Only complete applications will be considered.

Santé publique France serves the health of everyone, at all stages of life, throughout the country, and seeks to ensure that its governing bodies, through their composition and the experience of their members, are capable of addressing all of these situations.

Applications will be selected by a jury convened by Santé publique France, based on the information provided in the cover letter, the candidates’ alignment with the required skills, and an analysis of conflicts of interest. The jury will ensure that the essential skills required for the Steering and Dialogue Committee to fully carry out its missions are represented within the jury, and that gender parity and diversity are taken into account during the selection of candidates.

Declarations of interest will be reviewed by the Internal Ethics Committee of Santé publique France.

Candidates will be informed of the outcome of the review of their application via email from the Secretariat of the Steering and Dialogue Committee following approval of the Committee’s composition by the Board of Directors (during the fourth quarter of 2020).

Members will be appointed for a four-year term.

Click HERE to learn more about Santé publique France’s missions

Santé publique France has been a signatory to the Charter of Openness to Society since December 2016.

Openness and dialogue with society—aimed in particular at aligning Santé publique France’s actions with societal changes and reducing the risk of overlooking or underestimating the concerns or specific knowledge of citizens and stakeholders regarding public health and our missions—were given special attention during the planning phase for Santé publique France, with the intention of establishing: “A Steering and Dialogue Committee open to civil society must inform the new agency about civil society’s expectations” (see Santé publique France planning report, pp. 39–47, June 2015). Openness and dialogue with society are among the founding values of Santé publique France.

The Steering and Dialogue Committee’s missions are to:

• contribute to the quality and relevance of Santé publique France’s actions by providing its perspective on current and future public health issues and the societal questions they raise;

• propose priorities within Santé publique France’s areas of activity and guidelines for its annual work program;

• contribute to improving Santé publique France’s communication methods, particularly during health crises, in accordance with the guidelines defined by the Ministry of Health and the conditions for disseminating public health knowledge to different segments of the population;

• enable Santé publique France to contribute to public debates on public health issues, particularly by presenting available scientific knowledge and, where appropriate, the context of scientific uncertainty within which health decisions must be made.

During the 2016–2020 period, the committee formulated its proposals in various formats:

• policy and discussion papers published on our website (following presentation and approval by the Board of Directors),

• presentations to the Board of Directors,

• position papers addressed to senior management,

• meetings with the Chair of the Board of Directors and senior management,

• discussions with Santé publique France teams during working groups and plenary meetings.

Its analysis of Santé publique France’s work program and activities, as well as its proposals, complement those of the Scientific Council and its opinions.

The Steering and Dialogue ^Committee³ consists of at least ten members and no more than twenty members.

Members are appointed for a term of four years by decision of the Chair of the Board of Directors, following approval of the list of members by the Board of Directors, from among individuals selected based on their commitment to public health, their professional background, their knowledge and experience in the Agency’s areas of competence, and their motivation to contribute within a collective framework, and after reviewing their conflicts of interest, as defined in the provisions of Article L. 1451-1.

In the event of a vacancy, for any reason whatsoever, members shall be replaced under the same conditions for the remainder of the term of the person they are replacing.

The role of member of the Steering and Dialogue Committee is incompatible with membership in any other body of the Agency and with any contractual relationship with it.

The renewal of the Committee for Openness and Dialogue comes as the agency’s 2018–2022 strategic plan is being updated to better address social and regional health inequalities, the impact of climate change on public health, and the opportunities offered by digital technology to achieve the goals of protecting public health and improving health outcomes.

Santé publique France is therefore seeking individuals from civil society who can contribute:

• their knowledge of the public’s health concerns;

• their knowledge of local areas, their populations, and their environments, as well as the public services contributing to public health;

• their understanding and knowledge of how the public perceives health risks;

• their knowledge and experience in implementing participatory approaches;

• their experience with “science-society” and “science-public policy” relations.

Operating Procedures

The Steering and Dialogue Committee is convened by its chair or at the request of the executive director. It meets in plenary session at least twice a year, either in person or via web conference. The Committee has internal rules of procedure that specify its operating procedures.

The Steering and Dialogue Committee elects its chair from among its members.

The Secretariat of the Steering and Dialogue Committee assists the chair in preparing agendas, drafts meeting minutes, and compiles the Committee’s annual activity report. It ensures that the various departments of Santé publique France are properly informed and engaged, provides the Committee with relevant information to facilitate its work, and facilitates communication with our teams.

Members of the Steering and Dialogue Committee may also be called upon to participate in events organized by Santé publique France, notably the Santé publique France Meetings, as well as in exchanges with the Scientific Council and the Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee.

Workload for members

To ensure optimal effectiveness, the Steering and Dialogue Committee typically meets three to four times a year in plenary sessions (in person or remotely via web conference).

In addition to participating in plenary sessions, members may be asked to participate in working groups (approximately ten half-days per year) in person or via web conference.

Role and Additional Responsibilities of the Chair of the Steering and Dialogue Committee

Additional workload is to be expected, as the Chair is a member of the Agency’s Board of Directors (three half-day meetings per year). The time required to prepare and organize the Committee’s work in collaboration with the Committee Secretariat, provided by Santé publique France, must also be taken into account.

Travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable to civilian government employees.

Compensation for loss of income in the case of self-employed individuals, as well as compensation for time spent attending meetings and for work performed, will be provided in accordance with the schedule established by the Board of Directors of Santé publique France.