Articles by Kathy Nguyen

Kathy has extensive experience working with not-for-profit organisations both nationally and in the Asia-Pacific, on structure, governance and operations. She has reviewed over 300 constitutions, and regularly presents to organisations on governance, membership and events. Kathy has worked for Associations Forum, the Governance Institute of Australia, Ernst & Young, the Trade Association Forum in London and for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Kathy holds Bachelors of Laws & Business from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Governance

Constitutions – The Foundations of Good Governance

Constitutions are crucial documents. At a national level, they describe how a country is governed. In democracies Prime Ministers and Presidents are elected to office following the processes described in a nation’s constitution. The Australian parliament states that the “national constitution is a set of rules for governing a country”. Similarly, constitutions lie at the heart of associations and charities and provide their rules. Significantly, they define who the members are and the process by which the organisation is run and elects its leadership.