Making Change, Being Fitter For Purpose

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Making Change, Being Fitter For Purpose

• Proposals for changes in CIWEM governance
• by
• Nick Reeves
• Executive Director
• Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental
  Management
• involving, informing, inspiring for the
  environment, for the profession, for you

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About CIWEM

• Founded in 1895
• Royal Charter granted in 1995
• Became a Registered Charity in 1995
• Members in 98 different countries
• Branches, Groups and Expert Panels
• A Licensed Body of ECUK, The Science Council and
  the Society for the Environment for CEng, CSci
  and CEnv
• A Learned Society
• An awarding body and Accreditation of University
  Degrees
• CPD programme
• A Peer-reviewed Journal, magazines, books and
  E-Newsletter
• Consultants Directory
• Informing public policy on the environment
• Global and technical networks

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CIWEMs promise We will employ best practice
governance and aspire to be fully compliant with
the Charity Commissions Hallmarks of
Excellence principles. We will review and
rationalise the size and composition of the
Trustee Council and make appropriate changes to
the Institutions constitution.

• Source CIWEM Corporate Plan 2006 2010, page
  2.

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Making change our ability to do it

• CIWEM is a successful and improving organisation.
  It has
• a proud history founded in 1895 and in 1995 was
  granted a Royal Charter, and became a Registered
  Charity
• taken a lead role in the creation of the Society
  for the Environment and the Chartered
  Environmentalist (CEnv) qualification
• hosted more events than any other comparable
  institution
• a high public and media profile
• contributed to more government consultations and
  policy issues than ever before
• achieved financial growth and sustainability
• a growing international presence with plans for
  expansion
• become more respected and recognised.

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Drivers for change

• Corporate Plan commitment to continuous
  improvement in all areas of activity and
  governance
• To be modern and inclusive
• To be the Institution of choice for all
  environmental practitioners
• To comply with Charity Commission guidelines on
  best practice governance Hallmarks of
  Excellence
• To ensure that the governing body is
  proportionate and representative age, gender,
  cultural background, discipline, experience etc
• Trustees have legal responsibilities ensure
  that they are fit to meet the challenges and
  obligations
• Greater recognition of members and their
  professionalism

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Empowering Members

• As of right all members will be invited to attend
  Assemblies twice a year
• The Assembly will provide an opportunity for all
  members to engage with Trustees, Branch Group
  Officers and the Executive Director and his team
  and to comment on services and future direction
• Assemblies will not supersede the role of members
  in participating and taking decisions on
  governance at AGMs or EGMs

7
Branch Group Empowerment

• The Rules that govern the business of Branches
  Groups will become a set of Guidelines that are
  less prescriptive and more permissive
• The BG Guidelines will empower BGs to act in a
  way that reflects local conditions and
  circumstances - not one-size-fits-all
• Over time more devolution of the BGs will take
  place but within the requirements of Charity law
  and the Institutions constitution
• BGs will be represented by Lead Trustee
  champions on the Trustee Board

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Membership Membership Grades

• Fellows and Members will be able to use the post
  nominal designation C.WEM in recognition of
  their status as Chartered Water and Environment
  Managers
• Associate members will be able to use the post
  nominal designation ACIWEM and will be counted as
  Corporate members able to vote at General
  Meetings on Institution business
• Qualifying age criteria for all grades of member
  will be removed
• Those in equivalent grades of another chartered
  body or body Licensed to Charter will be eligible
  for CIWEM membership

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Governance of the Institution

• A smaller Trustee Board of 15 Trustees
• Trustees appointed from the membership, employing
  robust and independently verifiable recruitment
  procedures
• Ensure that the Trustee Board is representative
  of gender, age, cultural origin, discipline,
  region representation etc
• A Chair elected by the Trustee Board
• Each Trustee to take Lead responsibility for an
  activity of the Institution, eg Policy,
  International, Membership, Branches etc
• The Trustee Board to include a President,
  President-elect and a Vice-President elected by
  the Trustee Board
• The President to be a figure-head performing an
  ambassadorial role (different from the Chair of
  the Trustee Board)

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Business and Financial Planning

• Trustees to review and fix the budget, fees,
  charges and subscriptions each year
• Trustees to consult all members on a five year
  Corporate and Financial Plan

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Making It Happen

• Council endorsement of the principles
• Legal advice on the principles
• Consult members and other stakeholders such as
  the Privy Council, Charity Commission, other
  institutions, ECUK, SocEnv, The Science Council,
  DEFRA, Environment Agency etc
• Amend the Charter and Bye-laws
• Member support at an AGM or EGM
• Initiate a transition plan with transfer of
  powers from Council to a new Trustee Board, via
  an interim Board

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The Outcomes

• Fitter for purpose
• Robust governance
• Stronger leadership
• Nimble in taking decisions and opportunities
• Inclusive and outward looking a 360 degree
  organisation
• More relevant to members and stakeholders
• More representative
• Better able to show public benefit
• Better respected