CDHA Guidelines Concerning Relationships with Third Parties

CDHA has defined principles for entering into relationships with various third parties, including industry, advertisers, government, sister organizations, consumer or client groups, and suppliers. These principles guard CDHA against the potential for these relationships to undermine core values of vital importance, such as professionalism, integrity, independence, trust, reputation, and credibility.

November 2020

Policy Statement

CDHA will actively seek and enter into relationships (e.g., partnerships, alliances, and coalitions) with various third parties, including industry, government, sister organizations, and consumer or patient groups where there is a benefit to the association and where the relationship is in keeping with the principles outlined below. In doing so, CDHA is vigilantly aware of, and guards itself against, the potential for such relationships to undermine values of vital importance, such as professionalism, integrity, independence, trust, reputation, credibility, and the moral capital in the Association’s brand.

Rationale

There is a recognition of the desirability, and even necessity, of relationships with third parties, with the objective of ensuring that CDHA does not undermine its core values in pursing and entering into these relationships. Principles have been developed to guide and limit the association in forming relationships with third parties and in determining the parameters (e.g., terms and conditions) of the relationships into which it enters. The CDHA professes to third parties, its members, and to the public in general, the terms in which it seeks and enters into third party relationships, and thereby promotes transparency and accountability.

Principles

1. CDHA actively pursues relationships with third parties insofar as these relationships:
   a. assist CDHA in its mandated ends, and
   b. occur under terms and conditions consistent with, or complementary to, CDHA’s ends.
2. In deciding whether to enter a relationship with a third party, CDHA will consider the goals of the third party and will avoid entering into relationships with third parties whose goals are not compatible with those of CDHA.
3. In deciding whether to enter a particular relationship (e.g., a partnership on a public education project) with a third party whose goals are generally compatible with those of CDHA, CDHA will ensure that the terms and conditions of the relationship are also compatible with its Ends and do not undermine its independence, trust, credibility or reputation.
4. In the interests of fairness to third parties and independence from undue influence, CDHA will limit entering into exclusive arrangements with third parties and will seek to diversify its relationships so as not to become dependent on any particular one.
5. CDHA will take care to ensure (for example, by means of disclaimers; care in the placement of its logos) that its association with a third party will not be represented by a third party, or otherwise construed as indicating support for, or endorsement of, any product or program of the third party, unless such support or endorsement is expressly stated.
6. When CDHA enters into relationships with third parties, CDHA will only express its support for, or endorsement of, a product or program, if it has independently evaluated the product or program and found it to be worthy of such support or endorsement.
7. In its dealings with third parties, CDHA will safeguard the confidentiality of member information under its custody and respect the right of its members to privacy.
8. CDHA will undertake to be public, transparent and responsive to concern about its relationships with third parties. CDHA encourages its members, and the public in general, to express to CDHA any concerns they may have about its relationships with third parties.
9. CDHA will ensure that reasonable and adequate review and approval processes exist to give effect to, and promote accountability for consistency with, these principles.

Procedures

All proposals for dealings with third parties must be presented to the Senior Leadership Team, with accompanying supporting information/documentation/rationale. The Senior Leadership Team is accountable for approving all relationships with third parties. This policy should be referenced when any review of proposal for a third party relationship is discussed/presented.

Responsible Office

The Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for stewardship of the policy and/or maintaining procedures.

Download a pdf of this document