When are the proposed milestones?
A vote on proceeding with the pilot is planned for September 2022, with consultation kicking off in July 2021. If the pilot moves forward, six phases are stepped out for implementation through to 2025, with evaluation and assessment proposed for 2025–2026. Read on for the proposed timeline.
Pilot launch
The ability to conduct a governance model pilot is being presented to the Council on Legislation in April 2022. If it is approved, then clubs and districts in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands will vote on whether to adopt the governance structure and be part of the pilot.
If Zone 8 decides to move forward with the pilot, implementation will take place in six stages. The districts would work together, within an interim multi-district structure, to gradually transition to sections, working out what works and what doesn’t.
If this pilot is successful, districts will continue to carry out essential functions until decisions are made as to the future structure. Broadly a transition of 6 stages is envisaged as follows:
Consultation and voting
July 2021 – voting September 2022
Conduct an extensive consultation process with all stakeholders to fully explain the rationale and benefits of the SRF model.
Seek approval of the clubs and districts to proceed with the pilot (subject to COL approval).
Development
August 2021 – June 2023
Districts continue to function as they do now.
Select and prepare some special functions (e.g. public image and communication) that can be rolled out regionally almost immediately within the interim structures.
Implement the management of the special functions regionally.
Identify at the regional and district level the 10-30 clubs that would form a section.
Determine Regional Council structure and roles.
Identify the initial Regional Support Committees.
Determine role and nature of Regional Support Teams and section leaders.
Develop selection procedures for all leadership positions.
Selection and training
January 2023 – June 2023
Districts continue to function as they do now.
Select Regional Council members, section leaders, and the start-up Regional Support Committees, with maximum stakeholder involvement in the processes.
Train the new Regional Council, section leaders, and Regional Support Committees.
Partial regionalisation
July 2023 – June 2024
Districts function in a condensed mode (some functions delivered by the region).
Establish and operationalize the Regional Council.
Establish who will be section leaders.
The start-up Regional Support Committees begin operation and work on regional initiatives; section leaders begin to work with clubs.
Select additional Regional Support Committees.
Further developed regional model
July 2024 – June 2025
Districts continue to exist, but essentially as a shelf entity under the stewardship of the last district governor covering remaining essentials until eventually all district functions are taken over by the region.
The Regional Council is fully operational.
Section leaders work directly with the region and support committees.
COL decision on initial outcomes of regional pilot, if possible.
Evaluation and assessment
July 2025 – June 2026
Districts still exist as a shelf entity under the stewardship of the last district governor.
Regional model is in full operation.
Conduct an extensive assessment of the regional model and report out to RI and all stakeholders.
Decide whether to adopt the regional model, revise or modify it, or return to the district model.