IFHIMA Nomination for National Director

Application Process

To apply for this volunteer position, please send an updated CV to nominations@echima.ca by November 15, 2019. 

CHIMA Requirements 

– Active professional membership with the Canadian Health Information Management Association- Holds a Certified Health Information Management (CHIM) professional designation with the Canadian College of Health Information Management   

IFHIMA National Director Job Specification 2019 – 2022

1. Overview of the Role

The General Assembly, which is the highest authority of the Federation, is composed of the National Directors (one per national association) nominated by each National Member Association, the President, the President Elect, the Immediate Past President (ex-officio), and the Membership Chair (ex-officio). The General Assembly holds a face-to-face meeting at the time of the triennial Congress with the Executive Board, conducting the business of the Federation during the time between Congresses. The Executive Board is the governing body of the Federation, consisting of eight (8) members who are the officers of the Federation. The Officers are the President, the President-Elect, and six (6) Regional IFHIMA Directors who have oversight of one of the six (6) IFHIMA regions: Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and the Western Pacific. The Immediate Past President and the Membership Chair serve on the Executive Board in an ex-officio capacity. The IFHIMA Executive Board meets quarterly by conference call and face-to-face once in each calendar year. Each Regional Director, who has assigned responsibility for one of IFHIMA’s strategic themes and associated position papers, leads the regional team of National IFHIMA Directors from countries in their region. The IFHIMA Handbook is provided for the guidance and information of all IFHIMA Directors and Officers and it is updated after each meeting of the General Assembly.

2. Requirements of National Directors

1. National Directors are nominated for a 3-year term of office by the National Member Association of IFHIMA and their term of office commences at the closure of the triennial General Assembly of the Federation. They are the primary contact(s) for all business pertaining to the Federation. Directors or Deputies who move to another country will no longer serve as a Director or Deputy for the country they have moved from. Any changes during the term of office shall be reported as soon as possible to the IFHIMA President. Expenses incurred by the National Director throughout their term of office are the responsibility of the National Member Association.
2. To be eligible to hold office in the Federation, an individual must be an active member in good standing of his/her national association, which is a national member of the Federation also in good standing.
3. National Directors represent one national HIM association based in their own country and they should ensure that there are effective and efficient lines of communication between IFHIMA and the National Member Association particularly in respect of presentation of the annual invoice for national member dues and prompt payment of these dues.
4. Only representatives of National Member Associations of the Federation (Directors or Deputy Directors) whose association has paid its annual dues can vote on matters of the Federation or be seated at the meeting of the General Assembly at the time of the triennial International Congress.
5. Nominees for the post of National Director should have access to reliable electronic communications in order to participate fully in the work of IFHIMA, to be an active member of the regional team and they are expected to respond promptly to all e-mail communications.
6. National Directors are required to produce an Annual Report for their country – to be submitted each year to the IFHIMA President and Executive Board, published in Global News, and posted on the IFHIMA website.
7. National Directors and Deputies are expected to regularly access the IFHIMA website to familiarize themselves with its contents and to notify the Webmaster if there are any inaccuracies. They should also familiarize themselves with the Global News newsletter, Education Modules and membership leaflets and brochures and regularly disseminate all relevant information to the Board of their national association and its members.
8. The Executive Board may remove a director for unprofessional behaviour or failure to perform the duties of the office.

3. Constitutional Requirements for National IFHIMA Directors & Member Associations

1. National Directors are nominated for a three-year term of office and expenses incurred by the National Director throughout their term of office are the responsibility of the National Member Association.
2. A Deputy Director (one per national association) shall be appointed by each National Member Association at its discretion to serve in the absence of the National Director with voice and vote.
3. A Deputy Director serving in the absence of a Director, who is also a member of the Executive Board (i.e. a Regional Director or President Elect), does not represent the Director on the Executive Board.
4. A National Member Association may nominate a representative to represent its interests at the General Assembly if the National and Deputy Director are both unavailable.
5. The names of Directors and Deputy Directors must be provided by the National Member Association to the President at the beginning of each calendar year. 
6. Names of Directors and Deputy Directors attending the meeting of the General Assembly held during the Congress must be submitted to the President three (3) months prior to the meeting of the General Assembly, indicating whether the Director is prepared to stand for executive office.
7. Any changes in status of Directors and Deputy Directors must be immediately submitted, in writing or via email, to the President.
8. The Executive Board can ask the members of the General Assembly to consider and vote on issues at any time outside the meeting of the General Assembly as long as the information is provided in electronic format to the members within a time frame reasonable for mailing and response and not to exceed two (2) months. The results of such referendums will be reported promptly to the National Member Associations.

4. Ways of Working During the Term of Office

4.1 Team Working

1. National Directors will work in a regional team under the guidance and leadership of the Regional Director by use of e-mail and telephone conference calls.
2. Each team should be actively involved in raising the profile of IFHIMA and promoting the benefits of national and associate membership within their own country and also in the region.
3. Develop and agree goals and objectives in collaboration with the Regional Director and other team members and identify mechanisms to track progress against them.
4. Where appropriate National Directors should encourage non-member national associations with which they are in contact to become national members of IFHIMA.
5. Each team should actively encourage and support the formation of new national HIM associations using the IFHIMA Guidelines which are posted on the IFHIMA website.
6. Each National Director will produce a quarterly report if possible or at least an annual report for their own country and send the report to the Regional Director to compile a regional report for discussion at the quarterly Board conference calls and/or the annual face-to-face meeting. This will also help build up a profile of the region over time.
7. Each National Director will produce a report covering their term of office for presentation at the triennial General Assembly.

4.2 The Duties of the National Director

1. Produce a regular report on IFHIMA activities for the national association’s Board.
2. Write articles regularly for the national association’s journal/newsletter or have relevant articles from IFHIMA’s Global News reproduced in the national journal with appropriate acknowledgement of the source of the article.
3. Be pro-active about recruitment of individual associate members within their own country by making information about IFHIMA, membership brochures and membership application forms available at national conferences, seminars etc.
4. Raise the profile and promote national membership of IFHIMA in collaboration with the Regional Director and other regional team members. This can be achieved by seeking opportunities to meet with national associations’ Boards, which are non-members of the Federation. This will also be a way of engaging with Boards face-to-face to raise IFHIMA’s profile and visibility, to provide information about the Federation and to answer questions. Making contributions to seminars or conferences or responding to a request to make a short presentation to the national Board on behalf of IFHIMA to raise awareness of IFHIMA’s activities and the benefits of membership, which may encourage the association to remain a national member or to become a new national member of IFHIMA. IFHIMA Board meetings held alongside national board meetings are another very useful way of promoting interest in and membership of the Federation.
5. Contribute to an IFHIMA Newsletter for their region.
6. Where appropriate build a relationship with the WHO Country Office.
7. Access the WHO Regional Office website regularly to find out who is who, what is happening in the region and its constituent countries, what the regional priorities are and to check for short WHO bulletins that can be reproduced in Global News and on the website e.g. regional activities on World Health Day each year, which is an annual event on April 7 to draw attention to particular priorities in global health.
8. Encourage interaction between the IFHIMA Executive Board and their National Member Association’s Board.
9. Encourage the involvement of the Deputy National Director in all IFHIMA activities where such a post exists.