CIPFA consults on governance plans

26 Jan 15

CIPFA members are being asked for their views on proposed changes to the institute’s governance structure, intended to reflect its increasingly global outlook.

Under the changes, CIPFA council members will be elected on a regional basis, not a sectoral one. This will include international regions to give a voice to the institute’s growing overseas membership.

A CIPFA board will also be set up, chaired by the president and including the past president, vice president, a new junior vice president (replacing the treasurer) alongside the institute’s executive team – chief executive Rob Whiteman and his directors. The CIPFA council remains and will continue to decide on the budget, but also take on a greater thought leadership and strategic role, with the board assuming a more executive role. The board will advise and provide information to the council.

The governance review is being led by a working party chaired by Sir Tony Redmond, a former institute president. He told Public Finance the review is ‘opportune and timely’ given changes to CIPFA’s membership profile and the increasingly competitive environment in the accountancy profession. CIPFA’s governance arrangements have not been reviewed for some years, he noted.

Redmond urged CIPFA members to take the consultation seriously and said they have a ‘genuine opportunity’ to comment on the proposals.

‘This is critically important information that members should be aware of. Please give us your thoughts and ideas on what you think, because we want the member endorsement before we take proposals to the annual general meeting for final confirmation, one would hope, in July.

‘Sometimes people think governance is a rather stuffy subject. It certainly isn’t in this case. It’s an extremely important feature of the developing and changing role of CIPFA nationally and internationally.’

On international representation, Redmond told PF that it is likely that four international representatives will be elected to the council, although this could change in time.

He added: ‘We do want to reassure members that, although we do see an increasingly international dimension to CIPFA’s activities, the UK and Ireland remain the core business of CIPFA and therefore we will be doing everything we can to make sure that that element and part of our membership is properly resourced and supported.’

The consultation runs until March 13. Further information appears on CIPFA’s website and member discussions will be hosted on CIPFA’s social media pages.

 

  • Vivienne Russell
    Vivienne Russell is managing editor of Public Finance magazine and publicfinance.co.uk

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