The UK IPO recently unveiled its Corporate Plan for 2017-2020. Among its key goals for the next three years is to improve the skills and capability of its people. The Plan emphasises the importance of creating an organisation “where difference is valued and one where our people feel able to bring their whole selves to work“. It includes a Ministerial target to secure external validation of the IPO’s approach to inclusion for under-represented groups.
IP Inclusive applauds the IPO’s stance on these important issues and is grateful for the Office’s continued support and collaboration, which sends a message about the value and credibility of IP Inclusive‘s own work in the IP professions. We have therefore sent the following letter to the IPO’s new Chief Executive, Tim Moss:
On behalf of IP Inclusive, I would like to congratulate your Office on the publication of its Corporate Plan for 2017-2020.
We are, of course, particularly pleased to see that diversity and inclusivity remain key to your values and that they have been embedded in your fifth goal: “improving the skills and capability of our people”. We also welcome the Ministerial target to secure external validation of your approach to inclusion for under-represented groups, which we hope will encourage other IP professionals to take similar measures.
We especially commend the IPO’s approach to valuing difference:
We believe we are an organisation where difference is valued and one where our people feel able to bring their whole selves to work. Nobody in the IPO should have to change who they are when they come to work just to ‘fit in’.
Indeed, you make us proud to be able to name the IPO among our EDI Charter signatories.
The IPO has always worked closely alongside IP Inclusive and supported our efforts to improve diversity and inclusivity in the IP professions. We set great store by that collaboration and hope it will continue. Yours is an organisation to which those working in IP can look for inspiration and endorsement; it is thus vital that you lead the way in this important area. There is much still to be done to make the IP professions more diverse, but I am confident we are moving in the right direction.
We wish you the very best of luck in implementing this laudably ambitious plan through what promises to be a challenging period, and look forward to working with you towards your diversity- and inclusivity-related targets.
Andrea Brewster
Leader, IP Inclusive