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Governance reform
A contemporary governance framework to strengthen accountability, clarity and strategic delivery
The College is committed to a contemporary, transparent, compliant, future-focused and efficient governance framework that is understood by members, supports strategic delivery and strengthens accountability across the organisation.
To achieve this, the College is implementing a structured governance reform program designed to strengthen decision-making, accountability, capability, transparency and strategic alignment, while reducing unnecessary complexity and meeting accreditation and regulatory requirements.
Rationale for reform
The need for reform is grounded in the Australian Medical Council’s 2023 accreditation process, the 2025 update report, and additional reviews and feedback from members and staff. Together, these findings show the importance of clearer accountability, more consistent governance and stronger alignment between governance arrangements and the College’s strategic priorities.
The reform responds directly to identified challenges including complex committee structures, unclear decision rights, variable reporting lines and administrative burden without clear outcomes. It aims to make governance more purposeful and consistent, clarify roles and responsibilities, strengthen support for staff and align committee activity more effectively with the work of the College.
Taskforce
The Governance Reform Taskforce – made up of senior RANZCP Fellows, senior leaders and external experts is leading this work.
Governance reform timeline
Phase one: Jan 2026 - Jun 2026
- Governance reform taskforce convened.
- New strategic plan.
- Present vision at 2026 congress.
- Develop corporate governance framework.
- Develop communications and stakeholder engagement plan.
- Convene staff working party to coordinate tasks.
Phase two: Jul 2026 - May 2027
- Planned consultation.
- Implement key tasks of governance reform.
- Implement committee design and representation.
- Define decision rights and reporting pathways.
- Identify & update key policy documents and templates.
- Embed new risk management and audit system.
- Present changes at 2027 Congress
Phase three: Jun 2027 - Dec 2027
- Prepare for constitutional changes.
- Membership value proposition.
- Embed cultural change and new ways of working.
- Continued review and updating of policies and key documents.
- Implement performance and evaluation model.
Phase four: Jan 2028 - Jun 2028
- Consider or review any outstanding constitutional changes if required.
- Evaluate changes and make adjustments.
- Continuous improvement transitions to BAU.
Have your say
Consultation on the proposed governance framework and committee structure and definitions model is now open through the consultation hub, where all members and trainees can review the proposals and respond to the consultation questions.
This will be supported by targeted discussions and consultation drop-in sessions for members of committees, Branches, Faculties, Sections, Networks and other stakeholder groups from September to December 2026.
The engagement process will test whether the proposals provide clearer roles, responsibilities, preserve meaningful member input, reduce duplication and administrative burden, and identify practical and transition risks.
Feedback will be reviewed and synthesised by the Governance Reform Taskforce to refine the proposed framework, with key themes and the influence of feedback reported back to members. Further consultation on implementation is planned for February and March 2027.
Resources
- Governance basics - an overview of how RANZCP is governed
- Governance Reform project - Congress 2026 presentation by A/Prof Alex Cockram
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Read answers to FAQs about the governance reform project.
