PrintCIPFA European Group - Working To Improve Services to its Members across Europe
Members of CIPFA's European Group turn out in force to meet the President, senior Institute Staff and Special Guests at a special seminar and EGM in Brussels on 29 October 2004.
Download presentations from this event:
The Independent Commission on Good Governance in Public Services [66K]
Jane Steele, Office for Public Management
Responding to the crisis of confidence [839K]
Vernon Soare, Policy and Technical Director, CIPFA
CIPFA CPD Scheme [291K]
Ken Gill, Education and Training Director
On the 29th of October the President, Steve Freer and senior Secretariat staff, along with a number of eminent speakers and special invited guests, including Past President Hilary Daniels, were welcomed to a most important seminar and EGM in Brussels by Leslie Milne, Chairman of the CIPFA European Group.
The event was held at the splendid conference centre of Scotland Europa in the heart of Brussels. Members and guests were all impressed with the state of the art facilities which were most generously provided free of charge to the Group by the Chief Executive of Scotland Europa.
Nineteen members of the Group who had journeyed from far and wide in Europe attended an event whose agenda had been tailor made to reflect the preferences expressed in response to a member survey last year.
For some regions an attendance of 19 is not a significant indicator either of the attraction of the event or of the interest and involvement of members in their Region; however, if you know that the European Group has only 62 members in total of whom only 42 are working members, then you can appreciate that this was an event that had clearly been awaited with great anticipation by perhaps the most enthusiastic members of any region of CIPFA.
Even more significantly the members of the European Group live and work in no less than eleven different European countries. Members who attended this event were from no less than five countries (Sweden, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium).
This meeting was the first time that members of the CIPFA European Group had been able to get together since the inauguration of the Group some ten years ago.
Needless to say the attendance of more than 40% of the working membership of the CIPFA European Group was both significant and positive and it was very much this CIPFA spirit that the Chairman hoped would take the Group forward on the future.
In the course of the day, which was considered CPD-relevant with the issuing of certificates for their records, members were provided not only with essential updates on key Institute developments, but in addition received presentations from two eminent external speakers.
To kick off the event, Mike Barnes provided members with a report on current CIPFA initiatives and concluded with a comprehensive update on merger issues and progress; with the assistance of Steve Freer and Hilary Daniels this resulted in an extended and very welcome discussion. Members' interest in this topical issue and the President's full and clear responses meant that this session went well beyond its allotted time. We were grateful to both Ken Gill and Vernon Soare who were able to adapt their presentations at a moment's notice on 'Moving towards mandatory CPD', and 'Responding to the Crisis of Confidence in the Profession' respectively.
Members particularly welcomed the very direct message delivered on CPD by Ken Gill. Although Ken could not attend the later EGM, his presentation underlined the need for CPD volunteer advisors for the Group, and we were delighted that three members stepped forward to fill these roles in the different countries or organisations covered by the Group.
After lunch, Jane Steele of the Office for Public Management provided insights on demonstrating good governance in public service organisations, and Sue Beauchamp of the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea discussed the recently developed CIPFA model on improving financial management in the public sector. Steve Freer facilitated a very interesting and stimulating discussion involving not only the members but also invited guests.
A constructive EGM allowed Members to focus on the services they might prefer to receive from their Region and how they themselves might, as volunteers, take the first steps that will allow the European Group to continue its development as one of CIPFA's key regional bodies.
Overall, the objective of the Seminar and of the EGM was to gauge the extent to which members in Europe would not only welcome advice and assistance from their Institute and its regional body, but also how willing they would be to provide the necessary volunteer assistance to ensure that the European Group could act as an effective body to meet these requirements.
Initial feedback from members and Institute guests indicate that the objectives of this Seminar and EGM were met. Members have shown, not only by their attendance and their active participation at the seminar but also by agreeing during the EGM those services that need developing, that they are strongly motivated to maintain and develop their close links with CIPFA through an active European Group structure.
To this end, and to the great pleasure of the Chairman, five members have confirmed their willingness to accept volunteer responsibilities; these first volunteers will focus on providing CPD advice to members and updating the website to provide regular updates on CIPFA news and activities as well as on other accounting and audit issues that might affect their special interests.
The success of the Seminar and EGM has served as an effective encouragement to the Group and its Members. The chairman will ensure that volunteers receive the fullest guidance and support from CIPFA in developing their volunteer knowledge and expertise, supported by the approval of additional funds for the Group in 2005 which will allow not only the organisation of an AGM, at which a revised Constitution can be approved and a new Group Committee elected, but will also fund essential initial training for volunteers.
Readers can look forward to a further positive update on the continued development of the CIPFA European Group in 2005.
Watch this space!