The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre has a Governance Committee (GC) that has responsibility for the governance of the organisation and has specific legal, fiduciary, and ethical responsibilities including:

• developing and maintaining the organisation’s mission and annual plans;
• managing the organisation’s resources;
• providing oversight; determining policy where relevant,
• evaluating the chief executive officer; and
• acting as ambassadors for the CRCC in the community.

The CRCC Constitution (paragraph 17) provides that the Governance Committee:

“controls and manages the affairs, property and funds of the Association, and has power to perform all acts and do all things that appear to the Governance Committee to be necessary or desirable for the proper management of the affairs of the Association.”

The Governance Committee is responsible for ensuring that the CRCC organisation meets all legal requirements and remains accountable to its donors and other stakeholders, including the ACT and Commonwealth Governments.

The Role of the Governance Committee

The role of the Governance Committee is governance rather than management. The CEO has delegated responsibility from the Governance Committee for the day to day management of the CRCC. The Governance Committee supports the CEO to carry out her responsibilities by working alongside her respectfully, collaboratively and cooperatively. Governance focuses on the CRCC’s broader, strategic directions, including: the setting and monitoring of its operations; strategic direction; and the establishment and monitoring of relevant policies. The Governance Committee is an independent decision-making body that encourages and values advice from the CEO. In order for Governance Committee members to carry out their governance role, they must understand their legal obligations as Governance Committee members, the CRCC’s statutory and contractual obligations, and its policies, plans, and priorities. Governance Committee members must be able to participate in all areas of the GC’s responsibilities. They are also expected to participate actively in the work of the Governance Committee, including working on sub-committees from time to time.