Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee: Changes needed to the RCN Governance Arrangements to implement the RCN Equality Schemes Jane Clarke Director of Governance Support

Outcomes u To have a governance structure that is representative of its diverse membership base u To achieve more visible diversity on Council

Requirements u Good corporate governance requires that a key governance committees have the best possible mix of skills and backgrounds to ensure it is an effective and relevant body able to make the right decisions for the organisation

How do we achieve this? u Elections– general principles u - the process should be clear, transparent and accessible - vacancies should be widely publicised - the election process is clear and details are freely available - any one who wants to apply can do so - there are clear criteria against which the candidates can be assessed

What does this mean for elections? u The process for electing members should be changed u Council and the Boards should set up Nomination Committees which should publish criteria, invite applications and make recommendations to the membership as to which of the candidates in the Committee’s opinion best meet the criteria u The number of candidates it recommends might be more or less than the number of vacancies u The Nominations Committees should include individuals independent of the RCN