HIA of the Americas
SOPHIA's HIA of the Americas Workshop, 2013
March 11 & 12 - Oakland, CA
HIA practitioners will gather for the fourth HIA of the Americas workshop, this year hosted by the Society of Practitioners of HIA (SOPHIA - http://www.hiasociety.org). The objectives of this two-day workshop are to:
- Provide leadership to HIA practitioners by offering a forum to network and share resources and strategies that elevate the practice of HIA
- Promote excellence in HIA by sharing best practices, discussing issues and challenges, and disseminating resources and work products developed by the HIA of the Americas working groups.
Focus of the Workshop
During the two-day workshop attendees will have the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of HIA practitioners through a mix of presentations and small working groups. Past HIA of the Americas workshops have resulted in the development of materials including the "Minimum Elements and Practice Standards for HIA" and the "Guidance and Best Practices for Stakeholder Participation in HIA". For more information on the general structure and type of content covered at this workshop, please visit http://hiacollaborative.org/partnerships to see an agenda and materials from the 2011 workshop. The 2013 HIA of the Americas workshop will address topics including, but not limited to: Addressing Equity in HIA, Stakeholder Engagement, Peer Review of HIA, Advocacy and Objectivity in HIA, and Lessons Learned from Unsuccessful HIAs.
HIA of the Americas differs from other field-building conferences, as it specifically targets HIA practitioners in the U.S., Canada, and Central and South America—with a focus on current HIA practice. The National HIA Meeting is intended for a broader audience with varying levels of HIA knowledge and experience, and the International HIA Conference has a strong emphasis on HIA practice around the world.
Click here to see the 2013 HIA of the Americas workshop agenda.
Workshop Registration
The intended audience for the HIA of the Americas workshop is current practitioners of Health Impact Assessment who are involved or interested in strategic HIA field-building. While registration will be open to an international audience, the workshop content will be focused on HIA practice in the Americas.
Attendance Criteria
Workshop participants should have direct experience in conducting HIA, or currently be involved in conducting their first HIA. Participants will be asked to join working groups committed to conducting field-building activities between HIA of the Americas meetings. Registration is limited to 100 participants, and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Participation will be limited to no more than three individuals per organization.
Please click here to access the online registration form. The deadline to register is Monday, January 15th, 2013.
Cost
The cost of this two-day workshop is $200 USD per person, which includes course materials, breakfast and lunch. Accommodations and travel are not included. Upon registration, you will be contacted with instructions regarding payment. If lack of funding may prohibit your attendance at the workshop, please contact registration@humanimpact.org, as stipends for travel and registration may be available.
Workshop Location
The HIA of the Americas workshop will be held at the offices of The California Endowment, in downtown Oakland, California.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HIA of the Americas Workshop?
HIA of the Americas is a two-day workshop hosted by the Society of Practitioners of HIA (SOPHIA) that is designed to:
- Provide leadership to HIA practitioners by offering a forum to network and share resources and strategies that elevate the practice of HIA
- Promote excellence in HIA by sharing best practices, discussing issues and challenges, and disseminating resources and work products developed by the HIA of the Americas working groups
How is HIA of the Americas different from other field-building conferences?
HIA of the Americas is different from typical conferences in several ways.
- Who participates - The workshop is designed for people who are already HIA practitioners - people who have completed or are currently completing an HIA. This allows conversations about best practices, challenges, and resources to be informed by experiences in current practice, in order to facilitate strategic HIA field-building.
- Registration is limited and diverse - In order to facilitate meaningful and focused conversations, attendance is limited to 100 participants (registered on a first-come, first-served basis), with a limit of three individuals per organization. HIA of the Americas also specifically targets HIA practitioners in the U.S., Canada, and Central and South America. While registration will be open to an international audience, the workshop content will be focused on HIA practice in the Americas.
- Participation vs. attendance - Participants are expected to actively engage in discussions and working group sessions on topics of their choice, rather than just attend as audience members.
- Continued engagement - Participants will be asked to continue to work with other members of their working groups to address their identified next steps and conduct field-building activities between HIA of the Americas meetings. For example, past HIA of the Americas workshops have resulted in the development of materials including the "Minimum Elements and Practice Standards for HIA" and the "Guidance and Best Practices for Stakeholder Participation in HIA".
- Frequency - Historically the Workshop has occurred every 18 months.
What if I am interested in attending an HIA conference but I haven't completed or started an HIA yet?
- More appropriate conferences for those who are newer to the field of HIA are the National HIA Meeting - an HIA conference intended for a broad audience with varying levels of HIA knowledge and experience, and the International HIA Conference - which has a strong emphasis on HIA practice around the world.
Where do I register for the workshop?
To register, click here. Upon registration, you will be contacted with instructions regarding payment.
What is the cost of the workshop?
The cost of this two-day workshop is $200 USD per person. If lack of funding may prohibit your travel to the workshop, please contact registration@humanimpact.org, as travel stipends may be available.
Where will the HIA of Americas workshop be held?
The HIA of the Americas workshop will be held at the offices of The California Endowment, in downtown Oakland, California. Downtown Oakland is easily accessible by BART (www.BART/gov), which provides easy transportation to many Bay Area locations as well the San Francisco and Oakland International airports (SFO and OAK).
Click here for a printable flyer about the 2013 HIA of the Americas workshop.