We’ll also be establishing a new “advisory board” to guide and support IPIM. This is a group of individuals, from both within and outside the IP sector, whose skills and expertise can help IP Inclusive take account of as wide a range of perspectives as possible.
IPIM and its advisory board
To summarise the two roles:
- IPIM members will have ownership and carry a certain amount of liability (although we have insurance to mitigate risk); they will provide oversight, support and light-touch governance.
- Advisory board membership will be a non-executive role for volunteers who want input into IP Inclusive’s direction of travel; they’ll help the Lead Executive Officer and IPIM do the right things in the right way.
The draft IPIM constitution and advisory board terms of reference (see below) provide more information about the roles and the associated time commitment.
The skills and experience we need
We’ll recruit based on the skills and experience we think IP Inclusive needs access to. Some existing IPIM members will be there to help with continuity.
The skills and experience we think it would be useful to have on the advisory board include (in no particular order): leadership and governance; corporate strategy; the IP sector; diversity and inclusion; HR, recruitment and management; finance; fundraising; the volunteer sector; charities or community interest groups; careers outreach; and media and comms. We also think it’s important to have people who can speak for groups who are currently under-represented in the IP professions (for example BAME, LGBT+ or disabled professionals), as well as those who understand the next generation of would-be recruits.
For IPIM members, it will be useful to have at least some experience of governance (in any kind of organisation), understanding of the IP sector and ideally a good network of contacts who can help IP Inclusive achieve its objectives.
However, none of this is set in stone yet so we’d like to hear from as wide a range of people as possible. The only overriding requirement – for recruits to both IPIM and the advisory board – is a commitment to the IP Inclusive cause. You need to believe we’re pursuing the right goals, even if you’re not yet convinced we’re doing it in the right way.
Fair and inclusive recruitment
IPIM aims to recruit, manage and promote personnel (including its own members, advisory board members and executive staff) through fair and inclusive processes based on the skills and expertise needed for pursuing its objects. We recognise the potential impact of unconscious bias and take steps to mitigate its effect on our work. In particular we aim to appoint personnel, to consult and to allocate roles in a way that involves a diverse range of people and perspectives.
How to volunteer
To volunteer, please complete an application form and return it to [email protected]. You can download the forms here:
They’re not intended to be unduly formal and complicated, so please don’t agonise over a lengthy response. We simply need to ensure we’re recruiting fairly and inclusively and fulfilling our objective of bringing a diverse range of skills and perspectives onto the team.
The closing date for applications this year is midnight on Wednesday 30 June.
Relevant documents
You can read the current IPIM constitution here. The new one (which isn’t vastly different except in terms of the membership criteria) is available in draft here, and the intended terms of reference for the advisory board (also in draft) here.
By way of background, please take a look at:
Page published on 8th May 2021
Page last modified on 18th June 2021