CIPR members are being asked to vote on changes to the organisation’s governance at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Manchester next week. It’s the culmination of six months’ work and a two-month consultation led by CEO Alastair McCapra. The AGM will follow the Northern Conference and take place at the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, All Saints Campus, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6BH, at 6pm on Thursday 12 June.

If you’re a CIPR member, as President I urge you to support the changes. They’re important to the future of the CIPR, and the broader profession.

I look forward to seeing you in Manchester, but if you cant attend, proxy voting forms can be downloaded from the CIPR website (PDF format) and emailed back to Tina Surman (tinas@cipr.co.uk).

Here Alastair explains why these changes are so important and calls on members to register a vote.

What are you asking members to vote on?

There are five key areas we are asking members to vote upon that we hope will:

• Create a streamlined, business like governance structure
• Make all of Council elected, and work as a team
• Ensure that the voices from our nations, regions and specialist groups are heard
• Engage with members more effectively at the early stages of their career
• Embed the professionalism agenda at the heart of our governance

How have you arrived at the proposed governance structure?

The initial proposals are based on mainstream developments in a number  of different a professional bodies over the past decade, backed up by research from bodies including the Professional Associations Research Network (PARN).  The proposals have been developed and finalised as a result of a two-month long wiki consultation with members.

Why are these changes important to the future of the CIPR and the public relations profession?

I want these changes to deliver a CIPR which is more active, more relevant and exercises more effective leadership of the profession. These proposals for governance change are also firmly focused on our purpose to promote the highest level of professionalism in public relations through skills, knowledge and research; both to serve the public interest and to advance the expertise of our members.

When will the proposed changes take effect?

Changes to our charter and by-laws take effect once they have been agreed by Privy Council. However many of the changes are in our regulations, which we have the power to agree ourselves.  These will come into effect immediately after the AGM on 12 June.

When was the governance of the CIPR last reviewed?

The last major change was nine years ago when we were granted our Royal Charter.

Who can vote on the changes and how do they do this?

Whilst anyone was able to contribute to the proposals for change, only voting members, that is Members (MCIPR) and Fellows (FCIPR and Hon FCIPR) can vote.

Proxy voting forms can be downloaded from the CIPR website (PDF format) and emailed back to Tina Surman (tinas@cipr.co.uk).