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The 2004 RMA/DVA/ESO forum was held in Canberra on the 30 and 31st March. The forum was attended by around 45
representatives of Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs) and representatives of DoD, DVA, the Repatriation Commission,
the Veterans’ Review Board and the Specialist Medical Review Council, as well as the members of the RMA and the
RMA secretariat. It was opened by the Hon. Danna Vale, MP, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.
The format of the forum involved presentations, a workshop on critical appraisal and causal inference, and question
and answer sessions. Opportunity for the latter was provided at the end of each presentation as well as at specific
session dedicated to answering questions submitted prior to the forum. There were thus opportunities for active
participation by ESO representatives.
The topics of the various presentations were chosen to explain RMA processes, elaborate on the legislative
and scientific constraints under which the RMA operates and to reflect current issues of concern.
Forum Objectives
- Restate RMA processes;
- Inform representatives of the Veteran community;
- Address issues of concern to the Veteran community;
- Provide a forum for Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and Department of Defence (DoD) representatives to
address current issues; and
- Provide the opportunity to identify future challenges.
Forum Outcomes
A proceedings document to record the content of the proceedings and to provide veterans or their advocates with
a helpful reference for matters which arise when dealing with the Statements of Principles (SOPs) is presently
being finalised. The principles and processes by which the RMA operates, as were outlined in the proceedings
of the 1998 forum, will be essentially reconfirmed in this document.
All presentations given by members of the RMA will be included, either as a paper or as edited versions of the
audio transcript. Presentations given by guest speakers will be listed but not included because they provided
background information of a topical nature which was only indirectly related to RMA functions. All
questions and answers from throughout the forum will be brought together from the audio transcripts,
grouped in broad categories and edited for clarity. Additional useful general material will be provided in
the Appendix of the forum proceedings document.
A written survey form was circulated to all participants after the forum and responses received indicate that all
of the forum objectives were achieved. Feedback from the Ex-Service participants at the forum strongly indicated
that they gained an understanding of how to critically review published scientific papers; the concepts of
causality and causal inference; and a better understanding of the processes the Authority uses for the
inclusion or exclusion of a factor in a Statement of Principles.
The Authority considered that the forum was successful, not only in the achievement of the objectives and outcomes,
but also in the further development of the understanding, by members of the Authority, Department
of Veterans’ Affairs representatives and the Ex-Service representatives of each others roles in the
Statements of Principles system.
The forum programme is included at Appendix 3 and the list organisations is provided
at Appendix 4.
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This page last updated 20 September 2004.
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