Cryptic Agenda Not Good Enough

On Wednesday, we discussed the failure of CIRM to meet its commitment to the highest and best standards of transparency and openness. This item will offer more specifics on matters on which CIRM apparently does not want the public to be fully informed.

CIRM will deny that it is trying to keep important issues under wraps, citing staff shortages and other difficulties. But the fact is that if the agency had the will, it could make the information available. It has hired a nationally known PR agency, but none of those considerable resources seem to have been applied in the most fundamental of all PR efforts. And that is to provide the basic information about what CIRM is doing and why.

We have acknowledged CIRM has done a better job concerning the IP and research standards policies, although given their far-reaching implications, it would have been better to have seen the latest drafts posted a week earlier. They are the heart of the Oversight Committee's agenda on Friday.

Those two draft policy postings on the Web, however, are exceptions to the general obliviousness of CIRM to the need to inform the public well in advance about the issues it is considering. That means explanation and context online, not just cryptic one-line agenda items.

For the record, here are the cryptic agenda items. They are from the CIRM website less than 12 hours before the meeting at which they are going to be considered. If you would like to comment before the Oversight Committee, good luck.

Failure in Public Responsibility: Feb. 9th's Roll Call
(Items – quoted verbatim – from the Oversight Committee agenda on Friday that offer no explanation, justification or details.)

"Consideration of naming opportunity for CIRM training grant program." (Our comment: This may involve the sale of the naming rights to the program, as the naming of sports arenas are sold to such companies as Staples.)

"Informational report on plan/process for development of Scientific Strategic Plan."(Our comment: This involves important issues concerning priorities of the patient advocates vs. the pure research folks on the Oversight Committee.)

"Consideration of scientific meeting: Assessing the Medical Risks of Human Oocyte Donation" (Our comment: This is likely to involve significant expenditures, not to mention the important nature of the topic.)

"Consideration of joint venture with Public Library of Science and New York City Stem Cell Research Foundation."(Our comment: This may be some sort of open access arrangement, which could have national implications.)

"Chairman’s Report" and "President’s Report" (Our comment: These usually contain significant information, including Power Point presentations prepared in advance. But on at least one occasion the president of CIRM was surprised by a significant proposal in the chairman's report.)