Following the recent annual general meeting, a new BCS structure
has come into being. It is designed to ensure that the industry's
professional body is fully equipped to serve its members, the wider
IT community and society in general in the 21st century, writes
John Kavanagh.
Four boards will now lead activity in the main areas of BCS
business, and three forums - for both members and non-members -
will aim to ensure that BCS planning and action reflect the widest
range of views.
This restructuring is the culmination of a programme that started
in 1998. Since then 3,000 members and 500 non-members in IT
specialist and management jobs in industry, commerce, education and
government have been consulted in detail.
BCS deputy chief executive Colin Thompson, who has led the work,
says, "This represents a major modernisation of the BCS, which we
believe to be essential for the future of the society and the
profession.
"The new boards will be smaller than their predecessors, geared
more to action than debate. They will be charged with ensuring that
the BCS is focused more tightly on delivering relevant services and
increasing the society's visibility and influence.
"The crucial change is the launch of the new forums. The aim is to
find a way to tap into the vast experience and expertise of our
community. Current ways of working, largely by physical meetings,
often held in London during the working day, make it impossible for
most members to be actively involved in the BCS. We want it to be
possible for every member, wherever they are and however busy their
schedule, to be able to participate."
The first three forums cover the main areas of IT activity in which
the BCS aims to consolidate and extend its membership position.
They are: engineering and technology; management; and education and
training.
Each forum is led by a vice-president and a management committee
with a maximum of 16 people with appropriate knowledge and
experience. These teams are currently putting together programmes
of activity.
Forums will use Web discussion groups and will set up expert panels
to pursue themes and oversee topics of the moment. They will
produce policy statements, publications, seminars and conferences
from their discussions.
Members and non-members can join any or all of the forums free of
charge.
"We want to promote a grass-roots network of engaged practitioners
which will encourage the exchange of ideas, influence BCS work and
support its programmes," says Thompson.
"These changes put the BCS right at the forefront of professional
bodies in terms of restructuring to meet the needs of the 21st
century. We now have a sound base for the future. We know from our
consultations that we have the broad support of members for the
direction we are taking, and the fact that almost all elements of
the new structure were approved by unanimous vote of the governing
council is evidence of the society's commitment to the
changes."
www.bcs.org/forums