IEMA aims to provide more reassurance, learning and practical advice.
Our epoch is one of rapid political, economic and, above all, environmental change. It is a period in which individuals, groups and organisations feel uncertain.
However, it also creates the conditions for innovation and getting to the root of what is needed to succeed and survive; necessity is the mother of invention, after all. That is why IEMA has itself undergone significant change this year. The organisation has had to move with the times, but keeping up is not always easy.
We recently asked members what they want and need from their membership to ensure it remains valuable today and into the future. We aimed to drill down to find out what elements helped you to stay informed, ahead of the game and able to contribute.
If there was one resounding theme that sang out from the survey results, it was the strong desire for a constant supply of practical, ‘how to’ professional help and guidance. Given the shifting sands of global sustainability challenges, political shifts and Brexit that is not at all surprising. Members made it clear they were looking to IEMA more than ever for reassurance, learning and practical advice. That is what we will provide.
Some 87% of members across all grades said wanted IEMA to prioritise more briefings and guidance notes. We are working on that and members can expect to see more in 2017.
More than three-quarters (79%) wanted webinars to remain as a mainstay of IEMA’s support portfolio because the format, accessibility and topical nature help them to stay informed about changing practice. Again, we will keep that up and work to further develop the programme. It is good to know IEMA is hitting the mark with the environmentalist.
Some 90% valued reading the monthly magazine as a key continuing professional development (CPD) activity. We will ensure that it continues to be useful – almost 70% said they’d like more practical “how to” information in every issue, and 48% said wanted more articles that they can count as CPD, so we are working on making that happen.
IEMA is using the survey results to shape its plan on delivering valuable, practical tools across all membership benefits. We do not plan to park any of the thought leadership activities; in fact, we seek to strengthen those areas. But you can expect to see more of what you asked for in 2017 and beyond.