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A strategic plan on the future direction of the Blind Manufacturers Association of Australia (BMAA) has been drafted and subsequently ratified by members, as the organisation looks to meet emerging challenges and remain relevant to its membership.
A strategic workshop was conducted over two days in August 2019 by the BMAA directors and facilitated by Dr Graham Godbee, an expert in strategic planning processes.
The Plan was then circulated to members for review before being unanimously endorsed by attending members at the BMAA AGM held in November in Melbourne after a presentation and opportunity for questions.
Christopher Nolan, the newly appointed President of the BMAA, said the plan will now form the basis for the direction of the organisation over the next five years.
“There are nine Operational Strategies to be implemented, driven by the Board Sub-committees. The first of these Operational Strategies, namely to assess member needs and attitudes, is the most important, and underpins the actions proposed in most of the others.”
“There is considerable work required to complete this task, and as a start, we are seeking feedback on three key proposed changes to the BMAA itself, all of which require amendment to the constitution, and are therefore critical to the process moving forward.”
Changes to membership
The first of these that Nolan is calling for feedback from members on the redefinition of membership criteria and classifications, including voting rights.
“Our aim is to ensure that the membership classifications are broad enough to encompass the interests of any industry participant, including importers, and not just Australian manufacturers,” Nolan said.
The Plan states that currently the membership base is narrow, and eligibility is complicated by convoluted adherence to the Association’s Charter, which is designed to promote Australian manufacture. Importers, who represent about half of industry participants, are excluded from membership, even though many members and suppliers import a significant proportion of their own product offering.
It also states the primary objectives of the new membership policy should be firstly, a focus on ensuring that major industry businesses are all active members; and secondly, that the membership classifications and Association activity itself should be broad enough to encompass the interests of any industry participant.
Fixed terms for directors
The second focus out of the strategic plan is the introduction of fixed terms for Directors, and for their rotation.
“The reason for this is obvious. Most Trade Associations have such criteria. We are suggesting a maximum continuous tenure of two x three year terms for Directors, with the possible exception of the Chairman (three x three year term),” Nolan said.
The plan calls for a broader diversity of Board composition, formal succession planning, and rejuvenation with younger Board members.
Integration with other industry groups
The third proposal that Nolan is calling for feedback on is the integration of BMAA, STA, LSAA and any other aligned industry associations into a single entity with a divisional structure similar to the Industrial Fabrics Association International.
“Our reason for promoting this is to remove duplication of effort (e.g. in developing training programmes, and promoting Consumer Awareness), and to have a greater lobbying influence. The structure is designed to allow each association to retain a great deal of independence,” Nolan said.
WFA understands that early stage discussions with a number of organisations is already underway.
The BMAA board is calling on members to submit general feedback on these three strategies as a lead in to a formal survey to go out by the end of March.
