
WHAT IS THE CONSULTATION FORUM?
The Consultation Forum is a deliberative body composed of 18 Citizen Members from each of Québec’s regions and 9 Expert Members.
Its mandate is to provide the Commissioner with its point of view on various issues pertaining to the health and social services system, as well as the health and welfare of the population.
The 27 members are appointed for a 3-year term. Forum members meet 3 to 5 times a year to discuss different agenda items. Sessions can be in person or virtual or in person (in Québec City or Montréal).

WHY IS A CONSULTATION FORUM NEEDED?
It is built on the notion that collaboration with all actors of Québec society, including citizens, is essential for identifying systemic obstacles to the adequate performance of the health and social services system.
The Consultation Forum adds a democratic aspect to the Commissioner’s work. By pulling together their values, viewpoints, experiences and knowledge in their discussions, the 27 members of the Consultation Forum are a unique source of information to guide the reflection of the Commissioner on the requests for advice that it receives from the government. The Consultation Forum was created in accordance with the Act respecting the Health and Welfare Commissioner.

Forum Contributions
The conclusions of the Consultation Forum can inform the recommendations that the Commissioner makes to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
The Consultation Forum was reestablished in 2022. In the past, Forum members have contributed to CSBE discussions and publications on topics such as:
- The provision of health and social services
- Emergency rooms in Québec
- Prescription drugs.
The Commissioner determines the topics that the Forum will examine.

How to Participate in the Forum?
The call for member nominations for the 2022–2025 Consultation Forum closed in spring 2022. CSBE appointed members in June 2022.
The 2022–2025 Forum is made up of 15 Citizen Members from every region of Québec and 9 Expert Members. No eligible applications were received for the Côte-Nord, Nunavik and Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James regions.

Forum Composition
To reflect the diversity of the Québec population, the membership of the Forum and the selection process will take into consideration gender parity, as well as regional, generational, sociocultural, ethnocultural and linguistic representation.
The work approach favoured by CSBE is based on commitment, dialogue and cooperation by all. All Forum members must also demonstrate their willingness to contribute to society and a significant interest in information-sharing, discussion and interdisciplinarity.
Citizen Members
The Commissioner ensures that people selected as Citizen Members do not represent any special interest group and are not workers of the health and social services network. They are not required to have any prior knowledge of the subject.
Expert Members
The 9 Expert Members specializing in health and welfare are nominated as follows:
- One physician
- One nurse
- One social worker
- One member with expertise in the evaluation of healthcare technologies and medications
- One member with ethics expertise
- One member from the university health research community
- One member with recognized experience and skills in health and social services management
- Two members from sectors of activity related to health or welfare, such as the education, economic, environment and labour sectors.
The CSBE ensures that health services and social services are as equally represented as possible.

Selection Process
The Commissioner has mandated the Institut du Nouveau Monde (INM) to receive and screen citizen applications for the 2022–2025 edition. The process for selecting members of the Consultation Forum is governed by the Regulation respecting the procedure for choosing persons qualified for appointment to the consultation forum. The INM is an independent, non-partisan organization whose mission is to increase citizen participation in democratic life.
CSBE cannot receive any applications directly. The INM forwarded the list of at least three applicants per region to the Commissioner for the final selection. One profile was selected per region in June 2022.
In the case of Expert Members, organizations and university departments each submitted a list of up to three applicants to the Commissioner.