During the summer and autumn of 2005 we carried out two important exercises at Ridgmount Street. One was to analyse the feedback to our consultation on CILIP’s proposed new Corporate Plan. The other was to analyse financial trends in order to develop a sustainable business model for the future of CILIP.
Sustainability
Both analyses convinced me – and CILIP’s Executive Board – of the need to reduce staff costs and realign management responsibilities. Subsequent discussion with colleagues convinced me that the best way to carry out the painful process of reducing staff costs meant minimising uncertainty by completing the process as rapidly as possible while complying with agreed procedures and having due care for the staff involved. From October to December delivery of the staff reductions required by the Sustaining CILIP agenda formed one of the most intense – and certainly one of the most painful – periods of my working life to date.
In ten weeks we reduced headcount at Ridgmount Street by thirteen posts through a process of individual and collective consultation and without having to resort to compulsion. The reductions were achieved through consensus by a mix of early retirement, voluntary severance, redeployment, and not filling vacant posts. The process was painful and intense – but it was also conducted with effectiveness and professionalism; all staff involved are to be congratulated on their exemplary conduct during this difficult period.
Structure
The new staffing arrangements at Ridgmount Street focus on the five key themes which have emerged from our Corporate Plan consultation – education, advocacy, community, enterprise and effectiveness.
CILIP as a regulatory body within academic and vocational education – setting professional standards through our framework of qualifications and accreditation – becomes my responsibility as Chief Executive, supported by Marion Huckle as Head of Qualifications and Professional Development (QPD) and her QPD team.
CILIP as a community of practice forms the areas of work brought together by Jill Martin as Director of Knowledge and Information: information and advice, international activities, and the CILIP website as well as CILIP’s in-house ICT support team. The current programme of website development will enable and encourage the cultivation of online communities of practice across the CILIP network. Jill also becomes responsible for membership administration - thus strengthening the direct link between her team and CILIP’s member community - and for the work of Lyndsay Rees-Jones as Senior Adviser (Workforce Development).
Communities of practice mean person-to-person networking as well as online interconnection and I know from my own experience the importance which members attach to the work of “their” Branch or Group. Guy Daines as Head of Policy and Governance becomes responsible for liaison with Branches and Groups, supported by Madeleine Tseyoungsun as Branch and Group Coordinator. Guy and his team continue to develop our work in the areas of policy and governance and in addition Guy takes on responsibility for advocacy and media relations.
Liaison with the work of CILIP in the Home Nations lies with me as Chief Executive, reinforcing the fact that CILIP is UK-wide, not just an English organisation. CILIP in Scotland, CILIP Cymru, and CILIP in Ireland will continue to have considerable devolved autonomy and I will act as their main point of contact at Ridgmount Street.
John Woolley continues as Managing Director of CILIP Enterprises, focusing on business development in the four broad areas where CILIP has a substantial market presence: recruitment, training, publishing and events management. John will also take on responsibility for corporate marketing, bringing his considerable business experience to the task of marketing the CILIP brand and the value of CILIP membership.
Underpinning this work of CILIP in the areas of education, advocacy, community, and enterprise will be a continued focus on effectiveness. Rowena Wells continues as Director of Finance and Teresa Haskins continues as Head of Personnel and Facilities. Teresa also takes responsibility for the in-house reprographics unit at Ridgmount Street. Key to the effectiveness of CILIP is the drive to attract new members to CILIP and as Chief Executive I shall take personal responsibility for leading this area of work.
People
These changes mean the deletion of two senior posts and both Sue Brown (Deputy Chief Executive) and Tim Buckley-Owen (Head of Membership, Marketing and Media) have left the organisation. Both have contributed a great deal to the formative years of CILIP and we wish them well in the future.
A decision has been taken to close the consultancy service and this means that David Haynes and Leonard Latiff have also left the organisation. Consultancy activity will now be carried out by a network of CILIP-accredited Associates.
As part of the drive to cut costs we have also reduced capacity in five areas of activity. The International Officer post has been deleted and Julie Robinson has left the organisation. Our international work will be refocused and reassigned, and continues to be led and coordinated by Jill Martin. We have also reduced staffing in Information Services, Training and Development and Infomatch, although no-one has left CILIP as a result of these changes, which have been achieved by redeployment, holding vacancies and re-jigging hours of work.
In addition we have slimmed down the team who look after the facilities at Ridgmount Street and Roger Halle (Mailroom), Margaret Poole (room bookings) and Joan Abrahams (reception) have left the organisation.
Finally, we have deleted two administrative posts. Susan Murcutt (formerly PA to Sue Brown) has left the organisation and Vivien Scorer (formerly PA to John Woolley) has been redeployed into the vacant post of my Personal Assistant.
In all, therefore, nine people have left CILIP’s employment as a result of these changes. Their names are highlighted in this report and all of them have contributed substantially to the work of CILIP. They all deserve our thanks and our best wishes.
The CILIP staff form a close-knit community and recent months have not been easy for anyone working at Ridgmount Street. But the process described in this report is now completed and it is time to move on. The pain of the recent months will only be justified if we can now move forward together towards a sustainable future for CILIP.
Bob McKee
Chief Executive
Updated: 31 January 2006