We’re delighted to present our next business plan and our budget for the period from August 2023 to July 2024. They’re based on discussions at our 18 April 2023 annual meeting, input from the IP Inclusive Advisory Board, and ongoing consultations with our volunteers and other stakeholders.
By way of background to this latest set of plans, you might also be interested to read our 2022 Annual Report.
In a move to streamline our work – and in line with our supporters’ suggestions – our new business plan covers two years, from August 2023 to July 2025. This, along with an intention to establish longer-term strategic plans (see section 4 of the business plan), will increase our capacity to focus on and develop our objectives. We will, however, continue to budget annually, and will keep the business plan under constant review to ensure its alignment with both our own objectives and our stakeholders’ needs.
Building on our work in 2022 and 2023 so far, “allyship” will be the theme underpinning all other areas of our work in 2023-2025. Other key features of the new plan include:
The new plan’s six high-level objectives are reproduced below. But do have a read of the full document; we’d welcome your feedback. And even more than that, we’d love to have you involved as we put the plans into action!
Our new high-level objectives
From our Advisory Board, breakout discussions at our 2023 annual meeting, and other things supporters have been telling us over recent months, the following objectives have emerged as particularly important and will shape our plans for the next two years:
- Allyship
- Encouraging and empowering allies throughout the IP professions
- Inclusive hybrid working arrangements
- Encouraging and supporting inclusive, accessible hybrid working arrangements post-Covid
- In-person events and networking opportunities
- Improving opportunities for our supporters to build their personal and professional networks
- Support for early-career IP professionals
- Increasing support and networking opportunities for recent entrants to the IP professions
- Data gathering
- Gathering, and helping IP sector businesses to gather, data to assess EDI levels in the IP professions, IP Inclusive’s impact, and areas in need of future work
- Diversifying the upstream pipeline
- Continuing, through Careers in Ideas, our efforts to attract a more diverse pool of recruits and widen access to the IP professions
There is clearly overlap between these objectives, and we anticipate progress in each being of value to the others. The general theme of allyship (objective 1) will underpin our work in all areas – and as usual, our communities will be key to our efforts to reach, encourage and support their allies.
Also in the new business plan…
As in previous years, we also plan to progress certain operational matters during the next planning period. These are listed in section 3 of the business plan, and will equip us to deliver its objectives and to provide improved support for our volunteers.
Section 4 of the document sets out some longer-term plans, which we believe will place IP Inclusive in a stronger position to pursue its objectives for as long as the need exists.
We have also included:
- In Annex I, the things we hope to continue to do as part of our day-to-day activities. These will support our work on the high-level objectives.
- In Annex II, further “nice-to-have” items suggested by our Advisory Board and annual meeting attendees. These we will attempt to do in 2023-25, resources permitting, and otherwise keep in mind for future business plans.
The budget
We have increased this year’s budget to take account of our continued growth. We believe that’s appropriate in view of IP Inclusive’s increasing importance in, and value to, the IP professions. We hope you agree!
We will shortly be launching our 2023-24 fundraising campaign, and will be in touch with our Charter signatories about that soon. Do please email us at [email protected] if you’d like to donate this year, or indeed to set up a regular annual donation.
We plan to continue with our present “Wikipedia”-type model, in which we ask all our supporters to give what they can, when they can, in the interests of the whole IP community. For the time being, our events and resources will remain free to all UK-based IP professionals, and signing up to our EDI Charter will not incur any subscription charges.
Feedback
IP Inclusive Management (IPIM) welcomes feedback on the 2023-25 business plan. Please write to our Lead Executive Officer Andrea Brewster at [email protected].