In this newsletter, I am pleased to inform all our members that the ASSBI 2023-25 Strategic Plan document has been finalised and was endorsed by the committee at its last meeting. Importantly, this Strategic Plan is, in fact, the first of ASSBI’s 40+ years history. It was an opportunity to document the excellent work that our Society has been doing in its 40 years+ of existence but also to reflect on its goals and aspirations and shape its future in the coming decade.
Initiated by current Past-President Robyn Tate, the drafting of this Plan was 18 months in the making and went through a series of consultations with members, focus groups, and workshops. This document outlines four main strategic priorities: multidisciplinarity, translation of research into practice, strengthen the voice of lived experience, and build long-term sustainability.
As many of you know, these strategies are not entirely new; indeed, ASSBI has for many years being committed to these aspects that underpin relevant and meaningful clinical practice and research, in an inclusive approach. ASSBI, at its core, has an ethos of being an inclusive and multidisciplinary society, that prides itself in supporting and promoting research that makes a difference to the wellbeing of our clinical populations with brain impairment. One important challenge, however, is how to increase further the visibility and participation of people with lived experience in our activities. Undoubtedly, whilst primarily a society for professionals working in the field of brain impairment, our activities must be informed by what our ‘client base’ is, that is individuals with brain impairment, their carers, as well as their family members and friends. And in that respect, we believe that we can do better.
Another challenge is with the long-term sustainability of the Society. The past 2 years have shown us the importance of being prepared and ready to respond rapidly to changes in the world. ASSBI has done extremely well under difficult circumstances in the past two and a half years, and has responded in nimble and flexible ways, as shown by how quickly we were able to pivot to online delivery of conferences, workshops, etc. Some of our activities, however, have suffered and we need to look ahead and ensure that we can proof ourselves against future threats.
All in all, I cannot underscore enough the importance of this document. It will help steer the society over the next three years and ensure that it grows and remains relevant to its members in this rapidly changing world. Six main projects are articulated around the four strategic priorities, three of which will tackled during Year 1 of the Plan. With that in mind, committees have been set up to start working on these projects. You will hear more about these committees in the coming months.
In addition to Robyn, I would like to thank Barbra Zupan, Dana Wong, and Jacinta Douglas, for their contribution to this process, and Regina Hill from Effective Consulting our external consultant for guiding our discussions during its inception. The Strategic Plan is now available on the website. This link goes directly to the Plan: https://assbi.com.au/resources/Documents/ASSBI%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf.
Until next time, stay well and stay safe.
Olivier Piguet, President, ASSBI
