United States
Department of
Agriculture
Food and
Nutrition
Service
Guidelines for
Organizing a State
or Local Agency
Advisory Council
PROPERTY OF T '
LIBRARY
FEB17L81
Unive~s!ty of orth Caroli: a
at Greensboro
·L Depository
The Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and
Children, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, are open
to all eligible people regardless of race, color, or national
origin.
Issued February 1981
OBJECTIVES
ISSUES
This guide will help organize an advisory council to meet the
needs of a State or local agency operating a Special Supplemental
Food Program for Homen, Infants, and Children (WIC) or
a Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). It suggests
general factors that should be considered in the formation of
the council and in the development of its operating procedures.
A State or local agency would want to set up a council tailored
to its specific needs.
Establishing a State or local advisory council can be a
valuable approach to gathering information from experienced
individuals for use in policy development. Feedback from
people concerned about the programs can aid State or local
agencies in making decisions and establishing priorities. The
general purposes of a State or local advisory council might be:
• To establish good communications systems in
resolving State or local agency problems and
improving program operations.
• To involve more people at the State or local
level in policy decisions and program operations.
• To create an open atmosphere in which council
members, participants, and observers can express
their opinions.
State or local agencies can use an advisory council as a
sounding board for a variety of issues. Depending upon whether
a State or local agency is operating the WIC or CSF Program,
issues for discussion might include:
-The State Agency Plan of Program Operations and
Administration
-The State Affirmative Action Plan
-Outreach and referral
-Certification requirements and procedures
-Participant abuse of the programs
-Nutrition education (annual plan, needs assessment,
budget, using community resources, goals, methods,
materials, evaluation)
-Program expansion
-Records, reports, and audits
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PURPOSE AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
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-Warehousing
-Participant satisfaction with program administration
(that is, clinic, agency, or warehouse ' hours, location,
or staff)
-Dual participation by participants in WIG and CSFP
-Food package tailoring
-Needs of special populations in the State or local area
-Vendor problems
-Distribution of program and administrative funds
-Discrimination complaints
-Fair hearirlg procedures for participants.
A written document can serve to clarify the purpose,
organization, and operation of the council. The following
information can be incorporated into the document, which can
be duplicated for the council members, kept on file at the
State or local agency, and made available to members of the
public on request.
A clear statement of the functions and responsibilities of
the council should be formulated. The following are sample
descriptions of the functions and responsibilities of either
a State or local council:
-The council will advise the State or local agency in
improving the effectiveness of program operations and
the delivery of benefits to participants.
-The local agency advisory council will assist the State
agency, when appropriate, in compiling information for
the State Agency Plan of Program Operations and Administration
that is required by Federal regulations.
-The council will bring together citizens and
representatives from the community and State or local
organizations who have an interest in nutrition for
mothers and children and who can contribute to the
development and improvement of the program at the State
or local level.
MEMBERSHIP
-The council will make a continuing study of the State
or local agency's program(s) and suggest alternative
ways of addressing problems, including making recommendations
for changes in the State Agency Plan of Program
Operations and Administration.
-The council will provide an ongoing sounding board
through which program participants, State and/or local
staff, food vendors or warehouse staff, and others
interested in improving the effectiveness of the State
or local agency's program(s) can express their concerns.
Consideration must be given to the number of members on the
council and the areas of expertise they should represent.
Membership on the council might include: State and/or local
agency representatives; a physician; a nutritionist; a
representative from a community organization; either a vendor,
a warehouse representative, or a home delivery system representative;
parent participants; and representatives from
advocate and farmworker organizations. The council member-ship
should have ethnic, racial, sexual, and geographic
balance. Membership should be diverse enough so that the
council will have the expertise to consider all aspects of
the program(s).
Letters asking for membe~ship nominations should be widely
circulated. (See Attachment A for a sample letter.) Signs
or posters displayed in the local agencies could inform participants
about the formation of an advisory council and ask
that those interested apply or nominate prospective members.
A review of potential council members' backgrounds and
references may be advisable, in the event the council or a
council member should at some time become subject to attention
by the local press. (See Attachment B for a sample
biographical information sheet.)
Terms of membership should be staggered so that not all the
experienced members' terms expire at the same time. For
example, some members could be appointed initially to serve
for a 1-year period and other members for a 2-year period.
To allow for a greater variety of participants, membership
terms probably should not be extended nor should there be
reappointments. In the case of a resignation, the chairperson
should appoint another individual to complete the term. If a
member misses a predetermined number of meetings, that member
should be replaced.
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OFFICERS
MEETINGS
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A chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary should be
appointed. The officers should serve for at least 1 year.
Duties of the chairperson should include presiding at all
meetings, developing the agenda for the meetings in cooperation
with other council members, and seeing that the council
fulfills its duties and responsibilities.
The vice-chairperson should chair meetings in the absence of
the chairperson and assist with the overall running of the
council. The vice-chairperson might also be responsible for
arranging for a meeting room.
• The secretary should be responsible for distributing meeting
notices, for recording meeting minutes, and for sending
minutes and the agenda to all members and anyone from the
public who has requested copies. The secretary should also
be responsible for finding a reliable person to take over
duties when he or she is not available.
The State or local agency should determine the frequency
and duration of council meetings, and then establish a
regular schedule. Frequent meetings, perhaps two to four
times a year, should be held to provide a sense of continuity
for the council, and to allow members to deal with issues on
a timely basis.
Notice of the meetings should be sent to all members.
Meetings should also be advertised by notices in the local
newspaper, and at the local agencies and other locations.
Program participants and the public can also be reached
through public service announcements over television and
radio. (See Attachment C for a sample notice for posting.)
Meetings should be held in an accessible location and in a
room large enough to accomodate nonmembers who might wish to
attend. Meetings should be held in different locations
depending on size of the area that the agency serves. A
State agency advisory council should, of course, conduct its
meetings in different areas of the State. A council should
consider holding some meetings in the evenings to make it
easier for people to attend.
Consideration could also be given ~o holding joint meetings
with other councils concerned about a variety of health
programs. One member of the WIC/CSFP council might also be a
member of a State health department council, if one exists,
to represent State health department programs.
ADMINISTRATION
The number of members constituting a quorum should be
determined by the council before any voting begins. Votes
should be cast only by an officially appointed member or by
a person holding a written proxy.
Minutes of the meetings should be distributed to all council
members and to those people from the general public who
request a copy. The format and degree of detail in the
minutes should be left to the council's discretion, but some
items should be included: a list of the members in attendance,
by category of membership (for example, parent participant
or advocate organization representative); a list of
council members not in attendance; a list of attendees from
the general public; and a summary of any decisions made at
the meeting and any commitments made concerning future
actions to be taken. The minutes are a useful tool to keep
on file for future reference.
Before the minutes are pistributed in final form, it might
prove useful to furnish a draft copy to all council members
who attended the meeting. This will give the members an
opportunity to make changes in the text.
A mechanism should be developed for soliciting ideas for the
agenda from members (for example, phone calls and letters).
There should also be a system for handling the ideas and
recommendations orginating from council meetings. These
could be sent to the State or local agency personnel who have
the authority to change the program's operating procedures.
An annual council budget should be developed. The appointed
chairperson should meet with State and/or local agency
officials to decide on the source of council funds and authorize
council expenditures. A system should then be devised to
record the expenditures incurred by the council (for example,
travel, postage, printing, clerical help, meeting room costs,
child care). Administrative funds might be available for
some of these expenses, dependent on State agency approval.
For example, for a local agency advisory council, the State
might approve local agency administrative funds for printing
services that are used for council purposes. It would be
helpful if the State or local agency could use its own clerical
staff whenever possible.
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8
Council members, particularly those who are program
participants, ~ay not be able to arrange or afford child care
while attending council meetings. Public Law 95-627 addresses
this issue in reference to the National Advisory Council on
Maternal, Infant, and Fetal Nutrition. The law authorizes
compensation to parent participant council members for
expenses such as child care incurred while they participate
in council activities. With State approval, State or local
agency advisory councils could use administrative funds
to pay for child care, tra.vel expenses, and, possibly, meal
costs for parent participants.
AHachment A
SAMPLE TEXT OF LETTER REQUESTING MEMBERSHIP NOMINATIONS
The purpose of this letter is to request nominations for individuals to serve
on the advisory council of the (WIC or CSFP State or
local agency).
This is a new council that is now being formed. The categories of membership
for which nominations are needed are as follows:
The Council's function is
Please nominate individuals for as many of the positions as possible. The
advisory council will to the extent possible have a balanced membership
reflecting the different views of the groups substantially affected by the
matters to be considered by the group and have a membership that is balanced
ethnically, racially, sexually, and geographically. We ask that you keep these
requirements in mind when submitting nominations.
Please
and/or
obtain nominations from a wide range of sources including State agencies
local agencies, retailers, and any advocacy groups within the area served
by the ------------------------- (WIC or CSFP State or local agency).
Individuals considered for nomination may be contacted before you submit their
names. However, please be sure that they understand that any inquiry is just an
informal query to ascertain their interest and availability, and to obtain
biographical information. The enclosed biographical sheet must be completed
for each individual.
Plea~e send your nominations no later than
for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Enclosure
Thank you
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Attachment B
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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
(Council Title)
Category of membership for which individual is nominated:
If applicable, the following information should be provided for nominee:
1. Name: 2. Place of Birth:
3. Date of Birth: 4. Home Telephone II: __,(_~) -----
5. Home Address:
6. Current Business or Profession:
Title of Position:
Name of Company, Department/Agency:
Business Address and Telephone II:
Brief Statement Explaining Current Business or Profession:
7. Nominated by:
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Business Address: Business Address:
Telephone II: __,(_---')'------- Telephone II: __,(_~) ________ ___
8. If appropriate, list nominee's professional experience, past achievements,
publications, and awards on additional sheets.
At.tachment C
SAMPLE NOTICE OF A COUNCIL MEETING
(Council Title) Meeting
Announcement is made of the following Council meeting:
Name: (Council Title)
Date and time:
Place:
Purpose of Meeting: The Council will continue its study of the Special Supplemental
Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and/or the
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and will discuss
a wi de range of matters concerning the operations of t his (these )
program(s).
Proposed agenda: The agenda will include discussion time for the following issues:
This meeting will be open to the public. As time permits, members of the public
may participate in the meeting.
For additional information about the meeting, contact:
(give name, address and phone number)
Date
<> U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1981-- 723- 676/713
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Home Economics and Household Collection
