In 2006, the ANZCA Council embarked upon a major process of change aimed at strengthening its support for Fellows and Trainees and positioning itself to be more responsive to emerging developments in its external environment.  This took the form of a strategic and organisational review to identify the main strategic imperatives that needed to be addressed in the next three years and the required resources.

The environmental changes, potentially affecting the College and its Fellows, have been significant.  Governments at both the State and Federal levels are now more actively involved in health workforce matters, and are seeking to take responsibility for a broad range of critical processes (such as national registration and accreditation) that have traditionally been managed by the colleges; the public is demanding greater accountability and transparency from medical practitioners, and lifestyle and generational changes are having an impact on the way the College and its Fellows work.

These changes are primarily being driven by national and state governments and other jurisdictional bodies, outside which the College normally operates. To date, much of the College’s resources have been focussed on such activities as curriculum development, exams and exam administration, and hospital accreditation.  Because of the paper-based nature of much of this work, the College and Council have been administratively overwhelmed by these internally focussed activities, leaving little time to think strategically.

In August 2006, Council initiated a Strategic Review aimed at identifying the issues which Council members thought to be of greatest importance to Fellows of ANZCA and to the workings of the College. 

The six core objectives identified in the 2007-09 Strategy are:

1. To position ANZCA as the primary conduit of specialist training in anaesthesia; ensuring the pre-eminence of the College in delivering authoritative and cost-effective anaesthesia training.
2. To ensure that College Fellows continue to possess knowledge and skills relevant to the health care system in which they work, thus fostering safety and quality patient care.
3. To develop and communicate ANZCA’s position on the roles of Fellows and others providing anaesthesia-related care; facilitating dialogue and an understanding of the role of anaesthetists with governments and other health workers.
4. To improve the College’s standing with governments, media and other key stakeholders; helping ensure that the role of anaesthetists is understood and considered in the early stages of formulating policies or programs that potentially affect the profession.
5. To ensure that the Council and Committee structures are responsive to the Strategic priorities of the College.
6. To improve the support for, and communications to, Fellows and Trainees; and improve the ease of doing business with the College.

The Strategy creates a focused and revitalised organisation with clear priorities and targeted outcomes that ensures support for its Fellows and maintains the highest standards of practice and ethics in relation to anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine.

The activities associated with the implementation of each of the strategic objectives will be undertaken by ANZCA staff and committees over the three-year horizon from 2007 to 2009.