Our Governance Structure

Governing Council

The Governing Council is the highest governing body of the Network. It meets three to four times each year and includes a representative and an alternate from each Partner organisation. The Chair is nominated by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation partners.

Functions of the Council include reviewing and approving research projects to be funded; approving the Network’s strategic plans and annual reports; dispute resolution and ensuring compliance with ethical research guidelines.

Management Committee

The Management Committee is the day-to-day governing body of the Network. It meets around 20 times per year with a membership of no more than ten members nominated by the Governing Council. Membership is expert rather than representative, and is restricted to employees or non-executive directors of Partner organisations. The Chair is nominated by Aboriginal community controlled organisations; employees of the Leading partner are not eligible for nomination.

Functions of the Management Committee include appointing and monitoring performance of the Executive Director; overseeing funding applications; approving annual budgets and monitoring performance against budget; overseeing annual and operational planning processes and providing strategic and operational reports to the Governing Council; and ensuring compliance with best practice research standards.

Executive Director

The Executive Director is an employee of the Leading Partner and reports to the Chair of the Management Committee.

The key responsibilities of the Executive Director include duties related to: Management Committee support; planning, policy and quality; relationship management; contracts; fundraising; budgeting; marketing and communications; and human resource duties related to other staff of the Centre.

Leading Partner

The Leading Partner provides financial management and other administrative support required by the Network under a negotiated service agreement. It receives, manage and acquits funds received by the Network as advised by the Executive Director.

The Network is expected to act within the broad policy constraints of the Leading partner as the employer.

Central Australia Aboriginal Congress (Congress) is the Leading Partner for the initial three-year term of CA AHSN.