Under examination
CATSI conversations
5 January 2024
Examinations can identify governance issues and concerns, but also offer helpful advice for corporations to improve. Georgina Richters hosts this discussion on examinations with Registrar of Indigenous Corporations Tricia Stroud, Billy Landy, Steve Klomp and Peter McQuoid.
Top tips from the conversation
Don’t worry – examinations are positive. Examinations look at what corporations do well and how they can improve. They are free for the corporation, conducted annually and only involve a small percentage of corporations across Australia.
Reach out to the examiner. Corporations can contact the examiner via ORIC if they have any concerns. All parties want the process to go smoothly. Directors or members can even request an examination from the Registrar if they are concerned about how the corporation is being run.
Read your rule book. Familiarise yourself with the corporation rule book. It will be helpful to refer to during the examination. This can be accessed on the ORIC website.
Locate other key documents. Keep track of membership registers and meeting records. Board management software can help with this, particularly for larger corporations.
Read the healthy corporation checklist. This guide from ORIC can help with ensuring essential aspects of running a corporation is conducted. Many questions are similar to what might be asked during an examination.
Attend the exit meeting. This happens at the end of the examination and is a good opportunity for all members and directors of a corporation to learn.
Use the advice. ORIC usually provides some helpful tips after an examination. This should be made available to members and directors so the corporation can improve and strengthen the community it surrounds.
Learn more
This conversation host and guests
Georgina Richters is a Luritja woman and the Principal of First Nations Advisory. Georgina has more than 25 years’ experience working in Indigenous affairs at national, state, local and community levels. She's currently the Chairperson of the Arts Queensland First Nations Arts and Culture Panel and the Deputy Chair of the Brisbane 2032 [Olympics] Legacy Committee.
Tricia Stroud is a Kungarakan and Waramungu woman and the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations since May 2022.
Billy Landy is a Martu man and at the time of filming was the Chairperson of Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation (PAMS). PAMS underwent an examination in early 2023, which resulted in a management letter to the corporation.
Steve Klomp has been an independent director of PAMS since 2014. PAMS underwent an examination in early 2023, which resulted in a management letter to the corporation.
Peter McQuoid is Principal of PDM Consultancy. Peter has led corporate and government agency probity, governance and compliance reviews for over a decade and is a highly experienced executive officer in business examinations, special administrations, change management and business turn-around assignments.