A Respected Professional Body

The Challenges

The days when professional bodies could simply trade upon a reputation for upholding high standards have long gone. Nowadays they are judged by their actions, or inaction, and by the actions of their members. In order to be viewed as a successful professional body both CIPFA and its members must therefore consistently and actively demonstrate their commitment to the highest professional standards.

The Institute's examinations are deliberately structured to provide an exacting test of the professional competence of aspiring members. But increasingly it is clear that a modern professional body must also encourage or even require all of its members to commit themselves to a formal process of learning and development to constantly update and refresh their knowledge and skills.

Where do we want to be in 2007?

One of the seven hallmarks which the Council wish to cultivate in relation to the future CIPFA is particularly relevant to its ambitions as a professional body:

Hallmark (3)

Upholding Highest Standards An Institute which exudes and promotes the very highest standards of probity, conduct, professionalism and equality of opportunity.

Our Strategy

The key components of our strategy to excel as a Respected Professional Body are:

• to use new technology and other media to enable CIPFA to offer more services to members and students to help them identify and fulfil their personal continuing professional development (CPD) needs;
• to encourage members to join CIPFA's new CPD scheme as soon as possible and to ensure that all members are aware that the scheme becomes mandatory, on a phased basis, commencing in January 2005;
• to ensure that wherever possible the Institute's work in relation to good governance and high standards of conduct and professionalism is promoted across all relevant public services;
• to take very seriously the Institute's responsibilities to discipline members and students whose conduct falls short of acceptable standards;
• to monitor the composition of the Institute's membership at regular intervals, with the expectation that it should be broadly representative of the population, and, working with employers, to take action to encourage higher numbers of applicants and entrants from under-represented groups.

Progress to Date

Since the launch of the development strategy in March 2001 progress on hallmark 3 projects and initiatives has included:

• the Institute membership has taken the decision to adopt a mandatory CPD scheme with phased implementation commencing in January 2005;
• development of a pilot website to support members' management and technical development needs;
• successful collection of personal data concerning disability and ethnic origin from a majority of members and students;
• implementation of the Institute's new disciplinary scheme, including extensive involvement of lay people;
• launch of a new technical newsletter, Spectrum, free for all members and students;
• launch of a new CIPFA Members' Professional, Technical and Regulatory Handbook on CD Rom;
• creation of new panels to support members involved in charities and best use of information technology.

Ongoing and New Initiatives

The detailed action plans which form part of this development strategy identify several initiatives which aim to enhance CIPFA's reputation as a well respected professional body. They include:

• implementing further improvements in technical support services to members;
• extending the breadth and range of our research into issues of relevance to public service finance professionals;
• developing new courses and publications to meet the development needs of CIPFA members and other customers;
• developing new commercial services and products to help meet the needs of the organisations which employ CIPFA members and students;
• promotion of the Institute's new CPD scheme, ensuring that all members are encouraged to join it as soon as possible and are aware that participation becomes mandatory, on a phased basis, commencing in January 2005.