Strategic Plan 2022-2026

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Overview
The Australian Naval Institute (ANI) is an independent not-for-profit organisation, incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory. It has been in existence since 1975 and its role is to:
a. Encourage and promote the advancement of knowledge related to the Navy and the maritime profession, and
b. Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas concerning subjects related to the Navy and the maritime profession.

This Strategic Plan builds on the previous Strategic Plans, recognising the contemporary environment in which the ANI is operating, and aims to guide the activities of the Institute over the next three to five years and provide a framework upon which the Council can base decisions. It also sets goals against which the ANI can assess its performance.

A major focus of  earlier Strategic Plans was the production of the ANI journal – Headmark. In face of rising costs the Council in 2014 decided to cease publication and focus on on-line content. The last Headmark was produced in early 2015 and replaced with the annual peer reviewed journal – The Australian Naval Review (ANR) –  first published in 2016. The ANR is now published on a biannual basis.

The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan outlines how the ANI will continue to increase its engagement with its members,  subscribers, sponsors and stakeholders as it fulfills its mission.

Introduction

The Australian Naval Institute Strategic Plan 2020-2023 set a series of Performance Objectives against the Goals laid out in the Plan. In the past three years, the ANI has:

• Successfully achieved an operating surplus.
• Successfully published annual editions of the Australian Naval Review in 2016 to 2018, with two editions being published from 2019.
• Successfully secured sponsorship for our flagship events.
• Halted the gradual decline in membership and on the back of very successful Goldrick and Vernon Parker events in recent years grown to achieve the target of close to 400 members.
• Increased the quality and engagement through our online presence with 2000 subscribers.
• Delivered our Annual Vernon Parker Dinner and Goldrick Seminar, although we have yet to deliver other Fleet oriented maritime events.
• Reached out to kindred Defence and maritime organisations and co-hosted events.

In terms of events the ANI has achieved these aims in the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan:

• The Goldrick Seminar and the Vernon Parker Oration will remain the Australian Naval Institute ‘flagship’ events.
• The President will host at least one sponsors’ dinner annually.
• Additional or occasional seminars will be run during the year to explore topics of current or emerging interest.
• Occasional lunches with suitable guest speakers.
• Co-hosted events with kindred academic, defence and security organisations.
• Packaged annual memberships with event registration at discounted rates.

Strategic Plan 2022-2026

During  2021 and 2022, the President and the Council brought forward a review of the Strategic Plan 2020-2023 and concluded that the direction of the Australian Naval Institute is on course and that most of the aims and objectives of that Strategic Plan had been met. As a result, a new Strategic Plan covering the period 2022-2026 has been developed.

Objectives of the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

The key objectives for the ANI through the life of this strategy are assessed to be:

• Grow the ANI Membership to a total of 500 members. In so doing have a more diverse membership base including:
  • An increased number of serving personnel, including greater engagement across the Fleet and ADFA.
  • Establish and grow a cadre of sailors engaging the ANI as members.
  • Increasing the non-warfare based professions as members.
  • Increasing the international membership base of the ANI.
• Increasing the involvement of the Canberra based diplomatic and attaché corps as members.
• Increase the number of subscribed followers across all digital platforms – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Email Subscription – by 25%.
• Demonstrate the ANI as a pre-eminent global maritime think-tank through the delivery of a high quality 2022 Goldrick Conference as part of the ‘Corbett 100’ commemorative events.
• Achieve an increase in the number of articles published in print or on the ANI website that represent original content by 25%.
• Increase ANI’s global footprint through the building of stronger relationships with like-minded international organisations including the cross publication of key academic articles of relevance in our respective publications.
• Establish an ANI investment fund to allow an annual ANI Scholarship to promote the study of Australian naval and maritime affairs.
• Establish the ‘Saltwater Strategist’ podcast series.

Overview

The Australian Naval Institute is an independent not-for-profit, for purpose organisation, incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory in 1975.

This strategic plan for the Australian Naval Institute is for the four year period 2022 – 2026.  It supersedes the 2018 – 2021 Strategic Plan.  The plan has been developed by the President and the Council of the Australian Naval Institute and presented to the membership for approval.

The purpose of this plan is to provide a clear vision for how the Council intend to position and grow the Australian Naval Institute over the next four years.  The Strategic Plan and the operating model will be reviewed and updated by the Council annually, with a strategy refresh every fourth year.

Strategy

Vision

Our vision is for the Australian Naval Institute to be the premier independent forum for naval and maritime security debate in the Indo-Pacific.

Mission

The mission of the Australian Naval Institute is to provide relevant and vibrant forums, at various levels, to raise awareness and encourage innovative thinking about naval and maritime affairs.

Values

The Australian Naval Institute shares the Royal Australian Navy’s core organisational values and signature behaviours:

Events

There is a direct relationship between the number and quality of events run by the Institute, the level of engagement from membership and the wider community, and the value that we offer to sponsors and stakeholders.  With that in mind, the Institute will aim to steadily increase the number of annual events as follows:

• The Goldrick Seminar and the Vernon Parker Oration will remain the Australian Naval Institute ‘flagship’ events.
• The President will host at least one sponsors’ dinner annually.
• Additional or occasional seminars will be run during the year to explore topics of current or emerging interest.
• Occasional lunches with suitable guest speakers.
• Co-hosted events with kindred academic, defence and security organisations.
• Packaged annual memberships with event registration at discounted rates.

The primary focus of our events will be on the strategic security issues and challenges relevant to the RAN and the wider maritime community.

Digital Presence

The ANI website has been updated and is undergoing a further refresh.  Web content is available free to members and with limited access to subscribers.  The website hosts the full library of back editions of Headmark and Australian Naval Review.  The website will continue to be developed in order to ensure steady access to relevant and interesting material and to provide a moderated forum for debate on naval and maritime security matters.

Many of the ‘back office’ functions of the Australian Naval Institute will be automated and operated via the website.  This will include management of membership, subscriptions and event registration.

The Australian Naval Review

The Australian Naval Review (ANR) will be published biannually.  The ANR will be used to publish articles submitted by the membership and others.  It will also be used to publish the prize winning entries to the Chief of Navy’s Essay Competition.

Occasional Papers

The Australian Naval Institute may commission authors to produce occasional papers on matters of significant or emerging interest to the naval and maritime security communities.  These papers may act as background, or scene setters for seminars or events, or might be published in concert with kindred academic, defence and security organisations.

Records of Proceedings

The Australian Naval Institute will publish records of proceedings for all seminars and events on the website.  Selected speeches of contributions may be edited for publication within the Australian Naval Review.

Funding

The ANI cannot be financially sustained through membership subscriptions.  The Council have agreed to adopt a combined funding model based on sponsorship and subscription.  Sponsorship will be sought from maritime industry stakeholders on either an annual basis, or for specific events.  Our ‘value proposition’ and sponsorship options are published on the website.

The ANI will continue to work as a not-for-profit organisation, but will seek to build a sufficient funding backlog to allow the organisation to operate for 18 months.

Non-uniformed Council members of the Governance Finance and Sponsorship Committee will be appointed as Account Managers to foster and manage the ANI’s relationship with major financial sponsors.

Our Relationship with the Royal Australian Navy

Patron

The Chief of Navy is the Patron of the Australian Naval Institute and may be asked for advice on relevant topics for debate at Seminars or events.

Independence

The Institute is an independent entity and operates without oversight from Navy.  The opinions expressed by the Institute and its membership do not represent the Royal Australian Navy or the Chief of Navy.

Strategic Partnership

The Australian Naval Institute has a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Royal Australian Navy, the objective of which is to enable both ‘…to benefit from involvement in discussions on the resolution of current maritime issues’.  This partnership agreement aims to maximise the benefit of the Australian Naval Institute’s reach into the retired naval population and industry in support of Navy ‘innovations or initiatives’ without obligation to either party.  A copy of the Strategic Partnership Agreement is available on the Australian Naval Institute website members’ area.

Partnerships

The Australian Naval Institute will maintain a range of partnerships with defence and other organisations in support of our vision.  We will work closely with partners to deliver joint, or complementary events that address critical or emerging naval and maritime security issues.  Our key partners include:

• The Royal Australian Navy Maritime Warfare Centre.
• The Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Centre.
• The United States Naval Institute.
• The Royal Navy’s Naval Review.
• The Submarine Institute of Australia.
• The University of New South Wales Canberra.

Administration

The ANI will continue to work with Commerce Management Services (CMS) for administrative and event management support.  The Council will work with CMS to automate as many of the ‘back office functions as possible, including: membership, subscriptions and event registration.  This will release capacity and resource to support value add functions.