Roles and Activities of the Steering and Dialogue Committee

The governance of Santé publique France is based on a founding principle of openness and dialogue with society. It is organized around four bodies: the Board of Directors, the Scientific Council, the Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee (CED), and the Steering and Dialogue Committee (COD). The role of the COD is to provide a societal perspective in support of the Agency’s activities, particularly in defining its strategy for dialogue with stakeholders and citizens.

Openness and dialogue with society aim, in particular, to align the Agency’s actions with societal changes and to reduce the risk of overlooking or underestimating the concerns or specific knowledge of citizens and stakeholders regarding public health and the Agency’s missions.

Openness and dialogue with society have been a particular focus since the Agency’s inception in 2015 and are among its founding principles. Axis 3 of the Objectives and Performance Contract (COP 2024–2028), “An open agency of expertise working closely with local communities,” reflects the Agency’s commitment to empowering everyone through ongoing dialogue with citizens and stakeholders.

The renewal of the Committee for Openness and Dialogue comes amid changes to the Agency’s programming aimed at better addressing social and regional health inequalities, the impact of climate change on public health, and the opportunities offered by digital technology to achieve the goals of protecting public health and improving health outcomes.