The IHBC’s 2020 AGM has seen the adoption by members of a new Corporate Plan for 2020-25, (‘CP25’) – entitled ‘Conservation Advocacy And Influence…’ – distilling the strategies that have underpinned the IHBC’s successful corporate planning ‘for uncharted territory’ to date.
… essential reference for current and future trustees …
… ambitions to advocate and influence on behalf of conservation …
IHBC Chair David McDonald writes: ‘The plans in ‘CP25’ will keep us on track in a complex and busy future under a new constitution. It reminds us who we are, and what we are trying to do and why. As such it is an essential reference for current and future trustees and other volunteers.’
… comfortably familiar strategy! … has stood us in good stead through previous turbulent times …
… plan has been developed from previous plans …
IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly said: ‘Our new Corporate Plan for 2020-25 builds on the success of previous corporate planning for uncharted territory, as developed originally under the oversight of the then IHBC Communications Chair Charles Strang. Though somewhat slimmed down in later years, they all adopted a comfortably familiar strategy!’
‘That strategy has stood us in good stead through previous turbulent times, from sectoral changes in England to structural changes in Scotland and economic crises across the UK.’
… any organisation might feel overwhelmed by even the IHBC’s most immediate of challenges …
‘In essence, the Plan calls on us to focus on securing our charitable objects through supporting members’ needs, ignore the distractions, and make sure our services continue to offer the best possible value!’
‘And just now, any organisation might feel overwhelmed by even the IHBC’s most immediate of challenges.’
‘A new constitution has to be implemented, with new byelaws to write as a priority. A new Westminster Parliamentary Group to support adds a-political complexities, while a new Annual School format for mid- and post-pandemic needs to be devised and put in place urgently. Also we have a new board of trustees and a new council to recruit, as well as COVID-19-compliant practice standards to promote.’
… all just new jobs that need doing, with risks to manage …
‘However as the ‘Pandemic Preamble’ to the updated version of our new Corporate Plan makes clear, these are all just new jobs that need doing, with risks to manage, so our overarching approach still makes absolute sense.’
The IHBC’s writes in ‘CP25’:
… The main text of this ‘Corporate Plan’ was drafted and consulted on around the outset of the most dramatic social change in modern times: the COVID-19 pandemic. The impacts of that crisis are still unfolding, and no-one knows how we will fare, or indeed where we will be, in the coming years….
… Yet none of this changes this plan’s titular ambitions to advocate and influence on behalf of conservation, while ‘supporting practice’ and ‘extending benefits’, for members and for society. In fact it only emphasises how relevant, forward-looking and important this work actually is to society. So the original draft of this plan has not been substantially changed since the onset of these tumultuous times. It has been simplified and adjusted in light of feedback, but not much more than that…
… This strategy is robust because this plan has been developed from previous plans, plans that effectively guided the organisation in times that may have been less tumultuous globally than those today, but were certainly no less threatening to the institute. As they informed the organisation and our trustees successfully then, so we see every reason to think this plan can guide us now…
STRATEGY: ACTIONS FOR CP25
… Helping people … Helping conservation … Helping conservation professionals …
OBJECT A: Helping people – Extend conservation advocacy and access, to improve the civic and social contexts within which our members secure conservation.
Summary action for 2020 to 2025
Secure and embed formal, public recognition of IHBC accreditation as a mark competence in built and historic environment conservation
KEY ACTIONS:
- Advance the All-Party Parliamentary Group (‘APPG’) as a UK-wide political resource delivering on this object
- Consolidate the emerging ‘IHBC CREATIVE Conservation Fund’ as a sustainable resource enhancing conservation investment and outcomes
- Refine operations to align with an enhanced and more accessible public profile
- Highlight the value of built and historic environment conservation as a carbon management strategy in the mitigation of climate change.
OBJECT B: Helping conservation – Enhance support for specialist and non-specialist practitioners, to enhance the practice environment within which our members secure conservation.
Summary action for 2020 to 2025
Extend individual and network users of the IHBC’s public and membership services, digital and otherwise, including social media, HESPR, Jobs etc., Conservation Wiki, Caring for your home etc.,.
KEY ACTIONS:
- Enhance training, support, recognition and benefits of IHBC accreditation across key built and historic environment stakeholder interests
- Simplify and focus IHBC operations and services to facilitate access, use and support by and for all practitioners
- Extend core specialist networks and credibility:
- Refine and extend our international constituency by upgrading our international strategy in accordance with any new constitution
- Explore and test chartered status internally and externally, including through a cost-benefit analysis, and in accordance with any new constitution.
OBJECT C: Helping conservation professionals – Modernise corporate governance and streamline operations, to refine the regulatory framework within which our members secure conservation.
Summary action for 2020 to 2025
Expand and extend accredited membership numbers and credentials
KEY ACTIONS
- Review the IHBC’s Competences, to secure recognition of IHBC accreditation and regulation as the ‘practice standard’ for interdisciplinary built and historic environment conservation
- Through the adoption and implementation of a new constitution, informed by our ‘IHBC+’ programme, make governance fit for the IHBC in the 21st century
- Enhance IHBC Enterprises as a financial and operational resource for the IHBC’s charitable interests.
See the IHBC 2020 AGM copy of the Corporate Plan 2020-25 (‘CP25’)
See more background by following the links from the webpage
