Peak Body Roundtable Looks to Constitution
23 January 2003 at 12:01 pm
A National Roundtable for the Third Sector is expected to adopt a constitution next month in a process that interim chairman, Robert Fitzgerald AM says has occurred in a surprisingly short time frame.
Fitzgerald who is the NSW Community Services Commissioner was appointed to chair an interim peak body last July.
In the set up phase, founding participants such as Philanthropy Australia considered a number of reports on the options and opportunities available. One report by Allen Consulting Group suggested two options. A peak of peaks which would be largely orientated to public policy and lobbying and a capacity building co-operative for Not for Profits facilitating training, practice management, accounting and new technologies.
Robert Fitzgerald says the National Roundtable as it is now constituted is not based on either option but is rather closer to the concept of a peak of peak bodies.
Fitzgerald says the aim is represent issues that affect Not for Profits but not specific policy issues that relate to individual peak bodies.
The next meeting in Sydney in February is for founding participants and Fitzgerald says once the constitution has been formalised, the Roundtable will be opened up to a very large number of peak bodies.
He says in other countries such as Canada which also has a Roundtable approach it has taken years to get to this stage. Discussions around a peak body in Australia have been ongoing for almost two years.
Pro Bono Australia has produced several stories on the topic since November 2001.
If you would like to read earlier articles just go to our web site at probonoaustralia.com.au and click on NEWS in the menu across the top of the home page. Select “Individual articles” and search “Peak bodies”.
