Annex A2.B: Registration process for new entities

The following is the registration process for entities wishing to register with The Cochrane Collaboration:

1.  The Applicant of a proposed entity prepares an application using the registration criteria and in consultation with the reference Centre Director.
   
2.  The Applicant sends the application to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator (the support person for the Monitoring and Registration Committee [MaRC]), who informs the Steering Group. The application is forwarded to the appropriate entity representative on the MaRC with a request for a review and comments.
   
3. The MaRC entity representative ensures that the application is complete, and any overlap and/or duplication of scope with an existing entity or entities is discussed and managed appropriately, within a two week timeframe. Within this same timeframe, the MaRC entity representative consults with the relevant entity Executive, should one exist, to elicit the Executive’s consensus view as to whether or not the proposed entity should be registered. The Executive’s consensus view is used to inform the recommendation of the MaRC Co-convenors to The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group (CCSG) (see ‘5’ below). If the consensus view of the relevant Executive is that the proposed entity should not be registered, the Executive must provide clear reasons for this view to the MaRC entity representative.  The MaRC entity representative communicates the consensus view of the relevant Executive (via the Secretariat Deputy Administrator) to the MaRC Co-Convenors and members alongside their comments on the application. Comments are categorized as (a) relevant (major) comments regarding approval of the application, and (b) additional (minor) comments. The MaRC representative may consult with other MaRC members as necessary to inform their comments, which may also incorporate comments received from members of the relevant Executive.
   
4. The MaRC representative sends his/her comments to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator who then forwards it to the full MaRC for review and comment within three weeks. The Secretariat Deputy Administrator collates the feedback and sends all comments to the MaRC for further comment within two weeks.
   
5. Based on the comments of all the MaRC members, the MaRC Co-Convenors prepare a recommendation to the CCSG with a draft letter to the applicant. The Secretariat Deputy Administrator forwards this recommendation to the CCSG for review and comment within three weeks, with a copy to the non-CCSG members of the MaRC. The recommendation to the CCSG should include a statement of the consensus view of the relevant entity Executive (if applicable). The MaRC Co-Convenors’ recommendation to the CCSG may differ from the consensus view of the Executive. The CCSG makes the final decision on whether registration of the proposed entity is approved.

    

   a)    If the CCSG approves the application:

    

                       i.       the Secretariat Deputy Administrator forwards the MaRC’s letter of acceptance to the applicant with a copy to the reference Centre Director and the relevant Executive (if there is one). All entities are informed of the successful application, the draft announcement having first been approved with the applicant. Assistance with entering the module into Archie (the Collaboration’s Information Management System) will be provided by the Information Management System team, based at the Nordic Cochrane Centre.

    

                     ii.       The CCSG may have requested additional information or modification of the entity’s application that is still outstanding at the time that registration is approved. In this case, the MaRC Co-Convenors will ask that the response to this request be sent in writing to them via the Secretariat, and to the reference Centre Director, within one month of registration if possible.

    

                    iii.       Registered entities can access the entity website module of the Collaboration's content management system (CMS), available from the Web Team based at the German Cochrane Centre (see http://www.cochrane.org/about-site).

    

    

   b)    If the application is NOT approved by the CCSG or requires clarification before it can be accepted for registration:

    

                         i.     The MaRC Co-Convenors inform the applicant and the reference Centre Director, copying the letter to the other members of the MaRC, the relevant Executive (if there is one), and the Secretariat Deputy Administrator for information.
   

                       ii.     The applicant, assisted by the reference Centre Director, may clarify and submit a revised application to the Secretariat Deputy Administrator, who circulates it to the MaRC Co-Convenors and the appropriate MaRC entity representative. The MaRC entity representative consults with other members of the MaRC and the relevant Executive as appropriate.

    

                      iii.     If the changes are satisfactory, the Secretariat Deputy Administrator is notified and the acceptance letter is sent to the applicant and the reference Centre Director. The Secretariat Deputy Administrator notifies all entities in The Cochrane Collaboration by e-mail of this new registration, having first approved the draft announcement with the applicant.

    

   If the application requires further clarification, steps 5(b) (i) to (iii) are repeated.

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