OUR GLOBAL NETWORK
National Working Groups
Local leadership. National action. Global connection.
National Working Groups (NWGs) are the foundation of InciSioN’s global network — translating the global surgery movement into locally relevant education, research, advocacy and action.
WHAT IS AN NWG?
One country.
One National Working Group.
An InciSioN National Working Group is the nationally recognized member organization of the InciSioN network in its country.
NWGs bring together students, trainees, early-career professionals and other members of the surgical and global health community to advance equitable access to safe, timely and affordable surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia care.
Each country may have one recognized InciSioN National Working Group. The national NWG may, where appropriate, develop local or institutional chapters under its own jurisdiction.
LOCAL LEADERSHIP, GLOBAL CONNECTION
What does a National Working Group actually do?
An NWG is not simply a local copy of InciSioN Global. Every country has different health systems, surgical needs, institutions, communities and priorities. NWGs provide the structure through which members can identify those priorities and build locally appropriate responses.
Understand
Identify national surgical-health priorities, gaps and opportunities through engagement with communities, students, professionals, institutions and other stakeholders.
Connect
Build a national community around global surgery and create relationships across universities, professional communities, civil society and relevant institutions.
Act
Develop nationally relevant education, research, advocacy, projects, events and other initiatives responding to identified priorities.
Collaborate
Connect national action with the wider InciSioN network, including other NWGs, regional structures and global initiatives.
Nationally led. Independently managed. Globally connected.
Once established, an NWG manages its own national operations within the InciSioN governance framework.
Leadership & Elections
Membership
Organizational Structure
National Activities
Local Partnerships
This autonomy operates alongside shared standards established through the InciSioN Bylaws, Memorandum of Understanding, Code of Conduct, applicable SOPs, reporting requirements and coordination with InciSioN Global.
ESTABLISHING OR REACTIVATING AN NWG
It always starts with an inquiry.
Before preparing an application, contact InciSioN Global. We will first determine the status of the National Working Group in your country and guide you toward the appropriate pathway.
What happens after you contact us?
Active NWG
An established NWG already operates in your country. We will connect you with its leadership so that you can explore becoming involved.
Inactive NWG
An NWG exists but is currently inactive or suspended and is eligible for reactivation. We will provide the reactivation pathway and relevant application materials.
No NWG
No National Working Group currently exists and the country is open for establishment. We will provide the establishment pathway, NWG Manual and application materials.
Not Currently Open
The country is not currently available for establishment or reactivation. We will explain the status and, where possible, when the situation may next be reviewed.
From inquiry to National Working Group
If your country is open for establishment or reactivation, the formal process begins.
01 — Confirm your intent to apply
After receiving confirmation that your country is open, formally confirm that you intend to proceed. This activates the Right to Apply First process.
02 — Right to Apply First
By default, the confirmed applicant receives a one-month exclusive period to prepare an application. During this period, InciSioN will not accept competing applications for the same country.
If additional time is genuinely required, an extension may be requested before the deadline with an explanation of the circumstances. Extensions are not automatic. The establishment process cannot remain reserved indefinitely; where an application is not submitted within the permitted period, the opportunity may be opened to another eligible group or individual.
03 — Build your founding team
Establishing an NWG means building a sustainable national organization — not simply submitting an application. Applicants should assemble an appropriate founding team, understand InciSioN’s mission and governance framework, and begin assessing the national global surgery landscape.
04 — Prepare and submit the NWG application
The official application asks the founding team to demonstrate that the proposed NWG is relevant, viable, appropriately governed and capable of creating sustainable national impact.
05 — Application review
The application is reviewed within InciSioN’s governance process. Applicants may be asked to clarify, revise or strengthen parts of the submission. A request for revisions is part of the review process and does not itself constitute rejection.
06 — Approval and Memorandum of Understanding
Following approval, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is issued for review and signature by the relevant NWG and InciSioN representatives. The NWG becomes formally recognized once the required approval and execution process has been completed.
07 — Onboarding
Formal recognition is followed by structured onboarding, including institutional access, branding guidance, templates and operational resources, introductions to relevant InciSioN structures and ongoing support from the National Working Groups Department.
08 — Begin operating
Your NWG can now begin operating as the officially recognized InciSioN National Working Group for its country — developing its membership, leadership, activities, partnerships and national strategy while remaining connected to the wider network.
THE APPLICATION
What should your founding team be prepared to develop?
The application is designed to determine whether a proposed NWG has a clear national purpose, an appropriate organizational foundation and a realistic plan for sustainable operation.
Purpose & National Need
Explain why an InciSioN NWG is needed in your country and identify important national global surgery challenges and opportunities.
Vision & Mission
Define what your NWG seeks to achieve and how its national purpose aligns with the wider mission of InciSioN.
Leadership
Identify the proposed leadership team, organizational roles and responsibilities required to operate the NWG effectively.
Governance
Develop an appropriate organizational structure, membership model, decision-making processes and mechanisms for leadership transition.
National Priorities
Identify the issues your NWG should address based on your country’s own surgical-health context rather than simply reproducing global activities.
Strategy & Activities
Translate priorities into objectives, activities, resources, partnerships, timelines, milestones and mechanisms for evaluating impact.
Sustainability
Consider membership growth and engagement, leadership continuity, elections, communications, organizational memory, financial sustainability and long-term development.
First-Year Planning
Applicants should be ready to propose realistic initial activities demonstrating how the NWG could begin translating its priorities into action.
Applying does not make you an InciSioN NWG.
Until formal approval and completion of the required MoU process, an applicant group must not represent itself as an InciSioN National Working Group.
- Do not publicly announce that your organization has joined InciSioN.
- Do not publicly use the InciSioN name or branding as an approved NWG.
- Do not create or advertise activities as an official InciSioN NWG.
- Do not represent your group to external organizations as an established member of the network.
Formal recognition begins only after the required approval and institutional process has been completed.
REACTIVATING AN NWG
What if an NWG existed before?
If an InciSioN NWG previously existed in your country but is now inactive or suspended, you may be able to reactivate it. Reactivation begins when an interested party contacts the National Working Groups Department.
1. Status assessment
InciSioN confirms that the NWG is eligible for reactivation and determines whether previous leadership can be contacted.
2. Handover where possible
Where previous leadership is available, a handover can support transfer of institutional history, accounts, documents, resources and practical knowledge.
3. Reapplication
The incoming team completes the required application and establishes an appropriate leadership and governance structure.
4. Approval & onboarding
Following review and approval, a new MoU and structured onboarding return the NWG to active status within the network.
Previous leadership does not have to be available for reactivation to proceed. If a handover is not feasible, the process may continue with the new interested team.
COLLABORATION & PARTNERSHIPS
Build locally. Collaborate globally.
NWGs are encouraged to collaborate. The governance framework is designed to preserve national autonomy while ensuring that larger or institutionally significant partnerships remain transparent, ethical and aligned across the network.
Small internal collaborations
Collaborations involving up to three NWGs can generally be organized within the network without prior InciSioN Global approval, provided applicable ethical and documentation requirements are followed.
Local external collaborations
Individual NWGs can undertake eligible one-off collaborations such as events, campaigns, research projects and initiatives with external organizations within the applicable partnership framework.
Significant partnerships
Large multi-NWG collaborations and significant external or institutional partnerships require formal review and approval under the applicable InciSioN procedures.
All partnerships must remain aligned with InciSioN’s mission and ethical standards, be appropriately documented and provide appropriate recognition of the contributions of participating NWGs.
POLICIES & RESOURCES
Everything you need to build and run an NWG.
The resources below provide the detailed requirements behind the processes summarized on this page.
Resource links will be activated as the standardized NWG resource library is published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can establish a National Working Group?
Applications are intended for teams committed to advancing global surgery and capable of developing the leadership, governance and operational foundations necessary to build a sustainable national organization. Contact the NWG Department first so that the status of your country can be confirmed.
Can there be more than one InciSioN NWG in a country?
No. InciSioN recognizes one National Working Group representing each country. That national organization may establish chapters under its jurisdiction where appropriate.
What if there is already an active NWG in my country?
You do not need to establish another NWG. Contact us and we can connect you with the existing national leadership. Membership, leadership and participation within that NWG are managed nationally.
What if the NWG in my country is inactive?
It may be eligible for reactivation. Contact the NWG Department so that we can confirm its status and provide the appropriate reactivation process.
Can I create social media accounts while applying?
Not as an official InciSioN National Working Group. Applicants must wait until formal recognition before publicly representing themselves or their activities as an InciSioN NWG.
Does InciSioN Global run the NWG?
No. NWGs are nationally led and manage their own leadership, membership, organizational structure and national activities within the shared InciSioN governance framework.
Can an NWG work with other organizations?
Yes. NWGs can develop internal and external partnerships subject to InciSioN’s partnership, ethical and documentation requirements. Certain larger or institutionally significant collaborations require prior approval.
Do I need to know whether I am applying for establishment or reactivation?
No. Start with an inquiry. InciSioN will confirm the status of your country and tell you which pathway applies.
Ready to get involved?
Whether you want to join an existing National Working Group, reactivate one or explore establishing an NWG in your country, start by contacting the National Working Groups Department.
vpnwg@incisionetwork.org
CC: chair.globalsurgery@incisionetwork.org
Please include your name, contact information, affiliation, country and whether you are interested in joining, establishing or reactivating an NWG.