	2; Appendix 3
Developing Countries Network, funding request from	25.2
Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies Register, progress report	19
Discretionary Fund expenditure	30
Dublin Colloquium, lessons learned from webcasting plenary sessions	31.1
Editorial board, proposal for an	10; Appendix 1
Elections to the Steering Group in 2007	35.1
Entities bidding for funds in open competition	25.1.2
Entities, financial income to and distribution across	25.1
Environmental sustainability	31
Evidence-based health care, academic versus practical	35.2; 35.3
Executive Group, delegating decision-making responsibility to	16.2
Executive Group, proposed expanded remit for the	16
Executive Group, proposed reporting to, by Advisory Groups	16.1
Feedback Management Advisory Group (FMAG) report	20.5
Field/Network issues	21.3
Financial income to entities	25.1
Financial position and cash flow forecast	5.2
Financial status of the Collaboration and of Cochrane entities	25
Five-year review of the Steering Group	14;35.5;Appendix 2
Freiburg Colloquium 2008	23.2; 35.4
Funding of and across entities	25.1
Funding request, Cochrane Developing Countries Network	25.2
Funding to support multiple entities	25.1.3
Handbook Advisory Group (HAG) report	20.6
Implementation of changes to Cochrane reviews, planning for (and training)	8
Information Management System Group (IMSG) report	20.7
Management Plan, Strategic Plan and	separate document
Methods Group issues	21.2
Mid-year Steering Group meeting, Vellore, 2008	22.2
Monitoring and Registration Group (MRG) report	20.2
Opportunities Fund	5; 25.1.2; 25.1.3
Prioritisation Projects Fund	6; 25.1.3
Prize, proposal for Bill Silverman	28
Publication of The Cochrane Library (Wiley report)	11
Publishing Policy Group (PPG) report	20.1
Quality Advisory Group (QAG) report	20.8
Register of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies progress report	19
Review of commercial sponsorship policy (three-year)	27
Review of the Collaboration, Strategic	17
Review of the Steering Group, five-year	14;35.5;Appendix 2
RevMan 5, status of and release plans	7
RevMan 5, training for (implementation of changes to Cochrane Reviews)	8
São Paulo Colloquium and Steering Group meeting, 2007	22.1; 23.1
Secretariat and Steering Group budget 2007-2008	24.3
Silverman, Bill, proposal for a prize	28
Singapore, invitation to host the 2009 Colloquium in	23.3
Sponsorship policy (commercial): three-year review	27
Spreadsheet of current financial position and cash flow forecast	24
Spreadsheet of outstanding action items	33
Steering Group and Secretariat budget 2007-2008	24.3
Steering Group, elections to the	35.1
Steering Group five-year review	14;35.5;Appendix 2
Steering Group meetings, dates of future	22; 23; 35.2
Steering Group members’ declarations of interest	2; Appendix 3
Strategic discussion in Vellore, appropriate topics for	35.2
Strategic Plan and Management Plan	separate document
Strategic review of the Collaboration	17
Sub- and Advisory Group budget requests 2007-2008	24.4
Succession planning for Cochrane Review Groups	29
Trading Company Directors, issues raised by the	26
Translation of Cochrane products (non-scientific)	13
Treasurer’s report	24
Vellore, Steering Group mid-year meeting in 2008	22.2; 35.2
Webcasting the Dublin plenary sessions, lessons learned from	31.1
Websites management, status report and funding request	12
Wiley report (publication of The Cochrane Library)	11

Minutes of the

Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group meeting,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 20-22 April 2007

[These minutes were approved by the Steering Group Executive on 31 May 2007.]

Present: Godwin Aja, Lorne Becker (Chair for items 1-13, 16-24.3, 29-36), Lisa Bero (Chair for item 15), Jonathan Craig, Jon Deeks, Deborah Dixon (John Wiley & Sons, for items 7-9, 11), Zbys Fedorowicz, Ruth Foxlee, Donna Gillies, Adrian Grant (Chair for items 14, 24.4-28), Jini Hetherington (Company Secretary, minutes), Monica Kjeldstrøm (Director, Information Management System, and also representing the Trading Company Directors), Joy Oliver, Deborah Pentesco-Gilbert (John Wiley & Sons, for items 7-9, 11), Nick Royle (Chief Executive Officer), Rob Scholten, Peter Tugwell, Janet Wale, Liz Waters, Narelle Willis, and Hans van der Wouden.

1 Welcomes; apologies for absence; introductions; approval of the agenda

Lorne welcomed everyone to the meeting. He thanked Rob for the excellent arrangements he had made for the joint special discussion attended by the Co-ordinating Editors’ executive, and the two and a half day Steering Group meeting. Lorne welcomed Jonathan Craig and Ruth Foxlee to their first Steering Group meeting, and conveyed Sally Green’s apologies for absence.

2 Steering Group members’ declarations of interest

No declarations of interest were made in addition to those that had been circulated with the background documents for this meeting, and attached to these minutes as Appendix 3.

3 Introduction from the Co-Chairs

Lorne gave a brief introduction to the meeting. He noted that the agenda contained a number of substantive issues which promised some interesting discussions. The redesign of the meeting agenda had allowed time for two focused half-day discussions on particular topics, as well as for adequate discussion of other important issues. Lorne thanked those who had prepared background papers for the agenda. He noted that these papers are an essential component of the redesign of the agenda, and play a large role in making it manageable. He also indicated his belief that background papers facilitate more informed decision-making, and help those proposing issues to the Steering Group to do a better job of presenting them. Lorne asked for continuing feedback on the format of the Steering Group agenda, which has evolved with the aim of being more strategically focused.

Among the important issues to be discussed were decisions about the first round of submissions to the Opportunities Fund, proposals for prioritization projects, and changes to the remit of the Executive. Lorne also noted that the role of Co-Chair has continued to expand and now demands more time than can reasonably be expected from two volunteers who have full-time job responsibilities in other areas. This does not create an immediate problem for the Collaboration because one of the current Co-Chairs is retired, but efforts should be made in the next eighteen months to find ways to lighten the load for his successor. Creation of the role of an Editor-in-Chief, to include many of the current responsibilities of the Convenor of the Publishing Policy Group, would be one possible approach. A move to a three-year Chair succession model, as outlined in the background paper on the Steering Group review (agenda item 14), would probably help as well. Workload for the Co-Chairs is an issue that needs addressing as part of the Collaboration-wide review.

4 Chief Executive Officer’s report

Nick based his report under the headings of product, structure, governance, finance and communications. He noted that production levels appeared to have levelled off, and that the most recent Issue of The Cochrane Library flattered production because of the inclusion of 22 reviews from the Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews. Sales of licences and national provisions continued to be healthy, although the large increases of recent years may now also have levelled. The Steering Group celebrated recent national provisions for India and Poland. Discussions of product mix, with the traditional review structure being supplemented with derivative products and discussion of future products, would continue. The Collaboration’s structure was under review, with the planned Collaboration-wide review to be led by Jeremy Grimshaw. It was hoped that wide consultation would allow the Collaboration to ensure that it remained fit for purpose in mission, structure and process for many years to come. Governance issues were already under consideration through the Steering Group review, and would also be included in the Collaboration-wide review. The financial situation remained healthy. Nick had hoped to share the financial information from the most recent round of entity monitoring, but the data had not yet been fully analysed. A report would be available as soon as this had been completed. A key consideration for the Steering Group was how best to return to entities the benefits of publishing success, and discussions about this would take place during the meeting. Communications remained an important issue, and the initial Steering Group Bulletin had been well received as a first step. Communication issues would need to address perceptions, no matter how misleading, as well as fact, and an important aspect of this should be to address misconceptions of the role and activities of the Steering Group itself in the wider Collaboration.
Action: Nick

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