Reflections of a CIEEM governor

Last week, after completing my maximum term of six years, I stood down as a governor of CIEEM. I thought I’d very briefly offer my thoughts and reflections, in the hope that I can encourage others to engage and offer their time to help run this excellent organisation.

When it was first suggested to me that I stand for election I must admit my initial thoughts were that I wasn’t experienced enough, that there would be others better qualified, and that I wouldn’t have enough time. Whilst I’m sure there were a host of people better qualified, they weren’t standing, and as it turned out I think I probably was experienced enough and I did have the time. The board meets quarterly and nowadays that includes two face to face meetings every year, with the remainder online. So if you’re initial thoughts are similar to mine then my advice is ?don’t worry, just go for it! Here’s why!!

The last six years on the board have been incredibly rewarding. The vast majority of the superb work that CIEEM does is of course delivered by the secretariat, who are an incredibly passionate, dedicated and competent group of people. The role of the board is many and varied, and does include some statutory obligations, but essentially it’s there to guide and support Sally Hayns the CEO, and the team and to ensure that the systems are in place to allow all of the ambitions of CIEEM and its charitable objectives to be realised.

Although over the last six years there has been a wealth of activities delivered by CIEEM and the Board I thought I’d pick my six highlights.

Membership: In 2016 CIEEM was an organisation of just under 5000 members. It’s now over 7000. A truly impressive increase in membership and very much a joint effort between Stuart Park’s membership team and all the volunteer assessors (just one way you can volunteer your time and support ??).

Registered Practices: During Stephanie Wray’s presidency we designed and then rolled out the concept of registered practices. This has been a very successful initiative and given many business owners in consultancy the advantage of increased visibility and kudos in the marketplace. In addition it has also driven big improvements for employees by requiring registered practices to conform to a range of strict employer requirements.

Covid: It is true for all, whether in our private lives or at work, that covid caused untold disruption. CIEEM was no different and I feel proud to have been part of an organisation that shone throughout this period. From direct support for its staff and its members, through to the production of guidance garnered from a range of experts. There was also a huge increase in the need for online training which was handled with consummate ease by the training team at CIEEM (at least that’s how it appeared on the outside!).

Charitable status: One major change in CIEEM that took place while I was on the board was the granting of charitable status (no small undertaking). As a board we felt that this was worth pursuing for two main reasons: firstly it felt like a better fit for us. Having charitable objects that were there to benefit the environment seemed right. Secondly, the change allowed CIEEM to access charitable funding to help support its objects. This change has already made a big difference and will continue to do so.

Policy work and lobbying: Over the last six years there has been a step change in the way CIEEM interacts at a policy level. This has included the establishment of the Strategic Policy Panel (SPP) (part sponsored by Biocensus – just saying ??), the employment of a policy officer and for a year or two the contracting of a lobbying company to guide us in our early steps in this area. Driven largely by Brexit uncertainty and more recently by new legislation such as the Environment Act, we felt as a board that there were seismic changes afoot in the environment sector. We were determined to be at the forefront of the discussion, ?making our views and those of our members and supporters known and trying to influence the formulation of government policy. There have been some notable wins in this area and great credit should go to Stephanie Wray (past president and chair of the SPP), Sally, Jason Reeves and Amber Connect for their work on this.

ED&I: In the last year or so there has been a willingness and determination by staff and board members to tackle an issue that until recently has been largely ignored, which is the lack of diversity within the environmental sector. This is something I also feel very strongly about (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-rsk-biocensus-supporting-equality-diversity-inclusivity-%3FtrackingId=1slIpFcuRhUT0ShBZEQgkQ%253D%253D/?trackingId=1slIpFcuRhUT0ShBZEQgkQ%3D%3D). As a result in the last year we have dedicated some CIEEM funding and raised further funds from other organisations to start on this journey with the launch of the Green Jobs for Nature website, and the appointment of an EDI engagement officer - Lea Nightingale (https://cieem.net/about-cieem/our-team/; https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/leanightingale/?originalSubdomain=uk ).. There is so much more to do on this issue, but we have now at least made a great start.

Obviously there have been many other initiatives and successes over the last six years but this selection ?shows the range of activities that a CIEEM board member can engage with and ?influence. I’m incredibly proud and honoured to have made a contribution to ?running CIEEM for six years.?During that time I’ve met and worked with some truly wonderful and inspiring people. So you know where this is going???I would strongly encourage anyone (no matter what stage of their career they are at – the governing board can take anyone that is a full member) to volunteer for this or for one of the many other volunteer opportunities that CIEEM offer. https://cieem.net/about-cieem/volunteer-at-cieem/ .