C O N T E X T 1 3 4 : M A Y 2 0 1 4 53 Director’s cut Feedback on feedback In 2011 the IHBC sent out a consultation ‘toolkit’ through our branch-appointed trustees to guide the branches. Around five comments came back.We took that as evidence that the membership did not have a substantial direct interest in the matter. I have now scanned the interim responses on our member and user survey. I am delighted to say we have nearly 280 responses, a proportion that few surveys achieve, never mind one on governance and strategy. All responders subscribed to our services: no one outside the IHBC fold contributed. That means that some 15 per cent of our members were interested enough to contribute. The overall responses might be summed up (at least at this stage) as: ‘Pretty good, especially under the circumstances, but could and must do better’. We may feel quite proud of that summary. Of those responding, for example, some 90 per cent felt that we were doing well or better. It is especially pleasing for trustees and volunteers, as well as for staff, to see our work described in words like ‘dynamic’ and ‘efficient’, and phrases like ‘well represented and governed’, ‘highly regarded’ and ‘well run’. The story is not at all that simple, but it is an endorsement that should be registered strongly precisely because of the operating environment faced since 2007. The statistics substantiate that much smaller story we extrapolated from our tiny sample in 2010.While some 80 per cent thought that we needed to improve our engagement with members, some 85 per cent thought that the current organisational structures delivered either ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ of the outcomes currently needed in the sector: 47 per cent ‘some’, and 38 per cent ‘a lot’. Again, while 80 per cent or so estimated that improvements in our structure would help the IHBC shape the future of the profession, either ‘some’ or ‘a lot’, 80 per cent felt that the current structures of branches and council still offered ‘the best’ organisational representation for the institute. Things get more nuanced when the commentaries are added in, capturing a small but critical area that reflects better the real diversity of skills and interests that we need to garner more effectively. Across the 60 or so commentaries offered, we see some common headline themes and concerns – and some contradictory ones too. • Move beyond the Association of Conservation Officers, but maintain its strengths. • Help the conservation officers more (especially conservation officer groups), but not to the exclusion of others. • Don’t forget those members overseas; academics; engineers; architects; affiliates; retired members; archaeologists; younger members; and special interest groups generally. • Make council more strategic. • Be vigilant in protecting buildings under our code of conduct. • Speed up the organisation, and focus on activities. • Grow the grassroots; offer more opportunities to join in. • Build capacity through partnerships. • Develop easier voting processes. • Develop benchmarks and standards. • Diversify the membership application process. • Get the governance right, even if very few members are actually that interested in it. It seems to boil down to a simple question: while we are not doing much that is actually wrong, what should we do to be much better? In managing a small organisation such as the IHBC (or probably in any organisation) it is useful to have a few ideas in hand to anticipate issues in surveys like this. It is especially gratifying to see that many of the concerns raised here are reflected in priorities and changes already under way. Now, though, this survey offers a special guide in our work. Primarily, there is our package of initiatives to help address the concerns captured in the motion to our 2013 AGM, proposed by our then chair Jo Evans, highlighting the need to support the progress of affiliates to full accredited membership of the institute. The IHBC already had a range of branch initiatives supporting such career progress, offering essential infrastructure and lessons that the national initiative could piggyback on. Following the AGM motion, we stepped up the campaign. In the summer we developed plans to feature support for membership
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