As Chair of Council I thought I would add some thoughts to clarify the consultation process that has taken place on CILIP governance.
I am aware that there are different views on the development of the governance proposals. However since becoming Chair in January I have made a point of ensuring that there is full, open and frank consultation. This did not depend upon Tom Roper’s resignation, but has been going on since January.
After carefully considering the recommendations from the governance project board Council agreed to ask for views from members, Regional Member Networks, Special Interest Groups and Devolved Nations. The consultation was widely promoted, and Council Members and Senior Management Team attended eighteen meetings to present the proposals and take comments and feedback to Council. I wrote an article for Update in May seeking further member views, which also went on the CILIP website and was included in the weekly news email and was promoted on social media.
If the consultation had rejected the proposals then, as far as I am concerned, that would have been that. However the consultation results showed broad support for the governance proposals. Council would have been widely – and rightly – criticised if it had ignored the consultation particularly by all those who responded (see the governance paper at http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/how-cilip-works/council-meetings-and-agm/upcoming-council-meeting-0 for details of all the responses).
The feedback over the past couple of weeks has been rather different from the consultation which suggests that a wide range of views are held by members. Council is continuing to listen to all the feedback we receive and will share its final proposals with members shortly. I look forward to a positive debate at the AGM.
However I can reassure members that, unlike the past, CILIP will not be digging into its reserves. Having taken the necessary action to ensure that CILIP is financially stable, Trustees will ensure that this stability is maintained into the future. Full details of CILIP’s finances are published in Council papers and on the website, as well as in the annual report. CILIP lives within its means and will continue to do so.
|