The College’s Council Selection Policy refers to a Competencies and Attributes Profile outlining sought-after qualities in members of Council and its Governance Committees. This is updated on an annual basis by the Nominating Committee, when priority gaps will be identified, based on the difference between the desired future state composition and the current state. This will then be used to inform nominations, recruitment, qualification and selection. In some cases, skills can be learned after joining Council, so discretion may be exercised in the case of candidates committed to building skills in gap areas in the first year of their service.

Council Member

In order to support strong decision-making in the public interest, every Council member will bring the following VALUES and ATTRIBUTES to the table:

• Accountability, Honesty and Integrity. Act with integrity and speak the truth, be able and willing to take full responsibility for decisions, and follow through on commitments.
• Adaptability. Appreciate that, at times, plans will adjust to meet changing circumstances and needs.
• Collaboration. Recognize that, in a complex system, what can emerge as a result of meaningful engagement and dialogue will be stronger than what is created in isolation.
• Humility. Be open to new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of doing things, always bringing a learning mindset to decision- making.
• Inclusivity. Create an environment and culture that welcomes diverse perspectives, new partners and new ideas.
• Objectivity. Be able to self-reflect and make decisions based on evidence and good information, to best fulfil the public mandate.
• Public Service. Have compassion for the public and their right to safe, ethical care, demonstrated by an understanding and appreciation of, and commitment to, the public protection mandate and the time required to execute the role diligently, recognizing that public interest will always be prioritized over personal or professional interests.
• Respect. Be able to work with others effectively, and appreciate different perspectives and opinions, while fostering and promoting, not impeding or stifling, robust dialogue.
• Self-Awareness. Have a clear understanding of personal strengths, areas of development and potential biases, remaining open to reflection, feedback, continuous growth and improvement.
• Independence. Able to think independently, while knowing when and how to consult others.

In order to support strong decision-making in the public interest, Council will bring the following DIVERSE EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUNDS, and PERSPECTIVES:

• Culture. A variety of cultural and historical backgrounds and experiences that reflect the community the College serves and the cultural context within health care.
• Education. A variety of educational backgrounds and experiences that reflect the diverse public served by the College.
• First Nations. First Nations and Indigenous voices, embedded within CARNA’s governance structure, to ensure that deliberations are informed and decisions include and respect First Nations perspectives, that biases are identified and questioned, and that CARNA’s collective work continues to grow in its cultural safety and humility journey, contributing to positive systemic change.
• Gender Diversity. A variety of perspectives to support decisions that are balanced, relevant and reflective of the public.
• Region. Regional diversity, to reflect the reality that practice, access to healthcare, and the public’s expectations of the health care system varies throughout the province.
• Registrant Practice. Diverse practice experiences, backgrounds and specialties that inform dialogue and decision-making, ensuring decisions meet intended objectives, are practical and, ultimately, protect the public.
• Sector. Diverse leadership experience in the public, private, healthcare and not-for-profit sectors to promote knowledge and the sharing of best practices.

Council and Governance Committees

In order to support strong decision-making in the public interest, one or more Governance Committee members will have the following specific PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, and SKILLS:

• Ability. Lived experience accommodating or navigating a spectrum of physical, mental health or cognitive abilities, the knowledge of which can enhance relevant, thoughtful decisions that protect the public.
• Council/Committee Leadership. Experience in facilitating Council, board and/or committee meetings, developing a positive culture, conflict resolution and fostering effective decision making. Demonstrates skills and ability to lead others to solve problems, adapt and manage change, innovate, and achieve results. Able to encourage divergent thinking and dissent from others, and to build consensus.
• Quality Improvement. Experience and understanding of the quality assurance and quality improvement programs and assessments in health care, and experience in developing tools that enable meaningful feedback and continuous improvement.
• Professional Standards and Professional Ethics. Knowledge and experience of the standards of practice and standards of professional ethics at regional, provincial, national and international levels.
• Finance & Audit Committee. Financial expertise: the ability to prepare financial statements of a similar breadth and complexity as CARNA’s; all Committee members: Financial Literacy.
• Leadership Review & Governance Committee. Experience with human resources management, for example performance management, talent management, succession, professional development, compensation, evaluation and education.
• Nominating Committee. Expertise in leadership recruitment/selection, such as job descriptions, competencies and attributes profiling, search, validating qualities, interviews, engagement, communications and selection.
• Patient Rights. Well-versed in matters related to patient rights, including, but not limited to, the abuse of patients and boundary violations.
• Chairing. Has served as Chair and/or Committee Chair on at least one other board of an organization of comparable size and complexity.

In order to support strong decision-making in the public interest, every Council member will bring, or be willing to learn, the following SKILLS, PRACTICES, and KNOWLEDGE:

• Confidentiality. Understand the need for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of registrants’ quality assurance data, as legislated under the Health Professions Act.
• Cultural Safety and Humility. Have an ongoing learning, appreciation and respect for unique perspectives, cultural contexts, power imbalances and biases in deliberation and decision-making, and recognition of the role the College plays in fostering culturally safe, humble, respectful and quality health care, through its cultural safety and humility commitments.
• Diplomacy. Have strong interpersonal communication skills that include the ability to clearly articulate a perspective and engage in respectful, productive and sometimes courageous or difficult discussions with Council, staff and stakeholders, while consistently reinforcing a culture of trust and respect.
• Governance Experience. Have a strong familiarity and understanding of governance roles and responsibilities, issues and trends gained through prior board experience, and/or governance education, such as ICD.D (Institute of Corporate Directors), Pro.Dir. (Professional Director), C.Dir (Director's College).
• Health Professions Regulation. Understand the role and philosophy of health profession regulators; the public protection mandate of the College; the applicable legislation, regulations, bylaws and policies; and the core work of the College and its committees.
• Information Analysis and Judgement. Be able to carefully review voluminous material within set timelines, assess implications, identify patterns, make connections and narrow the issues to support good decision-making.
• Strategic Planning. Demonstrates the ability to think strategically and has experience participating in, or leading, an organization in planning for its future, such as: conducting S.W.O.T. analysis, environmental scans, strategy design, planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Risk Oversight. Understand and oversee the risks that the College faces, and set direction (govern) proportional to the risk of harm to the public.
• Technological Competence. Be able to work electronically in order to uphold security, privacy and efficiency of CARNA’s work, and have effective audio/video call etiquette.
• System Thinking. Be aware of the complex system in which the College works, including the stakeholders within that system, and the impact that college decisions have on this greater community.