1. Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System
Results of a Survey of Owning Members
2017

2. Consolidated results of a survey conducted for the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS), collaboration on animal health surveillance in Canada

3. CAHSS Survey of Owning Members
Background:
Prior to a Directors face to face meeting in Nov 2017, an electronic survey was distributed to all CAHSS owning members. A subset of owning members was asked to also complete a telephone survey.
Purpose of Survey:
Provide background information for the CAHSS Directors Workshop. Directors wished to assess CAHSS progress to date and to discuss where CAHSS needs to go in the future.

4. Response to Electronic and Telephone Surveys
Electronic Survey
Over 30% of CAHSS members responded to electronic survey (46 respondents)
89% have been members for a least 6 months.
65% belong to one group only
86% try to attend meetings
70% contribute to work
55% satisfied with progress
Telephone Survey:
21 respondents total

5. Themes: Percentages of respondents rating network and CAHSS contribution as very high or high (1 or 2 out of 5)
Highest contribution rating
66%   Trust and communication (help exchanging information)
66%   Sharing information and reports
Higher contribution rating
50%   Setting priorities
Lower contribution rating
44%   Sharing data
42%   Understanding needs (help exchanging information)
Lowest contribution rating
37%   Removing barriers
34%   Data gathering
Although there were individual variations, overall responses for network group contribution and CAHSS contribution were fairly similar.

6. Themes: Relevancy and Satisfaction with Progress
Themes are still relevant
Suggestions to use more action works
Concerns about ability of CAHSS to help overcome jurisdictional barriers to surveillance
Add more focus on One Health, international surveillance needs
Satisfaction with Progress
Half of respondents are satisfied with progress, remainder not sure and a couple expressed dissatisfaction
Suggestions for improvement:
Platform to exchange data; exchange more information
Build on CSHIN model for national collaboration
More clarity on priorities
More communication among network groups
Ensure sustainability and funding
Comment on Themes (electronic)
CAHSS is in progress: large, long term goal; it is the way to go
Barriers to Progress
Sharing information and data, limitations, concerns about confidentiality – slow to resolve
Each group needs a leader and funding
Concerns about interactions among groups, worries that some activities are interfering

7. Integrating Data Systems
Suggestions to advance:
Reconfirm CAHSS commitment to data integration
Promote minimum data sets and data standardization
People are the challenge, technology available, time to move on!
Know what’s out there, build on/leverage existing networks
Start with information sharing, then move to small pilots
Show me the money

8. Level of Satisfaction
Electronic - Do you intend to continue your participation?
Initiative is important, be patient
Sustainability/funding
More tangibles, vision now and long-term
Linkages, clear role for public health
Telephone - What is members’ level of satisfaction?
Huge potential, off to a good start, long term process
Wide variations in satisfaction
Uncertainty in leadership/funding
Need more tangibles, small projects
More focus/clarity, want action
Electronic
74% - yes
9% -maybe
0% - no
17% - blank
Telephone
32% Happy
37% Mixed
16% Frustrated
15% Don’t know

9. Networks: Lessons from the Past
All but one respondent on the telephone interview had been engaged in animal health surveillance collaborations in the past. All of those collaborations are still functional and all but a couple are linked in with CAHSS.
What we liked about those collaborations:
Relationships
Feedback and reporting
Efficiencies
What we would do differently:
Be realistic
Have the right representation
Focus on Value Proposition / Sustainability
Look Before you Leap

10. Networking, Diversity, Sharing
Networks: What we like about CAHSS/group and what we would do differently
Networking, Diversity, Sharing
We like the cross-Canada representation, shared expertise
Enthusiasm, great vision, benefits for all, we’re on the right track
Slow but fast, blundering along is ok, keep the politics out
Ensure all members are engaged and motivated, some groups are too big
Leadership/Objectives/ Actions
Someone has to step up and lead
Need clarity on objectives, linked to actions and outcomes
Map the way forward with small practical steps
Communications/Information/Data Sharing
Focus on communications, including informing others of what we mean by surveillance
Share disease information, standardized surveillance needed
Build the linkages among network groups
Funding and Sustainability
Firm support from decision-making bodies, senior managers is critical
Funding and resources, reliable and ongoing, needed to maintain networks, project funding and administrative support
Avoid dependencies on a few, need many to lead

11. Networks: The Future In 3 years:
CAHSS is the National Organization for Animal Health Surveillance
Effective platform to share information/data; pilot data integration
All available data shared, mapped, analysed
Stable funding, value proposition, clear objectives
More products, more producers
In 5 years:
Independent organization with secure funding
Pilot projects linking networks, good information provided and shared
In 10 years:
Functional integrated social and data networks, all relevant data shared
Stable funding
Surviving and relevant

12. Lessons Learned
Most participants support CAHSS and are optimistic about the future, a few are quite unhappy
Leadership – how do we help leaders to step up?
We need to confirm our commitment to data integration
We’re approaching a limit on what we can do without ongoing funding support.
There seem to be different perspectives on what we mean by a collaboration - does a collaboration mean we all have to go the same direction, or can we explore new approaches so long as we keep each other informed?

13. Thank you