Dear Community colleagues,

Following our communication of 10 July on the completion of Cochrane’s Sustainability Review, we are delighted to publish the CRG Transformation Programme implementation plan, entitled ‘The Structure and Function of Cochrane Review Groups: implementation of Networks and Editorial Board’. Following extensive analysis, consultation, and debate on CRG reforms that have taken place in recent years, and with a clear steer from the Governing Board, this Implementation Plan sets out the changes we will be making to ensure Cochrane addresses the challenges it faces in relation to the production of a comprehensive collection of timely, high-quality reviews, relevant to our stakeholders.

This is an open access document and will be presented for approval to Cochrane’s Governing Board in Cape Town in September 2017. In addition, it will be included in regular communication updates through monthly Reviews and Methods Digests.

We have recognized in previous correspondence that there may be many questions about what this means for you and the future functionality of CRGs. Some of these questions may not have definitive answers until after Cochrane’s Governing Board has met in Cape Town. However, in the meantime we have established an email address where you can submit questions, and one of the Project Team will respond to your enquiry: SFinfo@cochrane.org

We will continue to fully engage with you and your Group over the next few weeks and months as we work closely with all members of the CRG community in our planned implementation. Our next communications on Community will follow Cochrane’s Governing Board meeting in mid-September.

With our best wishes,

Karla Soares-Weiser, Acting Editor in Chief

Martin Burton, Co-ordinating Editor, ENT Group

Jonathan Craig, Co-ordinating Editor, Kidney & Transplant Group

Nicky Cullum, Co-ordinating Editor, Wounds Group

Mark Wilson, Chief Executive Officer