What's the change?

The College Education Committee (CEC) will continue to be the peak education committee delegated by the Board to oversee the RACP’s education enterprise. All education and training committees of the Divisions, Faculties and Chapters will report directly up through 6 cross-College lead function committees to the CEC:

• Training Program Management
• Assessment
• Accreditation
• Curriculum
• Continuing Professional Development
• Overseas Trained Physicians

Critical communication lines between education and training committees and their respective Councils will be maintained, preserving their essential role in education matters. Education activity and risk management will be governed more cohesively through a strengthened cross-College lens.

More information will be provided as we progress. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact the Education, Development and Improvement (EDI) Team at edi@racp.edu.au.

What's the vision for the new structure?

The vision for new education governance is that:

• The committee structure is simple, efficient and organised by education function.
• The voices of our diverse stakeholder groups are heard and inform decision-making.
• Emerging risks and issues are visible to the peak education committee and Board.
• There are clear terms of reference and a comprehensive delegation schedule.
• Member and staff contributions are rewarding and an effective use of time and expertise.
• Members are highly satisfied with the speed and rigour of decisions and responses.
• There is increased two-way communication between education committees and Division, Faculty and Chapter Councils

What are the intended benefits of the change?

There are a range of expected stakeholder benefits of the new structure.

Through reduced complexity and bureaucracy, and improved transparency, clarity and responsivity, our trainees and Fellows will receive quicker and more robust decisions and responses to applications, certifications, approvals, and enquiries on education matters.

Our education and training committees will be enabled by the structure to provide high quality training program experience to trainees in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Clear, documented delegations and guidelines for decision-making will inform them when and how they should seek further approval, recommend program, or policy changes, and escalate risks and issues. Operational workload will be reduced through expanded staff delegations, allowing our committees to focus on matters requiring Member expertise.

The Board and the College Education Committee will also have improved visibility of the education committee activities, emerging issues and risks in education, and robust decision-making processes, as required by our regulators and desired by our members.

With a revised structure and expanded delegations, the RACP staff will be empowered to respond to member enquiries and applications and to support education and training committees more effectively.

Why the change?

Our trainees expect better governance of their training programs. Our members across the Divisions, Faculties, and Chapters, and key stakeholders, such as the Specialty Societies, want better communication and engagement regarding education matters. We must demonstrate our commitment to excellence by making education governance as a strategic priority. Further, our current structure poses risks and issues, with prolonged vacancies of committee positions, increasing operational workload and resource constraints.

There is external impetus from governments and regulators, The Australian Medical Council and Medical Council of New Zealand, to improve our governance, standardise our processes, and enhance our risk and escalation pathways to the Board and the College Education Committee. We must also continue to evaluate the sustainability of the College from a resource, staff and member perspective, as we progress

When will the change happen?

Having completed the planning period from August to September 2024, the implementation project formally commenced in mid-October 2024 with development activities. Timeframes differ across education and training committees depending on the extent of change impacting them. For more information, please contact the EDI Team at edi@racp.edu.au

How can I be involved?

Education and training committee members will be consulted on their transition to the future state. For more information on how you can be involved, please contact the EDI Team at edi@racp.edu.au

How will we know if the new structure delivers the intended benefits?

We will be evaluating the effectiveness of the new structure against defined success measures. We may need to adjust things as we progress implementation in response to feedback.

More information regarding evaluation will be provided as we progress. If you have any questions, please contact the EDI Team at edi@racp.edu.au.