Institute of Co-operative Development

1. consultancy.coopProviding expertise to the Co-operative and Social Enterprise sectors Institute of Co-operative Development A proposal Alex Bird Jim Pettipher

2. Institute of Co-operative Development • Other Professions such as Engineers, Personnel professionals, Business Consultants, Housing professionals, Accountants, etc. have professional institutes. • These institutes take individuals into membership only if they satisfy certain criteria including qualifications, skills, experience, CPD and peer recommendation. • They work, through this process, to maintain professional standards for those working in their particular field and to allow those who meet these standards to demonstrate that through letters after their name.

3. Institute of Co-operative Development • Co-operative Development is a very specialist area and we are lucky to have a number of very experienced professionals operating in the field. • However, there are a number of less skilled individuals working in this and similar fields, and at present we have no means of discriminating as to who has the necessary abilities and who does not.

4. Institute of Co-operative Development • This is a proposal, which would work in parallel with the move by Co‑operatives UK and the Co-operative Enterprise Hub to develop Quality Standards for Co-operative Development. • The Institute would be an independent, self governing body able to promote professional excellence in the field • The Institute would be separate from, but work alongside Co-operatives UK, taking individuals not organisations into membership, and would have a formal relationship to it

5. Institute of Co-operative Development This proposal would further enhance the process of identification of suitable professionals by:- • Adding additional membership criteria such as age, experience, CPD and peer recommendation to the proposed Standards • Allowing members to identify themselves with letters after their name as well as providing an easily available published list of suitably skilled members.

6. Institute of Co-operative Development Examples of other Institutes for practising professionals offering individual membership • Institute of Mechanical Engineers • Institute of Electrical Engineers • Institute of Civil Engineers • Institute of Fundraisers • Institute of Personnel Development • Institute of Economic Development • Institute of Business Consulting (Chartered Institute of Management) • Chartered Institute of Housing

7. Institute of Co-operative Development Some have other roles as well, such as self-regulation; • Law Society (self regulation) • BMA (self regulation & wage negotiation) • National Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (self regulation) All have more than qualifications/standards for membership such as; • Age • Experience • Peer recommendation & assessment • CPD

8. Institute of Co-operative Development Often there are other separate umbrella bodies for their industry which offer corporate membership • CBI • FSB • Engineering Employers Federation • HouseBuilders Federation Such bodies do not generally produce standards for professionals in their field

9. Institute of Co-operative Development All Institutes give letters after your name to full members and some others. This provides public recognition for qualification and experience. e.g.:- • Associate - AI?? • Member - MI?? • Fellow - FI?? Many also have codes of professional ethics. e.g.:- • BMA • Law Society • Institute of Economic Development

10. Institute of Co-operative Development Some, however, are faux Institutes with no qualification required – no legal protection against this! • Institute of Directors (IOD) All cost something • IBC (CMI) £150 • IED £150 • I Mech E £211 (+ Joining fee £115) • CIH £110 (Affiliate £148) Some smaller Institutes are still based on peer recommendation and CPD alone, but most insist on Qualifications or Standards

11. Institute of Co-operative Development Many have progressed from easy entry to fully qualified and assessed via interim arrangements to protect existing members. These usually include; • Full protection for existing membership • Phased introduction of additional requirements over a period of years • Period of grace based on application date, to achieve the standards that were in place at date of application

12. Institute of Co-operative Development • Following a consultation process amongst CDB workers this autumn we received 13 formal responses, 1 of which included a substantial narrative, plus 1 narrative only response • These views have been analysed (with some interpretation) to produce a majority view • These will need to be built in to any Business Planning process, but may need to be modified to fit financial and other practicalities

13. Institute of Co-operative Development Membership should be open to all co-op professionals including:- • Development Workers • Business Advisers • Consultants • Academics • Lawyers, Accountants etc.

14. Institute of Co-operative Development Membership should be in 2 classes:- • Associate • Member It should award letters:- • AICD • MICD

15. Institute of Co-operative Development Membership should be based on more than the proposed Standards Criteria to join (presumably for full membership only) should be:- • Minimum age 25-30 • Qualification/Standards • Peer (member) recommendation • 5 years experience (F/T or P/T?) • Formal Assessment Panel CPD will be compulsory to retain membership

16. Institute of Co-operative Development Interim Membership Arrangements (before new Standards become compulsory for Membership) to be based on:- • Minimum age 25-30 • Peer (member) recommendation • 5 years experience • Formal Assessment Panel Interim membership arrangements to be operated until 1 year after the introduction of the proposed new Standards

17. Institute of Co-operative Development • ICD to be legally incorporated as a CBS • Membership to be circa £100 p.a. • ICD to operate a Code of Ethics • ICD wishes to be a Member (Federal or Ordinary) of Co-operatives UK (it’s their decision ultimately)

18. Institute of Co-operative Development Questions? Alex Bird consultancy.coop alex@consultancy.coop Jim Pettipher Co-operative Futures jim.pettipher@co-operativefutures.coop