2.1.4.2 General criteria for Cochrane Colloquia sponsorships

[The Steering Group approved this revised policy on 22 October 2006.]

Context

This policy document was first drafted by the Colloquium Policy Advisory Committee (CPAC) and approved by the Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group in 2003. The policy was updated in 2005-06 in light of The Cochrane Collaboration’s general policy on commercial sponsorship, which had been tightened up in 2004. The impetus for revising the Collaboration’s sponsorship policy had been “to provide still greater reassurance that the conclusions of Cochrane reviews were not biased through the influence of funding by commercial entities that stood to benefit financially from the results of reviews”. The tightened up policy was also designed to safeguard the Collaboration’s carefully nourished reputation for impartiality and scientific rigour.

In 2005, the Steering Group asked the CPAC to reassess the policy on sponsorship for Cochrane Colloquia in light of the updated general policy on commercial sponsorship. (The existing policy permitted commercial sponsorship of Colloquia in limited circumstances.) The CPAC debated the issues and put forward recommendations to the Steering Group, including the option to prohibit commercial sponsorship.

At its meeting in Khon Kaen in April 2006, the Steering Group considered the CPAC’s revised policy and noted that “to amend the policy on sponsorship of Colloquia in line with the Collaboration’s overall policy on commercial sponsorship did not necessarily mean a blanket ban on commercial sponsorship, as the Collaboration’s policy did allow commercial sponsorship under some circumstances (e.g. via donations to the Foundation Fund, and funding of Methods Groups).” [minute item 21.2]

In light of these sentiments, the CPAC has once more considered the policy on sponsorship of Colloquia. The following policy does not therefore recommend a ban on commercial sponsorship, but seeks to make explicit the circumstances under which all forms of sponsorship, whether from public or commercial sources, are permitted.

Background

Cochrane Colloquia are the annual scientific and business meetings of The Cochrane Collaboration. The scientific and academic content of Colloquia, as well as their organisation and philosophy, must be consistent with the general principles of the Collaboration. In particular, when planning a Colloquium the principles of independence, transparency, promotion of worldwide access and encouragement of diversity must be kept in mind.

Previous Colloquia have had a diversity of funding sources, depending on local needs and opportunities. Sponsorship has largely come from public sources (e.g. government and other public sector agencies), although commercial sponsorship, including from pharmaceutical companies, has been used by some Colloquium organisers.

Although the local autonomy of Colloquium organisers must be preserved (since they bear the enormous financial risks associated with the organisation of such events), it is useful to have general criteria for sponsorship that provide clear guidance for the circumstances under which all forms of sponsorship, whether from public or commercial sources, are permitted.

Sponsorship criteria

As a guiding principle, commercial sponsors (as defined in the Collaboration’s general policy on commercial sponsorship ) should be approached only after other avenues for sponsorship (e.g. governments and other public sector agencies) have been exhausted.

•  Generic sponsorship

Generic sponsorship, in which sponsorship from several sources is pooled to increase the overall income of the Colloquium, is preferred because sponsorship is not linked to any specific event or activity but rather to the Colloquium as a whole. As well as being easier to manage, potential conflicts of interest that may arise from having single sponsors for particular activities are more likely to be avoided. Generic sponsors can be acknowledged by name in the list of sponsors in the Colloquium programme. Under this model, commercial sponsorship is permitted since it is not tied to specific sessions or events.

•  Targeted sponsorship

Some organisations, however, may be reluctant to be grouped with others, especially if their financial contribution is greater, or if sponsorship is only feasible if it is directly tied to an event or activity (e.g. pre-Colloquium symposium, plenary session or social event). If this is the case the following guidelines apply:

6.1         Scientific sessions
Sponsorship of scientific sessions is only permitted by non-commercial, public sector or not-for-profit agencies (e.g. governments, other public sector agencies, charities, etc.) and by commercial organisations that do not come under the Collaboration’s definition of a commercial source. Furthermore, the content of all scientific sessions must be at the sole discretion of the Scientific Committee and no sponsor should have any decisive influence over the content.

Commercial sources (as defined in the Collaboration’s general policy on commercial sponsorship) are not permitted to sponsor any scientific sessions.

6.2         Social events and general services
Sponsorship of social events and the provision of general services (e.g. translation, printing) is permitted from both commercial and non-commercial sources.

6.3         Satellite events
All satellite events that occur outside the main Colloquium programme but which come under the control of Colloquium organisers are subject to the same policies as outlined in sections (i) and (ii) above. This includes events that are advertised through the Colloquium website; events that appear on the Colloquium registration form; and events that are notified to Colloquium participants through bulk emails.

Advertisements in the Colloquium programme

Commercial organisations (i.e. those that come under the commercial sponsorship definition) are not permitted to advertise in the Colloquium programme. Other commercial organisations (e.g. publishers, software companies) and non-commercial or public sector agencies are permitted to advertise.

Sponsors, whether commercial or non-commercial, should be listed under ‘Sponsors’ in the Colloquium programme and may have the organisation’s logo displayed alongside. The nature of the sponsorship (i.e. what the sponsorship has been used for) should be made clear (see Melbourne Colloquium programme, below).

Satchel inserts and gifts

Commercial organisations (i.e. those that come under the commercial sponsorship definition) are not permitted to provide or distribute pens, notepads, flyers or other gifts in delegate satchels.

Exhibits

Commercial organisations (i.e. those that come under the commercial sponsorship definition) are not permitted to exhibit as part of any Colloquium exhibition, or to distribute free gifts. Non-commercial, public sector or not-for-profit agencies and other commercial organisations (e.g. publishers, software companies) may exhibit, provided the following restrictions are applied:

•  Publishers and educational companies whose products are of direct educational interest (i.e. they are not healthcare products or technologies) are permitted to promote their products at their stands, provided these are of direct relevance to the Colloquium (i.e. related to evidence-based health care).
•  Organisations that have exhibits at the Colloquium may publish details in the programme about their stands that inform delegates about the activities of the company in the field of evidence-based health care and education only, and should not directly advertise healthcare products or technologies.

Compliance with this policy is the direct responsibility of Colloquium organisers. Organisers should work together with their Colloquium Advisory Board and/or Scientific Committee to make sure that the best decisions are made within the policies specified above. The Colloquium Policy Advisory Committee should be consulted when clarification is required.

Steve McDonald and Claire Glenton

Co-Convenors of the CPAC in August 2006

Excerpt from Melbourne Colloquium 2005 programme