ASA member roundtables provide a structured setting for professionals to discuss shared questions, compare nonconfidential experience, and identify issues that may warrant education, committee work, or further research. A roundtable is a discussion forum; it does not adopt ASA policy.
Appropriate subjects
Roundtables may address:
- implementation questions arising from a public rule or guidance;
- professional practice and cross-functional coordination;
- quality-system challenges described without disclosing sensitive data;
- scientific methods and research gaps;
- communication and consumer-understanding questions;
- education needs and emerging professional roles;
- lessons from public cases or de-identified experience.
Participation rules
Participants must:
- remain within the published agenda;
- avoid current or future prices, margins, output, customer or market allocation, bids, hiring coordination, vendor boycotts, and individualized commercial strategy;
- not solicit business during the discussion;
- disclose relevant interests;
- protect information under the stated confidentiality rule;
- distinguish personal and company views from ASA positions;
- follow the facilitator’s direction and respectful-conduct standard.
The facilitator will stop an inappropriate discussion. Participants must not continue the subject in side channels connected to the event.
Roundtable formats
Issue exchange
A facilitated discussion based on a defined question and public source record.
Functional peer session
A discussion for professionals sharing a role, such as regulatory, quality, science, or communications.
Cross-functional case session
A de-identified scenario used to examine how different functions approach a decision.
Listening session
A structured way for ASA to gather member experience before deciding whether further work is appropriate. Participation does not mean ASA will adopt a position.
Records and attribution
The event notice states whether the session is non-attributed, summarized, recorded, or closed. ASA normally records the agenda, attendance, safeguards, and follow-up actions. A public or member summary should not identify a speaker without permission or reproduce confidential business information.
Relationship to committees
A roundtable may identify a question for committee review. The committee must define the issue, sources, conflicts, and approval path before a discussion becomes an ASA work product.
Access
Roundtables are generally available to eligible member representatives, with access determined by subject, category, role, capacity, and confidentiality. Invited external experts participate under the same relevant safeguards and do not become members by attending.
Join a member discussion
View member participation options
Before participating, review roundtable participation rules.