The first strategic planning meeting took place on June 22, 2022, involving the NITRO-Oceania Executive plus member Professor Kate Henne, and facilitated by Rhonda Chapman.
It was agreed that the focus is on key operational issues with the following objectives:
- To build a more secure financial basis for NITRO-Oceania operations
– how do we get, and maintain, the funding to do what we want to do - To have dedicated secretariat support for NITRO-Oceania functioning
– there is a currently reliance on a few individuals to do NITRO-Oceania work. How can we provide the operational foundation of a secretariat that ensures core NITRO-Oceania work is ongoing and less reliant on individuals? - To have a clearer (possibly more formal) structure for the Executive
– we currently have a deliberately loose structure. Is it time for more clearly defined, possibly more formal, Executive roles to make it easier for people to fill these jobs? - To make it easier for people to take on roles that achieve network aims
– how do we support working groups and leaders to take on projects/jobs/tasks for the benefit of the network and members? How can we best use the financial support we currently have from donations (currently around $15K p.a.) eg: employing an administrative assistant? Could we make better use of our honorary members category, especially to attract more members who have retired from full-time employment?
Three or four additional planning meetings will be held before an operational plan is presented to members at face-to-face and online meetings in early October, 2022.