The RDA Council is responsible for the vision and strategy of the RDA. The RDA Secretariat is responsible for the implementation of the strategy. The RDA community and all governance boards provide inputs and ideas for the strategy. The RDA is built on six foundational Guiding Principles of:
- Openness
- Consensus
- Community Driven
- Inclusivity
- Harmonisation, and
- Not for profit and technology neutral.
In alignment with these guiding principles, the RDA consults with the global community on the key areas and priorities outlined in its Strategic Plan documents.
This strategic plan provides direction and vision for the organisation until 2028, and is focused on strengthening and widening the organisation.
Previous Strategic Plans
This strategic plan provides direction and vision for the organisation, its stakeholders and community until 2023 and is organised in three macro areas: People, Processes and Products.
In 2017 the strategy was revisited. By that time the RDA had become a well-known brand in the global science community with over 6,000 members, covering most scientific disciplines. The rapid growth and the high reputation of the RDA were a great achievement in a short time frame, and provided a good basis for future development.
But the success of the RDA also created shortcomings, as the rapid growth exceeded the organisational and infrastructural supports. New and pressing strategic issues emerged, notably sustainability, growth management, regional engagement and the need for a clearer value proposition.
In 2016 a small, dedicated team led an extensive community consultation activity to plan the Future Directions of RDA. This resulted in a short document describing 15 major future actions in areas of Communications, Engagement, and Coordination. The document defines roles for the membership and RDA’s various governing bodies in implementing these actions. The RDA Council has the responsibility for the future direction of RDA, and they just approved the final document. The final document and background materials are available at the RDA Future Directions website Final Report.