General Assembly

Purpose of this Priority and Leadership Group delegate position description

1. Sets out the mandate of the Priority and Leadership Group delegates  
2. Defines the specific responsibilities of the Priority and Leadership Group delegates  
3. Sets out the qualifications and term of office for the Priority and Leadership Group delegates  
4. Outlines the knowledge and skills required for a Priority and Leadership Group delegate  
5. Provides a summary of the leadership qualities required for a Priority and Leadership Group delegate  
6. Reviews the working relationship requirements for Priority and Leadership Group delegates  

Overview and mandate 

Priority and Leadership Group delegates will convey the views of members within a collaborative, professional, and staff-supported forum. They will represent diversity in type of medical practice, leadership experience, gender, region, and other diversity characteristics. They will be expected to demonstrate strong leadership and will:  

• Contribute consistently and meaningfully to the work of the General Assembly   
• Provide input into the priority setting and advisory functions of the General Assembly   
• Constructively engage with fellow Priority and Leadership Group delegates, other physician leaders and OMA staff to improve the outcomes of the General Assembly 

Priority and Leadership Group delegates will uphold the General Assembly mandate, guiding principles and charter. In addition, delegates will:  

• Be in good standing with the OMA and be eligible to hold office as per the OMA by-laws 
• Holds an elected or appointed constituency leadership position  
  • Elected and appointed constituency leadership includes any position that is recruited through an OMA election, by-election, or appointment processes as allowed for in constituency group charters  
• Be available to regularly attend General Assembly as required  

Specific responsibilities 

Priority and Leadership Group delegates exercise due diligence in the performance of their duties, including the following:  

Meeting preparation 

• Prepare for meetings and read in advance all materials  
• Ensure a continual process for Priority and Leadership Group delegates to become familiar with a range of issues 

Member engagement  

• Solicit feedback from elected and appointed members within their constituency group and act as their information resource as supported by OMA technologies, tools, and processes   
• Act as an effective conduit between members' interests and the OMA  
• Bring important emerging constituency group issues to the General Assembly as needed  
• Report to constituency group elected and appointed leaders on solutions generated by General Assembly  
• Encourage future constituency group elected and appointed leaders   

Priority-setting  

• Help to set policy priorities using voting or other decision-making tools 
• Provide input in setting the OMA Strategic Plan 
• Engage in knowledge transfer with other Priority and Leadership Group delegates to support positive outcomes for physicians 

Leadership 

• Foster a collaborative, solution-focused environment within the General Assembly 
• Mentor new delegates and support leadership development within the constituency 
• Champion inclusivity by ensuring diverse perspectives in discussions 
• Lead by example with professionalism, accountability, and integrity 
• Facilitate consensus-building and effective decision-making 

Other responsibilities 

• Submit expenses and maintain accountability as per General Assembly and OMA policy 

Qualifications and term of office

• Priority and Leadership Group delegates must be in good standing with the OMA and be eligible to hold office as per the OMA by-laws and are selected from among their constituency group elected leadership    
• Priority and Leadership Group delegates serve a two-year term, which can be renewed for a maximum of 10 years lifetime service  
• Time served as an alternate does not impact the formal delegate term limits
• Should a Priority and Leadership Group delegate be unable to participate in a given responsibility, their constituency body may appoint an alternate in good standing for the fixed period the delegate is unavailable. The alternate must meet all the qualifications and terms set out for a delegate    
• If a delegate or alternate no longer meets the outlined eligibility, the OMA will work with the affected constituency group to make a mid-term appointment. An individual who is appointed to fill a vacant position mid-term will complete the remainder of the term. The individual will be eligible to be appointed to the position after the vacant term is completed providing, they meet the eligibility requirements and have not reached the maximum term limit

Knowledge and skills

The General Assembly will rely on the skills of Priority and Leadership Group delegates to achieve successful outcomes. Professional experience including leadership positions in health care or other related fields is an asset. General Assembly Priority and Leadership Group delegates will bring the following knowledge and skills to their role or will acquire knowledge and skills through training and mentoring as soon as possible upon accepting their role:    

• Knowledge of OMA by-laws under which the General Assembly exists, the OMA vision, mission, core values, and governance policies as they pertain to the duties of a Priority and Leadership Group delegate  
• Understand and respect the differences between the responsibilities of the General Assembly and the responsibilities of the OMA Board of Directors 
• Understand the Ontario health-care environment, the OMA’s strategic and operational goals and the ongoing issues being addressed by the OMA 
• Experience in developing and maintaining professional, collaborative, and productive working relationships  
• Excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills 
• Excellent organizational skills  
• Comfortable using modern digital tools and willing to learn new applications as needed 

Leadership qualities

• Demonstrate a commitment to strong leadership skills within the General Assembly  
• Act as a physician role model for solution-focused, collaborative leadership 
• Act as a champion for a diverse and inclusive environment 
• Work with impartiality, objectivity, credibility, and empathy; be willing to assume positive intent in relating to others   
• Participate with strong initiative, creative ideas, enthusiasm, and focus 
• Contribute to making good decisions with emotional maturity, good judgment, and professionalism 

Working relationships

• Priority and Leadership Group delegates encourage constituency group elected and appointed leaders to solicit input from the members of their constituency group related to prioritizing physician issues 
• Priority and Leadership Group delegates collaborate across constituency groups, within their network and across all networks  
• Priority and Leadership Group delegates are approachable and objective leaders within their constituency group, ensuring that all voices are heard 

Priority and Leadership Group delegate alternates   

Eligibility

• Each constituency group has the authority to select an alternate for the Priority and Leadership Group delegate(s)
• Constituency groups with one-to-four delegates can appoint up to two alternates. Constituency groups with five or more delegates can appoint up to half of the number of their delegate allocation for alternates — where less than one full alternate would be calculated, the number can be round up to the nearest whole number
• Should constituency groups encounter a scenario (sudden illness or emergency, change in clinical work schedule, or other unforeseen circumstances) in which primary delegate(s) and alternates are all unable to fulfill the role, any member of the constituency executive willing and able to act as an alternate will be permitted to take on the role on a time/task-limited basis
• Alternates must be in good standing with the OMA and be eligible to hold office as per the OMA by-laws and are selected from among their constituency group’s elected and appointed leadership

Time commitment and honorarium 

• Time commitment for alternates will vary based on the availability of the primary delegate but may include attending the Priority and Leadership Group/General assembly meetings; time required to read meeting materials; and/or complete idea rating (time commitment varies based on the number of ideas submitted each cycle), and travel as applicable
• Alternates will be reimbursed according to the OMA Financial Policy