IfL governance update

Proposals for more members to be involved in governing IfL

Currently, IfL governance arrangements give members – teachers and trainers across the full breadth of FE and skills, including adult and work based learning – the majority of places on the IfL Council.

In reviewing governance,we propose some important developments as shown in the diagram below.

 

Proposed governance structure

Proposed governance structure

1. Increase to two-thirds the proportion of IfL members on the Council from just over half the places currently.

2. Increase the number of places for IfL members from 12 to 40 to give a voice to more practitioners in governing IfL.

3. Establish a council with 60 places (40 of whom are elected from the membership – ie, practitioners – with the minority of 20 places for partner organisations).

This Council will meet three times a year and will shape policy and strategy for IfL as the professional body for teachers and trainers. The Council will also elect a non-executive Board from its own body.


4. Establish a non-executive Board with 12 directors to give strategic leadership to IfL as a company.

The Board will have eight places elected from members and the minority of places (four) for partner organisations. The Board will meet about nine times a year.

IfL’s Council members want to give more members the scope to influence how IfL develops and have partner organisations’ engagement from sixth-form colleges and adult and work-based learning, as well as further education colleges. We need your views; the online survey will take just a few minutes to complete.


More say in leading IfL

To seek approval of IfL’s new governance structure with more say for different groups of membership, the IfL Council carefully considered the options at its meeting on 3 April 2009. Solely to decide on the new governance arrangements, it agreed that IfL members who are Fellows are entitled to vote at the general meeting convened to approve the new governance structure for the purposes of the Companies Act.

The Council also decided that it was essential to consult members on the proposed new governance structure to gauge the level of support for members, the practitioners, to have more say in leading IfL.


Your voice is important

Thanks to those who completed our survey on the above changes. The results of this consultation will be available soon.