Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

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• Institute of Environmental Management and
  Assessment
• Full Membership Guidance
• Revised August 2004

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Eligibility can I apply?

• Two Routes
• Standard Route
• If you have achieved Associate Membership
• At least 3 yrs full time (or equivalent)
  experience
• Direct Route
• At least 7 yrs full time (or equivalent)
  experience
• Undertaken sound relevant training

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Benefits of Full Membership

• Professional recognition for your skills and
  experience
• Able to demonstrate competence to interested
  parties
• Required by clients
• Enables progression to Chartered Environmentalist

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Full Membership Criteria

• Three Key Areas
• Knowledge and Understanding
• Application of Knowledge and Understanding
• Communication Skills, Internal External
• You are also required to sign to abide by the
  IEMA Code of Practice for Full Members (slide 15)
• Description of a Full Member
• Full Member of the IEMA is a well rounded
  individual that has thenecessary environmental
  management and assessment knowledge, skills and
  experience to contribute, positively and
  proactively, to the protection and improvement of
  the environment.  In this capacity, a Full Member
  is able to take a long term and strategic view
  with regard to the goal of sustainable
  development.

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How do I apply?

• Application process consists of two parts

Telephone Assessment
Written Application
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Written Application what does it consist of?

• Registration Form
• Evidence of Associate Membership (if applying via
  the standard route)
• Short Paper (1000 words standard route, 2000
  words direct route)
• Full Curriculum Vitae
• Full Description of your current job
• Outline of your companys (or clients)
  activities and their principal environmental
  impacts
• Copy of your companys environmental policy
• Plan of your companys management structure and
  your position and role within it
• Signed witness statements
• A paper or table identifying relevant training to
  underpin experience (direct route only)

3 COPIES OF WHOLE APPLICATION REQUIRED
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Telephone Assessment

• Undertaken with two Full Membership Assessors
• Candidates receive telephone conference details -
  date, time, telephone number (candidates are
  responsible for their part f the call cost
  billed by their telephone service provider)
• Assessors will introduce themselves and explain
  the format of the assessment
• Assessors have signed confidentiality agreements
• Interview lasts approximately 40 minutes
  (standard route) and 60 minutes (direct route)
• Assessors ask questions to determine whether the
  candidate meets the criteria for Full Membership

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Assessors tips for the written application

• Ensure you complete the registration form in full
  and submit all the required information
• If required information cannot be included,
  explain why in the covering letter
• Ensure your CV is comprehensive - including dates
  and descriptions
• Ensure witness statements are signed

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Assessor tips for the short paper

• Spend time! Make it easily understandable
• Show before the telephone assessment how you
  believe you meet the criteria
• Your opportunity to shine!
• Central to the assessment and a key document
• Present it in a logical order, structured in
  relation to each of the criteria
• Format
• Some candidates use a table format
• Some candidates divide the paper into 3 Sections
  in relation to the three areas of the criteria
• Include clear concise statements and pertinent
  examples

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Short Paper Common mistakes

• Exceeding the word limit
• Using padding
• Simply repeating your CV
• Answering each criteria in cryptic bullet points
• E.g. I understand the importance of natural
  cycles
• Claiming the work of your company
• Swamping Assessors with company literature
• It is you that we are interested in!

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Telephone Interview Tips (1)

• Use a quiet room for the call
• Ensure that you will not be disturbed
• Have all your papers with you
• Ensure that you are up to date on current issues
• (N.B. Useful information sources on IEMA
  website!)
• Re-read written application / short paper prior
  to your assessment
• Re-read the criteria and think about how you meet
  them in relation to your experience and ensure
  that you have personal examples to
  demonstrate this

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Telephone Interview Tips (2)

• Show broad understanding of sustainability issues
• Show understanding of resource issues as well as
  pollution impacts
• Show understanding of global to local issues
• Show a forward looking / thinking attitude
• Show understanding of short, medium and long term
  threats and opportunities
• Mention examples from different media
• If you are weak on experience in a particular
  area show understanding by explaining what you
  would do in a particular situation

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• IEMA Code of Practice for Full Members
• Full Members of the IEMA shall
• uphold and promote the environmental profession
• exercise honesty, diligence and objectivity in
  their professional work
• avoid their professional judgement being
  influenced by a conflict of interest and shall
  make all relevant parties aware where there is
  such a conflict
• acknowledge their limitations of competence and
  not undertake work which he or she knows is
  beyond their professional capability
• develop and maintain standards of professional
  competence and knowledge through a combination of
  training, learning and practical experience
• in giving advice, make the relevant person(s)
  aware of the potential consequences of the
  alternatives
• endeavour to be an innovative, lateral thinker
  in the pursuit of environmental improvement and
  sustainability
• support and promote sustainable action and
  challenge environmentally unsustainable action
• work to, and promote, high standards and best
  practice in the environmental profession

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Supporting Documentation and Information

• Full Membership Application Pack (including the
  registration form)
• List of useful information sources on the IEMA
  website www.iema.net
• IEMA News subscription service (email update)
• IEMA Publications shop
• Environmentalist magazine and other journals /
  magazines
• 8 week timetable (see next slide)
• Professional Development Plan

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Eight week timetable Full Membership Application
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Any Further Questions?