IChemE begins governance member consultation

ICHEME has begun a member consultation period on the future of the Institution’s governance and is inviting all members to share their views. 

Past president Jonathan Seville began a review of IChemE’s governance, which was completed by current president John McGagh and presented to IChemE’s Council in May. The review looked at the changing nature of membership, increased globalisation, the changing nature of volunteer efforts and modern communication methods and changing expectations. Input came from IChemE leaders around the world and contributions from members at regional group and special interest group meetings and from social media. 

Now, IChemE wants to hear the views of the wider membership. The governance report compiled by Seville and McGagh includes various options for change to the governance structure in all areas, including the composition of Council, the devolution of powers to national boards, simplifying internal committee structures, and plans for a fully-elected and fully-representative member “Congress”. The proposed changes come as IChemE seeks to improve communications with its members and to boost member participation in decision-making. 

The consultation will run for six weeks from 1 August. Once all responses have been collated, Council will meet during October and November to consider them. It will then draught a set of changes to IChemE’s Charter and By-Laws in February 2018, which will be put to a General Meeting to be held in May 2018. 

Visit www.icheme.org/weareicheme/august2017 for more information on the consultation and to read the member consultation pack. Individual members can provide their views on the proposed governance changes, included within the consultation pack, by emailing weareicheme@icheme.org, and including name and membership number. Leaders of SIGs, regional member groups, and other committees will be invited to take an online survey and a one-to-one interview. 

“The world is changing fast, and with it, the expectations of our 44,000 members and the communities that they serve. IChemE is an independent, public-benefit charity committed to advancing chemical engineering worldwide – a mission that was supported by an overwhelmingly large majority of our members in last year’s strategy consultation. We want to be the organisation of choice for chemical engineers and this demands a new approach to governance that will put us up there with the best. Professional chemical engineers deserve nothing less, and we need member input to get this right,” said McGagh.