Institution news
Dear Member,
Four weeks have gone by since last we wrote from HQ; we certainly hope that everyone has had the chance to also take a break as we have. We are now back and committed to our 2019 operating plan which places member engagement at the core of what we are doing, and trims our costs from 2018 to make sure that we can do that sustainably. We already have the interim report from our independent Finance Review to guide us in that direction. To read the interim report log in with your membership details.
Our Governance Review is now also gaining momentum, interviewing members and staff alike to understand how our current system works (or doesn’t!). If you haven’t been contacted but would like to make an input then please let Mike Howse and his team know of your views at governance@imeche.org. You will have at least the rest of January to make contact as they go through the wide range of issues they want to cover. As with the Finance Review, the confidentiality of the process is crucial to make sure that all ideas can be investigated without fear or favour. This does mean unfortunately that we don’t hear much publicly for a while, but do please be reassured of the independence of the Review Team and their commitment to drive change.
And so, as we said last time, 2019 is to be the Year of the Active Member. We will be doing everything we can to set up a two-way dialogue with as many of our 120,000 membership as possible. Right now, we have a loyal readership of around just 1,500 visits a month to this page, but as you will have seen, no more than a handful of comments on what we have been saying.
We are well aware however from other social media, and indeed private letters, that doesn’t mean that everyone accepts what happened, and agrees with what we are doing. Our plan therefore is to invite those critics to speak up using our networks. That way they can directly access our entire membership, not just their followers or group members, and others can respond.
Ultimately, our Institution will follow whatever direction our membership as a whole chooses through the ballot box. Each year they elect Trustee and Council members for fixed terms to be their spokespeople. It is our job to support those representatives to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge available to them to then make the best judgements possible.
We will be publishing articles in the February edition of PE Magazine to highlight that everyone has until 10 March to get names onto this year’s ballot paper. If anyone needs any help with understanding our current process and rules then please contact the Council office at governance@imeche.org.
It seems certain that the Governance Review will be recommending further ways to ensure in the future that the overall annual renewal process finally ends up with the most effective leadership team possible. We will certainly however be using this forum to support in as many ways as necessary whoever is elected to perform the tasks that then face them.
Thank you,
Colin Brown
Chief Executive (Interim)